Embedded Files
Around six decades ago, the founding Director of the Institute, Prof. Kelkar, invited a few families of washer men to live on campus and provide laundry services to the growing community. For generations, these "washer families" have provided continuous, affordable, and reliable service to thousands of students, faculty, staff, and their families. They still serve approximately half of the student population and some faculty, staff, and other facilities like the Health Centre and VH2.
However, on November 27, 2024, the Institute administration served them an eviction notice, demanding they vacate their workspace without offering any alternative arrangements. This action was taken without consulting either the users or the service providers. The washer families have been fighting to protect their right to a livelihood for the past two months, with the support of some community members. This page documents related updates to this issue:
2025-04-06: Two Weeks after Demolition of Dhobhighat where do the Dhobi Families Stand?
2025-03-19: Amidst Promise of Mediation of Mediation Dhobighat Demolished
2025-03-14: Hamara Macnch Update : Director’s Email Amidst Imminent Demolition at Dhobighat. Read the Director's mail here.
2025-03-13: IITK Students respond to Director's mail. Read the Director's mail here.
2025-03-13: Citizens' forum writes open letter to campus community regarding IITK Director's misleading 10th March, 2025 mail. Hindi translation is Here. Read the Director's mail here.
2025-03-13: Dhobis Respond to IITK Director's 10th March, 2025 mail to 'entire' campus community. Read the Director's mail here.
2025-03-10: Water Usage at Dhobighat per day
2025-03-09: Demolition of Dhobighat to Commence on 11th March, 2025
2025-03-03: Open (Third) Letter to IIT Kanpur Director from Citizens' Forum
2025-02-19: Meeting Minutes of student's official body COSHA in support of Dhobis
2025-02-01: Dhobi Update: A Farcical Order on a Sham Hearing
2025-01-01: Dhobi Families Seek Solidarity of the Community to Carry on their Livelihood
2024-12-27: Five minutes video on living and working conditions of Dhobi Families in IIT Kanpur
2024-12-24: Citizens' Forum's second letter to the director on December, 24th. Hindi translation of the letter is available here.
2024-12-13: 78 alumni have endorsed the Citizen's Forum's December, 13th letter to Director.
2024-12-13: In light of recent eviction notice to dhobis, Citizens' Forum writes this letter to Director, IITK.
2018-04-26: In view of the situation, Citizens' Forum is writing this letter to Director, IITK.
2018-04-20: One of the alumni forwarded a presentation he gave in 2011 on the issue. It can be found here.
2018-04-16: An article on Nirvaak on the issue.
2018-04-16: Letter from the Dhobhi community to Director.
2018-04-12: This page is born out of more recent event as documented in the Hamara Manch update: Eviction notice to Dhobis: neither the service provider nor the users consulted
2018-04-04: Institute view/arguments for their eviction is captured in this vox-populi article (for a response, see the Hamara Manch update above).
2010-09-20: An earlier attempt to force them out was made, as documented in this Update from Hamara Manch [Eviction of dhobis].
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