DEATH OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS: CASTE STIGMA & POLITICS OF SANITATION. By Ruma Bhardwaj
DEATH OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS: CASTE STIGMA & POLITICS OF SANITATION. By Ruma Bhardwaj
Abstract
‘kesa ye swaraj hai, sewer main marta samaaj hai’
Swaraj is just become a theoretic idea nowadays because a part of society excluded from this idea. The exclusion from the prevailing social system and its rights and privileges called social exclusion. Lower caste minority groups have become victims of this pain. India suppose to become a superpower in upcoming days but technically we have a profession of ‘collecting human excreta’ and we give this privilege duty to a certain caste and group of people. Despite stringent provisions in the law, manual scavenging continues unabated in India. Hindu notion of purity and pollution linked with the practice of untouchability, underlie the unsanitary practices in Indian society where ‘polluted castes’ are forced to undertake manholes and clean other people’s filth. This cheap Dalit labor to do dehumanizing jobs these jobs are an exception to a modern garbage and sewage management system. As long as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan attempts to delink the relationship b/w caste and sanitation. Clean India has become an unachievable goal and a depression for Dalit caste because sanitation becomes a responsibility and pressure for a particular caste community. Acc. Sukhadeo Thorat: ‘lower castes are facing discrimination in the hierarchy and economic deprivation and government and the rotten
education system is responsible for it’. We need to analyze SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN AND POLITICS OF CASTE. We need to know how manual scavenging becomes death traps for a certain caste group.
INTRODUCTION
Government & their policies is used to regulates the human body. It ensures the degree of individual and social control of the body. The powers at play in body politics include institutional power expressed in government and laws, the power to maintain economic production. This politics and policies marked some bodies as inferior that are denied every right and privileges within the society. After 7 years of Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act 2013, deaths of sanitation workers due to asphyxiation inside sewers and septic tanks continue to be reported across India. Lower caste people are unable to participate in society because of a lack of education and social hierarchy. This exclusion revolves around institutions that discriminate, isolate, shame and deprive subordinate groups. Where a particular work decided for a particular caste. Acc. Harsh Mander- “ One of
modern India’s great shames is the official failure to eradicate manual scavenging, the most degrading surviving practice of untouchability in the country. In 2019, 110 workers killed during the scavenging.
(according to Silencing caste, sanitizing oppression: understanding Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by Subhash Gatade) :-
Swachh Bharat abhiyan launched by PM Narender Modi on 2nd October 2014. This propaganda machinery of government hugely supported by media. Even though it has long term critics as well. Schemes praised because of ‘novelty’ & ‘innovativeness’. Politicians and celebrities had a photo-session with each other to hold the broom before the camera this is a way to take the whole initiative. A rag picker name Sanjay who lives in Mahruali exclaimed after watching these politicians holding jhaoods. “these are the same people from whose houses we pick up garbage every day. This is part of our life. We don’t understand why they are making big deal about it”. Rag pickers play an important role in garbage management of the city but unfortunately, we denied their contribution, we neglect them during the campaign. The launch of this top-down
initiative had witnessed “erasure/cleaning” of a different kind, where even the legacy of Mhatama Gandhi was “reduced” to cleanliness, obliterating his lifelong struggle against communalism of every kind and for an inclusive polity. Sangh parivar adopt this as a sanitized form. Prime Minister projects ‘samras’ (harmonious) & ‘kartavya’ (duty) towards Baharat Mata. The oath administered by PM MODI to everyone who joined this campaign was: “Ab hamara kartavya hain ki gandgi ko dhoor karke bahrat mata ki sewa karein”(Now, it our duty to derve mother India by removing the dirt). The Reality of this slogan is harsh and more painful than it seems. ‘Death of Manual Scavengers is an institutional Murder’.
According to Rajeev Kumar Singh: social exclusion to deprived persons and groups linked to caste based occupational groups in India like manual scavengers that socially, economically, politically marginalized. this group has a lack of capabilities to participate in society. They are victims of social exclusion by caste, sex and ethnicity. Manual scavengers in India, who are caste-based occupational groups, constitute one such socially excluded class. Lack of unavailability of sanitation facilities like food, clothing, shelter, sanitation is one of the basic requirements of mankind. As per the World Health Report, 1999, only 49% of the rural population and merely 14% of the rural population have facilities for excreta disposal. But we need to analyze The Clean India Program and its relation with caste.
(according to Silencing caste, sanitizing oppression: understanding Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by Subhash Gatade) :-
In search of dignity and Justice
A well-known photojournalist Sudhakar Olwe titled a visual photo as “In search of dignity and justice”. It seems an eye opener. According to this narrative,30,000 conservancy sweepers
working for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. He writes- all of them are Dalits. They seem as disgust by rest of the society. They work in the midst of filth, without any protective gear, not even access to water to wash of slime. most of them are alcoholic, living in dismal housing, they abuse their wives & children. Olwe states the aim to this photography “is to call an action, to
urge fellow human beings through this picture change the picture”. Millions of people in this country who are citizens of the republic are condemned to live a subhuman life to ensure ‘a clean city’ contribute in sanitation and protection of the life of citizens at the cost of their own life and survival. Manual scavengers remove excreta from dry toilets. Britishers employed the people for the work but after the innovation of flesh toilets, manual scavenging stopped. But we have a paradox in Modern India and this occupation is based on caste, these scavengers are exposed to many bacterial infections.(Gatade,2015)
CITY SEWERS OR DEATH TRAPS?
Gatade collected newspaper headlines and reports than he individually meets with families who lost their sons in these sewers, Gatade and team launch a small campaign to communicate civil society. These deaths are silent genocides of democracy. they held a meeting at the constitutional club, New Delhi and handbill distributed with title “city sewers or death traps?” it contains 2 cases- Ala & Umesh died on 12 June 2004, While cleaning sewers at Samaypur badli. But govt. never affected by these deaths.
Differences of equipments among countries: In other countries scavengers equipped with bunny suits, respiratory supporters, huge fans to ensure oxygen. Even in Hongkong a sewer cleaner must have adequate training and 15 licenses. But in India, manual scavenger only has a half pant, a rope and mask which we think ensure their safety.
Sirivyan Anand did a story in TEHELKA titled ‘Life inside a black hole’,where he discussed the scavengers who trapped in poisonous gases, who done a dirty job and they get only diseases and untouchability in return. Acc. To Anand- RTI 2006 shows:
Years Death of manual scavengers
2002-03 14
2003-04 320
2004-05 288
In contrast,1990-2007 only 51000 soldiers died in J&K, but 25 scavenger dead every month. Many scavengers dead before at age of 45 years, then their wives start working as scavenger. Lack of equipment is the main cause of deaths and causalities. Indian urban planners have never felt the need to conceive a human friendly system of managing garbage and sewage. Instead, they rely on an unending source of disposable, cheap, Dalit labor. Radio Mirchi aired a commercial in 2007 where a man heard singing the song ‘Yeh suahna mausam, yeh khula asmaan, kho ge hm yahaan, haye, kho gye ham yhaan’ . and tagline is ‘Mirchi sunne wale hamesha khush’. But how one can is happy after cleaning a sewer. (Gatade,2015)
SHIT COLLECTION: A PROFESSIONAL CHOICE OR FORCE:
22,000 Peoples die every year in sewers. And we are thinking that someone enjoying his work this work is not a choice but a helplessness of policies to these people they clean our sewers unwillingly, not because they fond of doing this. Caste discrimination is legitimate by society on the basis of religion which condemned a section of its people to the profession of cleaning, sweeping. We forced them to do this. Gita Ramasmay describes in her book “India Stinking”, these communities known as Bhangi, methar, chura, chamar in different states. Name can be different but discrimination is remaining the same. They are lowest and untouchable in Hindu social hierarchy and they can’t choose a profession willingly. Some works like skinning of dead animals, cleaning, sweeping, leather work, and removal of human excreta are assigned for them. In 2005 a short film on manual scavenging made by P. Amudhan titled “ Vande Matram- A shit version” movie based on a woman of Madurai who worked as a manual scavenger, movie shows the heinous practice of caste. Tamil Nadu government banned this movie. But the reality is there where 60% of the population has no sanitation facilities. 6.76 lakh women engaged in manual scavenging. Bezwada Wilson, working for liberation of scavengers under ‘Safai karamchari Andolan’ writes- “How can one feel proud of cleaning the worm filled, stench producing shits of millions every day? We cover our mouths before entering in toilets than how can these scavengers clean this. They could not bring food to their lips, they infected from contaminated water, they constantly spitting out the shame and indignity”. (Gatade,2015)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF CASTE & SANITATION:
Govt. of India promulgated The Employment of Manual Scavenger and Construction of Dry Latrines Act 1997. But no state bothered to implement the law till 2000. No govt. take action to improve the situation. Then, new legislation, the prohibition of employments manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 2013 where protective measures should be taken as per the directions of central govt. but nothing happened. UN Human Development Report 2005 shows only 28% of people in 2000 accessed to sanitation facility. We Indian have legacy of sanitization during Indus valley civilization, where people has waterborne toilets in each house, these toilets covered by clay bricks. Even in NARAD SAMHITA or VAJASANEYI SAMHITA mentioned that one of the duties of slaves is “disposal of excreta”. Visitors like Huen Tsang mention the concept of untouchability during 630-645AD. equation b/w excreta & pollution in Hindu society. According to Gita Ramsamay- ‘In the Western world, one thing is clear that human excreta is the main source of transmission and spread of communicable diseases. But in India, excreta is simply impure where tradition is failed to keep up with scientific disposal of excreta. Excreta avoidance is ritualized: Castes of Hindu society did not mind that public places were soiled by excreta but insisted that inside of the house should be free from excreta. And the solution for the disposal of is polluted caste should be appointed for manually handle excreta.
Field Study: Rajeev Ku. Singh and Ziyauddin in their writing ‘Manual Scavenging as social exclusion: a case study’ presents a case study in Gazipur District UP, conduct from July to September 2007 based on Pilot survey. Where 72% of males and 48% of females were literate.
sex ratio is 974. 72 manual scavengers informally interviewed it was found out that only a few belong to the age group of 20-30 years, while most of them belongs to the age group of 30-50 years old. They are the only bread winner of family they only got Rs. 20 to 50 for scavenging 72 respondents interviewed have 1,250 Rs. Per month. They do jobs in local municipalities and hospitals for extra income. 90% of women working as scavengers for 20 years. These women start work from 5 AM and continue it up to 11 AM. Average age of workers is approximately
years. all of them belong to Mehtar caste. A woman Chinta Devi of Meharpur locality start her shop through a loan from NGO and she gave up this manual management of excreta. If govt. helps then definitely find out better alternatives of livelihood. In Gazipur Muslim centered problem is Hindu lower middle-class women go out to defecate but Muslim women stay inside because of parda system and their economic condition does not allow them to upgrade their toilet system but still they more care about their social prestige. (Singh & Ziyauddin, 2009)
RUMBLING WITHIN: CHALLENGE TO TRADITION :
Dalit community even start to challenge the tradition and their ‘old profession’. Movements like Safai Karmchari Andolan organized the demolition of dry latrines at various places, they come forward and burn their broom and basket in resistance. Different NGOs, Organizations, Safai Karamchari Andolan are working toward exposing the prevalence of manual scavenging in different forms in all states of the country. The member of this community continuously criticized the casteist and conservative mindset of the government and society. Government of India allotted 100crore rupees in 2012-13 for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers but no state government bothered to spend a single penny from the fund. Nobody is accountable for these scavengers. These organizations approached the judiciary for intervention in the implementation of laws. Some intellectuals and conscious
individuals raised the slogans of “Jhadoo chodo, kalam uthao” which means to leave this unclean profession and move towards education and alternative livelihood. A historical satyagraha led by Ambedkar in Mahad in 1927. Where locally dominated brahmans did not allow lower caste groups to drink & draw water from the same Chavdar Talab as others. In
the conference at Mahad all untouchable decided that ‘no untouchable shall skin the animals of the Hindus, shall carry it or eat the carrion.’ Ambedkar explains- “ the object of these resolutions was twofold:
One object, to foster self -respect & self-esteem among untouchables.
The Second object, strike a blow at the Hindu social order.
Which based on a division of labor where clean and respectable jobs assigned to upper castes and dirty jobs like manual scavenging assigned to untouchables. But the aim of this revolt is at making the Hindus do their dirty jobs themselves.”
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is an attempt to popularize the brooms and basket once again. Gandhi stayed at Valmimki Basti during the freedom movement. Now Prime Minister starts this
campaign from Valmiki Basti but the interesting thing is to watch how our govt. looks at this occupation. Prime Minister Narender Modi in his book ‘KARMYOG’ he said-
‘Profession of cleaning is a “spiritual experience”. These cleaners have not been doing this work for livelihood. But somebody must have got the enlightenment that they have to work for the happiness of the entire society and the gods, that they have to do this job bestowed upon them by gods; and this job of cleaning up should continue as an internal spiritual activity for centuries.
This should have continued generation after generation and it is not possible to believe that their ancestor did not have a choice of adopting alternative livelihood.’
Barve Committee 1949 presents some offensive suggestion that the scavengers do not consider their work dirty. Even ancestors of these bhangis never did this work. These people took this work just sake of profit and bhangis wanted to establish their monopoly over the profession and the committee did not consider the cleaning of latrines as a curse.
Malkani Committee 1965 commenting on the “customary rights” of scavengers, the committee believes that scavenging has been a way of life for the family. But lack of education & absence of an alternative source of employment change the scenario.
After the criticism and resistance PM Modi immediately withdrew 5,000 copies of the book, but he still stuck with his opinion. Two years later, PM addressed 9,000 odd safai karamchari . he said: “A prayer cleans a temple every day before prayers, you also clean the city like a temple. You and the temple priest work alike.” (Times of India Nov 2007) Gandhi said that ‘scavenging as the noblest service to society.’ But in response to Gandhi Ambedkar said: “To preach that poverty and scavenging is good for untouchables and none else and make them accept these impositions as voluntary purposes of life, by appeal to their failure is an outrage and a cruel joke
on the helpless classes which none but Mr. Gandhi can perpetuate with equanimity and impunity. In this connection one can remind the Voltaire’s word… “Oh! Mockery to say to people that the sufferings of some brings joy to others and works good to the whole. What solace is it to a dying man to know that from his decaying body a thousand worms will come into life.”
Mihir Sharma in his book ‘Restart: The Last Chance for Indian Economy’ presents: ‘80% of rural Hindus use the fields while only 50% of Muslims do so. Up to 40% of Hindus who have access to working government latrine won’t use it, whereas only 7% of Muslims who have similar access will defecate outside.
A paper by Michael Geruso and Dean Spears titled “Sanitation and Health Externalities: Resolving the Muslim mortality paradox?” underlines the fact that “Prevalence of open defection I particularly high among India’s Hindu majority. Data from The National Health & Family survey of India show that as 2005, 67% of Hindu households defecate in the open fields, streets or behind bushes. Ramasamay and Bathran show that how in Hindu caste system the ritual avoidance of excreta is maintained not only by keeping defecation away from the home but also by relegating its cleanup to the untouchables. (Gatade, 2015)
Madhu who working as a manual scavenger for 33 years. He used to get only 1200rs to clean sewage chambers and septic tanks. He shared his experience as ‘it is difficult. We deal with it by consuming alcohol before going in. we feel miserable the next day, once the effect of alcohol has worn off. Toxic gases fill our nose and mouth and it is tough to breathe. I did to provide for my family and raise my daughter. I do not have any skill or education.’ (The Indian Express, 28th January 2020).
SANITIZING THE DISCOURSE ON CASTE
Silencing and sanitizing discourse on caste in the sense of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan remind us that how the government tries to disappear the caste and try to neglect the reality of social discrimination. Take a look at the Gujarat government- sponsored report titled “Impact of caste discrimination and distinctions on equal opportunities: A study of Gujarat” authored by scholars from The Centre for Environment Planning and Technology University led by R Parthasarathy, which calls “Caste discrimination a matter of perceptions.” But senior journalist Rajiv Shah critiqued it. CEPT study as the state government response to the study titled Understanding untouchability” done by Navsarjan trust in collaboration with Robert F Kennedy center for justice and human rights in 2009. Where data of untouchability collected from both public and private sphere of Gujarat. But governments try to hide the situation and notion of untouchability from reports as well as from reality. They try to establish the fact that untouchability is not even exist. Rajiv Shah says that “the nearly 300 pages report far from being a review of ‘understanding untouchability’, is more of an effort to justify the evil practice.”
Navsarjan surveyed 1,589 villages, the CEPT surveyed just 5 villages. Shah says that “They were made to dig out a plethora of caste wise data on agriculture, irrigation, employment & distribution of govt. schemes.” But they refused to collect any data on caste discrimination. He cited that “opinion-based survey is an unsound academic practice when people’s behavior is
involved.”
Ghanshyam Shah also wrote a critic of CEPT report, he observes ‘CEPT has completely ignored to study the practice of untouchability. Survey of 5 villages is not enough to argue on socio- economic conditions. Navsarjan team find out ‘those 5 villages that participated in the survey their Dalit population is in a helpless state where govt. would not protect them if they assert their rights.’ CEPT tries to focus on the Vankars community of weavers who ‘socially acceptable’.
So, the government and officials try to packing the reality through the surveys and reports. Govt. claims that there is no untouchability exist in society. This discussion presents how our system try to silencing the caste discourse from report, academy, and society. (Gatade,2015)
SUGGESTIONS:
To improve the living conditions of scavengers, the government should give them new economic opportunities & alternative livelihoods.
Abolishment of dry toilets.
Provide free, quality and skillful employment education to their children that help them to choose alternative livelihood options. The Government should provide a mid-day meal in schools because when they got the food they regularly come to the school and their parents not force them to go to the work.
Provide them loans & equipment like; sewing machine, grinding machine and help them to set up a new business in producing and selling spices, clothes.
Introduce water seal latrines or eco-friendly toilets with dual chambers to prevent smell and unhygienic diseases. Where manual scavenging not needed anymore.
Trained these scavengers in sewing, packing or anganwadi works it helps them to come out from the dirty livelihood they have. (Singh & Ziyauddin, 2009)
But these suggestions are useless until the people do not change their mentality and perspective towards these scavengers. We all need to change ourselves we all should take a pledge to cleans our toilets with our hands. This is inhumanity to call someone to clean our toilets because think in this way if we can’t clean our own toilets then how can we suppose that someone cleans our toilet.
Conclusion:
When a scavenger dies police, media and government no one cares because this ignorance starts from society we people ignore their value as a human, we ignore their importance as a worker, we ignore their value as a citizen, we ignore their value as a member of society. Unfortunately, people still thinking that scavengers choose this profession because of they fond of it, or their ancestor involve in this profession but in reality, they are forced to do it because they are seen as an untouchable who deserve this work and society designate this “profession of excreta
collection” for a particular community of society. We make them exclude because they are not matched with our status, caste or class. Government policies and financial allotments are just on papers because the situation is still the same for this vulnerable group of society. Government targeted 6 crore toilets buildings in 5 years the budget allotment is 62,009 crores out of this amount only 14,620 crores contributed by govt. and the rest of the amount contributed by private sectors. But question is remaining the same are we able to achieve this goal? Can we make a promise that these policies improve the conditions of these scavengers? As a human, a manual scavenger has a body and dignity as others but our system does politics with their bodies and society devalued their dignity. India dreamed to be an economic superpower but we have a profession of excreta collection in India. No technology, no institution, no order can change the social reality until we change our mentality and until we stop treating people on the bases of cast hierarchy. Better educations can be a way to change the life of these scavengers and help them choose alternative livelihoods for a better life.
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REFERENCES:
Gatade, Subash (2015), “Silencing caste, sanitizing oppression: understanding Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, paper presented at “understanding Swachh Bharat Abhiyan :caste, public health and the city” organized by Department of Gender studies, Ambedkar University, Delhi held on 24-25 February 2015.
Singh, Rajeev kumar and Ziyauddin (2009), “Manual Scavenging as social exclusion: A case study” , Economic and political weekly.
Pandarinath B, “Death of manual scavengers is institutional murder”, THE INDIAN EXPRESS, BENGALURU, 28th January 2020.
Thorat, Shukadev and Katherine S. Newman (2007) , “Caste and economic discrimination: causes, consequences and remedies, Economic and political weekly, Vol. 42, pp: 1421-1422.