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sSc SOCIAL STUDY CIRCLE di (ESTD 1982) www.dalitindia.com ssc@dalitindia.com *********************************************************************** |
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Guest Paper*
DEVELOPMENT OF SWEEPERS
Renamed as
Safai Karamcharis
and called as Valmikis, the
Descendants of the ancient Saint Valmiki
the Mythical
Author of Ramayana that Denigrates SC&ST Dalits
for No Reason
These days, I live in the midst of
some deserted Fallow Lands, with only few shrubs, bushes, wild growths, and
none but some small remnants of wild life, for my company. So my wife and children, particularly my
Daughter, refuse to come and live with me there, to share my retired life,
during the twilight days.
As a living being and a human, I
regularly feel hungry. Sometimes I
cook. Else, I go out walking for more
than an hour, to a nearby small town to eat.
Other times, I send anyone available around, or pay any passer-by with a
request to buy and bring for me a packet of food, or some bread and some fruits
to eat. At times, when none is to be
seen, and I am not in mood and feel lazy, or bored to cook for myself, I bear
with the pangs hunger, and put up with it, to remain hungry without any regular
food. That is life for me these
days. For, neither am I used to cooking,
nor am I a good cook. I only manage to somehow
eat, what I cook. That
to survive.
Back home, cooking is done by my
wife or daughter. Earlier, my mother
used to do the cooking. But neither me, an occasional cook; nor my wife daughter nor mother;
nor any of the neighbouring women, their sisters, their old mothers and the mothers-in-law
there, are ever referred to; or called as a Cook. It is only the Professional Ones, engaged to
Cook Food in a Function, or for a Gathering; or Employed to Cook Food in the Offices,
or a
Similarly, most of us sweep and clean our homes, and we are all used to it. But, we are neither called the Sweepers, nor
referred to as Safai-Karamcharis, a long winding hindi rendering of the Name Sweeper. This is
the Point; I very specifically want to drive home here.
There is Nothing Wrong at all
in being a Sweeper, engaged as a Sweeper, and in doing the Sweeping Work.
I regularly Sweep my Home, many
times over in a day. And at times, I had
Cleaned and Swept my Office Room in Ambedkar
Foundation, and the Veranda, when the Occasion needed, necessitated it, though
small fries refused to do it, and kept watching me Sweep. For that is seen as a lowly Job. Considered as a mean,
denigrated and a denigrating one.
Yes, Sweeping as a Work Job and Employment, is
specially thought and considered to be A Menial One. It has been taken up only by some SC&ST Dalits living all over the Country, that today it appears
that it had been Specifically Reserved for some particular SC&ST Dalits living in different parts of the Country. Over the recent times, the SC&ST Dalit Groups and Communities engaged in Sweeping, have
themselves been isolated and segregated as Sweepers, even within the SC&ST Dalit Communities. Thus
most of the Sweepers are now Doubly Isolated and Segregated.
We now have big Communities of Sweepers, living and
working in different parts of the Country. But if carefully looked in detail, all Sweeper
Communities and Groups have had only recently moved into different parts of the
Countries and Towns Cities and Metropolitan Cities, from certain nearby
Specific Pockets Areas and States. That, from certain Pockets in the States like
All these happen because, the Origin of the Sweepers,
who are only SC&ST Dalits, is exclusively from
Specific Pockets Areas Regions and Communities in the Country. And such SC&ST Communities that took up
Sweeping Jobs, whatever are the understandable or questionable Reasons, are
today Sadly being Categorised as Sweepers or Bangis and Churas in North,
or Thotis
in the South that all mean Sweepers in the local languages. They Could be Adi-Dravidas and Parayas in Tamil Nadu, Malas and Adi-Andhras in most Parts of Andhra, also Madhikas in
certain other Pockets of Andhra etc. This
background, has Specific Reasons, and it is only a
Recent Recorded Occurrence.
Sweepers are generally from amongst the SCs, and in some Areas and States, they hail from the STs. And in some
Cases, the STs working as Sweepers are classified by
the Society and State as SCs, though they clearly
belong to the same Racial and Ethnic Stock as the surrounding STs. Yes, as Usual,
the ever pervasive Caste is there even in Engaging anyone,
truly and honestly as a ‘Real’ Sweeper to Sweep and Clean.
Discounting all Bogus Sweepers, all the other real
Sweepers doing the Sweeping Jobs in the Country, always had been only SC&ST
Communities.
Bogus Sweepers, are very wantonly deliberately
dishonestly employed by the Officials – right from many Small Clerks to top
rank Officials, as high as the Member/Personnel in the Rly
Board, and some Secretaries to the Govt of India in New Delhi. That, to get Govt Jobs and Services, with
Govt Pay to their caste-hindu Family Members,
Relatives, Friends and other Acquaintances, all other real Sweepers doing the
Sweeping Jobs in the Country always had been only SCs&STs. The Bogus Sweepers,
falsely employed as Sweepers in Govt Offices and PSUs,
never never and never work as Sweepers, but hesitate
not to join Service as Sweepers and take home big decent nice Govt or PSU Salaries
as Sweepers.
Sadly these days, the Regular Job of Sweeping in many
Banks, Offices, Hospitals, PSUs, Govt Departments and
Ministries are being privatised and auctioned out, and given in Contract,
mostly to the caste hindus who despise SC&ST Dalits in general, and the Sweepers in particular. Some Contracts go to bogus Sweepers’
Associations being run by some caste hindu
businessmen and businesswomen. But the
Work of Sweeping, as usual is done only by the real Sweepers, borne as
Sweepers. By the very Nature, Auctioning
and Giving Works in Contract means, the Lowest Bid. Hence, the Contractor Employs, One Sweeper
for every four or five Sweepers Job.
Hence the Sweepers employed have to Wash, Sweep, Swipe, Mop, Wash and
Clean all through the day, without any rest in back-breaking positions, for eight
hours everyday, almost all 365 days without any rest or holidays, and with no
provident-fund, gratuity or pension. On
the top of these, each Sweeper is paid only one-fourth or one-fifth of the
regular Govt Salaries of a Sweeper. What
a Great Saving by the Officials, Banks, PSUs,
Departments, Ministries and the Govts? Shameful this is, to even Think
About.
Friends, we often Visit various Monuments Forts and
Palaces. Do we recall, seeing any Bath-Rooms
there; except in the four millenniums-old pre-historic
With No Baths and No Toilets anywhere in the Country,
after the Indus Settlements were run-over destroyed and burnt down, there was
No Need at all for Cleaning Sweeping Scavenging and engaging any Sweepers.
There might have been the Need for Cleaning and
Sweeping the Stables, and also the Palaces and Palatial Big Houses. For that, there were always some poor old
helpless deserted lonely women, without any concerned relatives for help and to
support their lives; or many young girls and boys, who had to fend for
themselves as they were poor Orphans.
Also very often, there were the Slaves and Backward Shudras,
or the most condemned prisoners and slaves, to do all lowly and many Menial
Jobs. But they were not called as
Sweepers. For they were not
Professionals, and from any particular Families, Groups and Communities that
had taken to Sweeping Jobs as their Profession, to become a Professional
Community of Sweepers. Hence, in the
past, there was Never a Question of Engaging the Ati-Shudra
SC or ST Dalit Sweepers, anywhere in the caste hindu Society.
Sweepers in the Country are looked down and considered
to be one of the main Two, Dirty or
Today's Two Communities of Sweepers and Cobblers, in
the past never existed, and were not Separate Communities. That is formally distinct, either by race or
ethnicity or occupation and employment till the Persians Greeks Romans and
Muslim Rulers came into the Country, to conquer and settled down to dominate
and Rule. These Rulers Created a Cadre of Chamars, to
meet all their Needs of Leather, Leather Works etc, to Carry Water and
Store Oil etc.
The Britishers and other
Western Europeans, who came in much later, to Trade in this Country, established
their own Trading Centres. They established
their own Factories, built their big Forts; and maintained Special Watch and
Ward Guards, and Armies of Soldiers, in formally built Barracks and neatly Organised in the Factories, Forts and Cantonments.
Britishers and
other Western Europeans, required
the Cobblers for making Boots Shoes Saddlaries Harnesses etc, for Riding
their Horses. And, they needed a large
number of Sweepers to Clean and Work, at
their Homes and in the Barracks of their Army Camps and Cantonments.
Emergence, amongst SCs&STs,
who were and always are basically settled Agriculturists, of some Communities
of Cobblers and Sweepers here and there, whose Nature of Job was and is sadly still
Dirty, has helped now the brahmins and caste hindus to Justify their crude cruel age-old Biological
Isolation, Social Segregation, Physical Separation, and even Practice at later
periods the much diluted evil of Untouchability on
grounds of Health and Hygiene. For the dirty brahmins and other caste hindus, who never had any concept of Health and Hygiene,
and even now hardly use any Tooth-Paste, or Brush their Teeth; or consume Toilet
or Washing Soap, to Speak of the Cleanliness now, is like the Satan preaching
the Scriptures.
Emergence, the Need, resultant Growth and consequent
Presence of these Two Isolated Communities almost everywhere, as large well
organised powerful groups, has now enabled the brahmins
and the dominant caste hindus, to drive big wedges,
Play one against the other, and turn both against the Rest of the SC&ST Dalits. Today, the Divisions
and Conflicts amongst the SC&ST Dalits, help the brahmins and dominant caste hindus, to Divide and Weaken the SC&ST Dalits. That
facilitates them to Prevent and Block the SC&ST Dalits, from Emerging as Powerful Social Groups, and transform
themselves, or at least remain as United Political Forces, which can have a
Determinant Voice or Decisive Role in the Govts
Working, Parties Functioning and Politics in the Country.
Friends, not only is Caste behind Sweepers, their
Denigration, Lowly Pay, Poor Service Conditions, more Cruel Privatisation of
their Jobs; but it is the Main Cause for the lack of Improvements in the Nature
of their Work and the Poor Living Standards of the Sweepers, both as a Class of
Workers and Communities. Ideally, we as
an Independent and Free Nation, can not afford to
ill-treat or make even one Citizen to Suffer Humiliations and Indignities. But in practice, though we are indifferent to
many Injustices, we can not any more be indifferent to the Sufferings of
SC&ST Dalits in General, but to the Problems of Chamars and Sweepers, especially the Flayers and Scavengers
amongst them.
How do we Improve the Life of
the Sweepers or Safai-Karamcharis, whose works are always considered to be
Essential Services? And it is Strange
that as a Special Class of Workers, the Sweepers are often treated as
Ministerial Staff even in Factories, even while being one with and amongst
other Industrial Workers.
Here are some stray Suggestions, to Improve the Life
of the Sweepers in the Country, renamed now as the Safai-Karamcharis, as if it could bring about drastic and
revolutionary Changes in this Country, and amidst the caste-ridden highly
exploitative unjust unfair dishonest hindu society –
1.
Special Risk Allowances,
2.
Safe and Protective Clothing,
3.
Improved Working Conditions,
4.
Introduction of Tools and Kits, to Aid and Help the Sweepers to Reduce
their Monotony,
5.
Mechanisation to Improve their Working Conditions and bring in Safety
and Health Protection,
6.
Betterment of Living Environments,
7.
Providing Need based Help to Improve Sweepers’ Lives,
8.
Regular Health Care and Continuous Good Medical Back-ups,
9.
Protective Nutritional Supplements like Milk Fruits and Vitamins,
10.
Periodical Compulsory Health Checkups and complete holistic Health Cover
for the Sweepers with their Family Members,
11.
Building Better Houses for real Sweepers in Good Places,
12.
Spacious and more Ventilated Houses to actual Sweepers on Priority,
13.
Frequent Exposures to Better their Lives and Improved Living Conditions,
14.
Regular Counselling with the help of Professional Moral Support Groups,
15.
Training in Courteous Talking, Better Behaviours, Etiquettes and
Mannerisms,
16.
Skill Trainings,
17.
Talent Identification and Development,
18.
Guidance for better Jobs and Employment,
19.
Opening up of Special Promotion and Career Avenues,
20.
Alternative Job Training to the Sweepers for taking them out of Sweeping
Jobs with in a few years of joining service,
21.
Crèches and Nurseries for Young Children,
22.
Better and Special Education Opportunities for Children,
23.
Special Incentives for Education of the Children of Sweepers,
24.
Coaching Schemes to Supplement the School and College Education,
25.
Direct Help to Children and Family Members of the Sweepers to come up in
Life and Improve their Living Standards,
In Addition to all the above, for an holistic
larger Scale and the Complete Development of Sweepers and Sweeper Communities,
the Urgent Crying Requirement is –
1.
Local Neighbourhood Regional State Zonal and National,
Special Housing Societies for Sweepers,
2.
Similar Local Neighbourhood Regional State Zonal
and National, Special Thrift and Finance Societies for Funding Development
Programmes to Change the Lives of the Sweeper Communities,
3.
Help the Sweeper Communities, to form Small Medium and Large Workers’
Cooperatives and Associations, to take Contract Sweeping Works from all the Govts Ministries Departments Agencies Offices Corporations
Municipalities, Zilla Parishads
and the Panchayats,
4.
Help Sweeper Communities, to form similar Small Medium and Large Workers’
Cooperatives and Associations, to take other small and medium Contract Works
from the Govts Ministries Departments Agencies
Offices Corporations Municipalities, Zilla Parishads and Panchayats,
5.
Help Sweeper Communities, to form Small Medium and Large Special
Societies Cooperatives and Associations, to Start Takeover Manage and Run
Educational Institutions like Nursery/Kindergarten Schools, Primary Schools,
Middle Schools, Elementary Schools, High Schools, Higher Elementary Schools,
Degree Colleges, Post Graduate Colleges, Professional Colleges, Management
Institutions and Training Institutions of their Own, for their Children and
others,
6.
Encourage and Finance, established well-known local Missionary Institutions,
who Help and Assist the Small Medium and Large Special Societies Cooperatives
and Associations of Sweepers to Start Run Administer and Manage successfully,
various Developmental, Women and other Self-Help Group Activities.
Before ending, I want to specially say, one thing very
Specifically.
SC&ST Dalits were the
ones who were considered to be sincere hard-working loyal Employable People. they were the ones
who interacted and served the Muslim and British Rulers. Most of them joined Service as Sweepers,
Domestic-Servants, Ayahs, Maids, Domestic Helps, Cooks, Butlers, and as Aides,
Assistants, Guards and Soldiers, and served well. Hence it was the SC&ST Dalits who picked up tit-bits of British Culture and
Western Dress. That along with the open
and free use of European Vegetables likes Beans Carrot Cauliflower Potatoes
Tomatoes etc. and
they started taking Dutch English French German Foods, and began to have
English Education along with learning English Languages. Hence, very soon a whole mixed and much
distorted Language, known as Butler English was widely Spoken amongst the
SC&ST Dalit Communities in Cantonment Areas and
wherever the British Settled.
There were many Stories how the brahmins
and many other dominant caste hindus used to befriend
SC&ST Boys and Girls in British and Missionary Schools, and beg them to get
some pastries, bits of cakes, cookies, biscuits etc that the British Cooked
very often, and gave to the SC&ST Ayahs etc to take home for their Children
and Families. It is for these, the brahmins and many other dominant caste hindus
used to befriend SC&ST Boys and Girls, and beg them to bring for them the
leftover pastries, cakes, cookies, biscuits etc that the British had cooked and
given to their Mothers and Grand Mothers working in British Homes. Sometimes the brahmin and other dominant caste hindu
boys and girls used to come with SC&ST Boys and Girls, to the SC&ST
Homes to eat the pastries, cakes, cookies, biscuits of the British.
It was the SC&ST Boys and Girls who joined the
Even now the Girls from Chotanagpur Areas employed in many rich Delhi Homes, though
poor and simple, dress better and more decently, and speak Better English and
Communicate better with the Shopkeepers, than the Ladies of the Homes, whom
they Accompany to the Market. That is True, and can be seen very often, any
day anywhere around in the upmarkets of
In view of the above, it is strange now that, the same
Missionaries look down upon the SCs&STs, more
particularly at the STs, Sweepers and Cobblers, and
Speak to them only in Hindi, as if they do not know English, and or do not have
any aspiration to learn and speak English.
With this, I end. And do not want
to say anything more.
– N Manohara
Prasad**
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Note –
* A Paper Prepared for a Discussion on the
Working Conditions and Life of Sweepers in the Country at Indian Social
Institute,
** Mr N Manohara
Prasad was the former PS/Welfare to the Cabinet Minister for Labour and
Welfare, Govt of India, and was the First Director of Dr Ambedkar
Foundation, Govt of India, New Delhi
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