indeed its disgrace to a nation who boasts of broght furture ahead in terms of growing economy. Our politicians discuss so much about each others policy but no attention is given to the inhuman conditions in which scavengers live in. Its a shame on us. Being a citizen of great country where people of different religions live normally peacefully. This problem should be given a high priority.
RE:scavenging
by keeth Lapersonne on Jan 25, 2008 04:45 PM Permalink
That's why I repeatedly implore people to come out and vote. Don't just sit down and employ armchair politics.It's only when we the People of this Country unite can we get rid of this rabid lot ( politicians )
There are plenty of NGOs taking credit for various things. Why not someone come forward to end this menace. Government alone cannot do each and everything. People concerned should act in the interest of social justice instead of blaming others.
I was browsing rediff while eating a snack and having a tea, but after reading the extremely nauseating (yet very real) subject of this article, I could not continue eating. I think all our political parties from 1947 onward have let us down on this subject. All I can see from the article are empty committees, commissions, plans and laws. Can a war be won with good plans, but no fighting on the ground, can a business be run on good plans but no action? I think all our parties have to take the blame for grand committees/ plans but complete inaction on the ground. All the parties are to blame : Congress ( for sitting on its hands for 50 of the 60 yrs of our independence), NDA/BJP (they got 5 yrs in power but what did they do on this topic?), what has mayawati done ? (This practice is rampant in UP). We all need to hang our heads in collective shame.We harbour ambitions to be a superpower in 20 yrs and to be a developed nation. We can only claim to be developed when the all citizens can work and live with dignity. It is shameful and highly ostentatious for us to think about 'India shining' when a human being has to carry the excrement of another on his/her head. Slogans and glossy messages will not make us a developed nation, neither will sleek offices, lofty IT / BPO sector, resurgent manufacturing and services sectors. I would request all the readers to question their MP's in the next general election for what they have done to eliminate this abhorrent practice?JAI Hind
I thnink under M/o Social Justice and Empowerment there is a corporation called National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation incorporated specifically for providing financial assistance to scavengers and to rehabilitate them from inhuman practice. And as per records i thinks around 100 crores has been disbursed to beneficiaries till the early 2003. This needs to be checked.
Let us not dilute and divert our minds by the glitterings and brightnesses of the cities like Delhi,Mumbai,Bangalore...It is true - "The reality bites".Y we are so swiftly carried away by the divertions of caste,creed and politics,when the realities look upon us to move ahead and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.Let us just for a moment think alike and think as human beings.Poverty-the mother of all evils,The Social Divider,should be targeted on war footings.The widespread injustice in our society at all levels - Be it on the basis of Sex,Religion,Occupation,etc. to be targeted.The whole mindset needs to be changed.I feel in the rat race to become rich in the shortest possible span,we have forgotten ourselves.If we as a human cannnot uplift our fellow beings,what makes it then different from other life forms.A developed India will not be a country of handful but its entire billion plus children.
RE:India in next Century
by Surender Sharma on Jan 25, 2008 04:23 PM Permalink
brightness of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore? Where are you living? In village? These cities are one of the most filthy places on planet earth. Full of garbage, people littering, urinating, spitting around. whereever you walk, you will find nothing but filth, garbage, rubbles, broken footpaths, urinated walls. These cities are nothing but a big shitwhole where everyone has right to spit and shit whereever they want to.
RE:India in next Century
by deepak sharma on Jan 25, 2008 04:28 PM Permalink
Sharmaji,this is once again,we indians are misusing our democracy.Inspite of all the available options,no one is bothered to improve the sanitary conditions and public health system.
RE:RE:India in next Century
by balu goda on Jan 25, 2008 04:31 PM Permalink
sorry my earlier message was half - you go around the city of Chennai you will realise that villages are far better than off big cities
it was early 90s when i was a kid living in margao goa, i would often see some people carrying a poop load in huge drums on their head and dump it in the gutter. i would ask myself how is he and why is he doing it? now i know where it all came from. oh my gosh! a well written article. wheres all the money coming from IT going to?
Possibly all our netas can think is reservations thats all. Shouldnt our elected reps be looking into this and proposing a decent solution ? or do they exist just to roam around in A/C cars and show off their VIP status and get Z security and all other freebies ? Seems like only the aam aadmi has the responsibility to run this nation.
RE:Where is the solution ?
by Rahul Gupta on Jan 25, 2008 04:15 PM Permalink
60 years of Independence and we still talk of reservation and it is ridiculous. Sooner the Netas come out of the Vote Bank populist regime and think positively towards the actual development san reservation the faster the condition of the Poorest of the poorest is going to improve.
It is the most inhuman of works and how can one human expect this from another, i believe apart from the government we as fellow humans should not allow this night soil scavenging stuff What the hell are NGO's doing, they are bloody behind a nano car, a dam, forests and all, why are not NGO's bringing this to the notice of authorities and public to get better living for these people who are carrying nite soil. Stop this bollywood dreams and come and face the reality, reality stinks but start now we all can make it better....
RE:Inhuman
by nalin gosalia on Jan 25, 2008 04:21 PM Permalink
dear jaffarbhai, as someone said,dont ask what a nation can do for you,do what you can for the nation.dont blame NGOs they are after all represent a part of us.let us stat with ourselves first and find the best way ,may be in nano quantity,do for the scavengers and then think of blaming games. nalin
RE:Inhuman
by SA Jaffar on Jan 25, 2008 04:32 PM Permalink
Thanks Nalin, i agree we should atleast start at nano quantity, meanwhile, i was wondering we don't need anyone for scavenging nite soil, it can be passed onto a septic tank per house and the tank can be cleaned periodically by a machine and well it can be used elsewhere as manure or whatever new things you can make of waste. Only thing i think required is for us to become more understanding of our waste. It is plainly a very disturbing atitude.
The governemnt would not be able to act in isolation. First, it itself comprises of people who, at a personal level, would abhor the so called lesser people. The other reason being that since they do not form a sizeable population so as to have a say in elections. Hence even parties normally championing backward class/caste causes won't really be interested in rescuing and rehabilitating them. Government can team up with NGOs and self help organisations, if any, so as to be able to put these people in the meanstream. I guess that will be a challenging tasks even today, but that should not prevent us from trying.
well written. Sorry to notice there has been no response.What happened to Sulab International? Why has it not spread? What is the practice in Western countries like the USA? How do they manage? What is the cost of their mode of management? How is it done in Pakistan? Sri Lanka and other SAARC countries?
RE:Scavenging in India Today
by Abhijit on Jan 25, 2008 04:08 PM Permalink
I agree, the common man is only intersted in movies and sleep. we are very soft taking everything for granted. I hope it will not be laaaate when all of us take our surroundings seriously.
RE:Scavenging in India Today
by Ashish Chitra on Jan 25, 2008 04:41 PM Permalink
In the US, night soil from places which are not connected to the central sewage system, is collected in an underground tank. The house owner either contracts a sweage company or pays his local council who then contract with a sewage company. A truck comes aound every 10-15 days to collect the refuse and then dumps it in the sewage recycling plant outside the city. The entire process is clean and hygenic. The workers wear protective clothing and the system is airtight. There is no smell and the system is not all that high tech. Certainly, if we can launch Agni missile and fly the LCA we can design similar systems or better ones even!
