01-18-2006, 07:36 AM
Subject: Outlook and Indian Express review of "India Stinking",
KANCHA ILAIAH, *Outlook*, 16 January 2005
Instead of creating a technology to remove human excreta from houses, the
pandits took the easy way out by condemning a particular caste to do the job.<b>
Even when the technology was available, our Brahminical bureaucracy was
unwilling to abolish manual scavenging. How the combination of caste and
urbanisation has contributed to the persistence of the most inhuman of jobs is
revealed in this small but significant book.</b>
Gita Ramaswamy's book evolved out of her work in the campaign to demolish the
infamous dry latrine system that still prevails in Andhra Pradesh, home to over
two lakh dry latrines. Despite being banned in '93, manual scavenging persists
even in the 21st century.
The book brings out the ideological hang-ups that encourage manual scavenging.
It points out the limits of Communist ideology, so long as it remains
caste-blind. It shows how this abominable system was allowed by every successive
ruling party because of the Gandhian understanding that the Bhangis were born to
do this work - just like a mother cleans her child's nappies. It cites
Ambedkar's argument that if this work was/is so sacred, why don't the upper
castes take it up? This book needs to be read by every civilised citizen of
India.
* *
By Scharada Bail, *New Indian Express on Sunday, *8 January 2006
*India Stinking Manual Scavengers in Andhra Pradesh and Their Work By Gita
Ramaswamy Navayana Publishing, Rs 100*
Institutionalised indifference to fellow human beings as represented by the
caste system is unique to India. This assumes a particularly stark form when one
considers the practice of manual scavenging - the daily picking up of human
excreta by hand from public 'dry latrines', as described in this book, or from
alongside town roads, as shown in 'Pee', R P Amudhan's film that won first place
in the inaugural 'One Billion Eyes' documentary and short film festival held in
Chennai recently.
India Stinking focuses on the practice of manual scavenging in Andhra Pradesh,
but brings to the fore many issues that bear discussion at every level and
region in our society. For instance, in profiling the activities of the Safai
Karamchari Andolan or SKA led by Bezwada Wilson, the book demonstrates
conclusively that nothing short of abolishing the 'dry latrine' system can bring
about a change in public sanitation and a restoration of human dignity. In
addition, from Bezwada Wilson's spirited rebuttal of the Gandhian approach of
calling scavenging a 'noble' profession, and from the Appendix of Gandhi and
Ambedkar's differing views on scavengers and scavenging, it is evident that
untouchability as it translates into actual modern town and urban practice has
to be vigorously examined and overcome.
Gita Ramaswamy's book is a well-argued case for the engagement of the larger
community with the issues that plague the lives of safai karamcharis. How can we
allow what goes on to go on? How can we reinforce ritual discrimination with
State support? What are we doing with the laws and legislation that was meant to
end such practices? Through its documentation of the efforts of the SKA, the
book asks such tough questions and more.
KANCHA ILAIAH, *Outlook*, 16 January 2005
Instead of creating a technology to remove human excreta from houses, the
pandits took the easy way out by condemning a particular caste to do the job.<b>
Even when the technology was available, our Brahminical bureaucracy was
unwilling to abolish manual scavenging. How the combination of caste and
urbanisation has contributed to the persistence of the most inhuman of jobs is
revealed in this small but significant book.</b>
Gita Ramaswamy's book evolved out of her work in the campaign to demolish the
infamous dry latrine system that still prevails in Andhra Pradesh, home to over
two lakh dry latrines. Despite being banned in '93, manual scavenging persists
even in the 21st century.
The book brings out the ideological hang-ups that encourage manual scavenging.
It points out the limits of Communist ideology, so long as it remains
caste-blind. It shows how this abominable system was allowed by every successive
ruling party because of the Gandhian understanding that the Bhangis were born to
do this work - just like a mother cleans her child's nappies. It cites
Ambedkar's argument that if this work was/is so sacred, why don't the upper
castes take it up? This book needs to be read by every civilised citizen of
India.
* *
By Scharada Bail, *New Indian Express on Sunday, *8 January 2006
*India Stinking Manual Scavengers in Andhra Pradesh and Their Work By Gita
Ramaswamy Navayana Publishing, Rs 100*
Institutionalised indifference to fellow human beings as represented by the
caste system is unique to India. This assumes a particularly stark form when one
considers the practice of manual scavenging - the daily picking up of human
excreta by hand from public 'dry latrines', as described in this book, or from
alongside town roads, as shown in 'Pee', R P Amudhan's film that won first place
in the inaugural 'One Billion Eyes' documentary and short film festival held in
Chennai recently.
India Stinking focuses on the practice of manual scavenging in Andhra Pradesh,
but brings to the fore many issues that bear discussion at every level and
region in our society. For instance, in profiling the activities of the Safai
Karamchari Andolan or SKA led by Bezwada Wilson, the book demonstrates
conclusively that nothing short of abolishing the 'dry latrine' system can bring
about a change in public sanitation and a restoration of human dignity. In
addition, from Bezwada Wilson's spirited rebuttal of the Gandhian approach of
calling scavenging a 'noble' profession, and from the Appendix of Gandhi and
Ambedkar's differing views on scavengers and scavenging, it is evident that
untouchability as it translates into actual modern town and urban practice has
to be vigorously examined and overcome.
Gita Ramaswamy's book is a well-argued case for the engagement of the larger
community with the issues that plague the lives of safai karamcharis. How can we
allow what goes on to go on? How can we reinforce ritual discrimination with
State support? What are we doing with the laws and legislation that was meant to
end such practices? Through its documentation of the efforts of the SKA, the
book asks such tough questions and more.