Dalit Solidarity

It is a July morning in Bhangi Vaas in the village of Limbdi in Surendranagar District. It is six o'clock, and Madhuben Parmar is late for work. She should have finished her job before dawn, lest it affect the decent people who do not approve of her sight in daylight. When they come across her, they hide their faces behind handkerchiefs or sari pallus. Madhuben, who works for the local municipality, is a Dalit manual scavenger. It was from her mother-in-law that she inherited the job of clearing faeces from public and private latrines, cleaning gutters and disposing of carcasses.

Using nothing more than a broom, a tin plate and a basket or a leaking metal drum, these scavengers clear faeces and carry them on their head to the dumping grounds. In urban areas, scavengers are lowered with ropes into filthy gutters to unclog them without any protective gear. In cities like Mumbai, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, scavengers have reportedly died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The price for pawning their life is between 30 rupees (US$. 63) and 50 rupees (US$ 1.04) a day if they are lucky to be employed by civic bodies. Those working privately may earn 5 rupees (US$. 10) to 15 rupees (US$. 30) a month per house. In Madhuben's case, however, she has not been paid for the last nine months. The municipal administration is short of funds, according to S. U. Thim, chief officer of Limbdi Nagarpalika. She plods on though in her quest for daily bread-the leftover food from upper-caste homes. This practice is common in the northwestern parts of India. In the state of Gujarat, the tradition is known as valu (dinner).

"I start my work at 6 a. m.," says Madhuben, describing her normal day. "With a broom or tin plate, I collect human excreta in a metal drum and dump it at a fixed place for the municipality tractor-trolley to collect. Earlier I had to carry it on my head to the river a kilometre away about 10 times a day. In the afternoon, I clean the gutters. Another Bhangi collects the rubbish from the gutters and places it outside. I carry it to the dumping yard nearby. In the evening, I again collect human excreta. Sometimes I have to dispose of dead animals, but the payments are uncertain. Late in the evening I do the rounds of various upper-caste houses to collect valu; but when I return home, I can hardly eat because of nausea. The men are lucky: they can drown it all in liquor."

 

Celebrations A Dalit poet
Time has not yet come for us Dalits To stop, rest, gossip, celebrate and sleep. Why should we think of celebrations? What for should we now be celebrating? Definitely not this holy Diwali and so on-All these wasteful Aryan Hindu festivals! Did we ever think of crores of rupees Burnt off as celebrations and festivities On Diwali day, even by poor Dalits When our children are illiterate as they Cannot afford a notebook or pencil Or the school fees, uniforms and food? Small children do die due to sicknesses, Even today without money for buying	Lifesaving basic medicine, bandages. Don't we ever have any heart within us? Does it not burn with pain and sadness? Burn us down for celebrating our sins! Why should we ever celebrate these, The festivities of these Aryans exploiting All our poor people over millenniums-Just to show our own personal growth, Shameless selfish existence in comfort When our own people are still suffering? Or is it personal pride and arrogance Of self-achievements with reservations That others are still living in total misery-Penury, poverty, shortages and sickness-While we are happily and comfortably	Developed with all our needs met? Adding insult to injury should we then Not be content with spending and burning Valuable cash that can save many lives! Spend money and time also in sending Greetings to our newfound friends-Mostly others and maybe a few Dalits! Sure for us, and at least for me, the time Has not yet come to celebrate anything-Yes, anything and anything, including that Independence or any other celebration! Yes, me and those like me may be bad But definitely not like any of these Aryan festivals.