DEVELOPMENT OF SWEEPERS

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 Hostel Hotel Restaurant etc, is known as a Cook, and is called a Cook. That is the Point I want to make here now.



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 Assam and Bengal; Punjab and Rajasthan; Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra etc. That means, by and large today, most SC&ST Dalits shun the Job of Sweeping, and refuse to be Employed so. And that also Explains, why during the super-cyclone in Orissa some years back, Sweepers from Delhi had to be moved to Orissa, to recover and dispose off the dead human bodies and animal carcasses. And after the Tsunami rocked South, Relatives of the Dead refused to Touch the Bodies of their own kith and kin, for a decent and formal Burial or Cremation, thus forcing some of the District Collectors to Requisition Sweepers from big PSUs, located in nearby and far off places, and Rush them to Clear the Bodies for a Mass Burial, and Prevent any Epidemic break-up.



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 Indus Ruins at Mohan-je-daro and Harappan. After those, many millenniums-old Bathrooms of the pre-historic Indus Ruins, the Bathrooms, in this Country appeared only very much later. They were those of the Moghul Periods, starting with the Public Bath in front of the Buland Darwaza at Fateh-pur-Sikri near Agra; one in the Old Fort or Purana Quila in Delhi, and Special Baths in other Moghul Forts, Palaces, and Harems. It was very much later that, one could find Toilets with Western Commodes in the British Designed and Built, Rajput Palaces? All these, have their own simple plain Stories to Tell us, if only we are really and honestly Interested. Yes, in Caste Ridden India, where SCs were Socially Segregated, despised and not tolerated even visually, and STs were Geographically Separated and Pushed Away Out of Sight, to distant remote places, there was No Question of anyone of them being engaged on Sweeping Jobs, in any caste hindu hamlets. And, the Rulers amongst them were much more worse, not tolerant of any SC&ST Dalits.



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 Filthy SC or ST Communities. Apart from the Sweepers, the other is the Community of Cobblers.



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 Missionary Run Schools and their Boarding Schools. They quickly and eagerly Learnt and Spoke English.



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 Delhi, New Delhi.



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