Sulabh Swachh Bharat - VOL: 2 | ISSUE 17

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Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

TSS Rajan on Meeting Mahatma

Aldous Huxley: A Note On Gandhi

The Making of a Legend

The fabled authorphilosopher says that Gandhi wanted a federation of nations

Excerpts from PM Narendra Modi’s speech at the launch of SAGY

The freedom fighter and educationist says Gandhiji taught a new way of living

Originally fond of revolutionaries, he found Gandhi’s greatness long ago

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Vol - 2 | Issue - 17 | April 09 - 15, 2018 | Price ` 5/-

gandhi & me

It is a historic coincidence that Mahatma Gandhi ignited the spirit of ‘satyagraha’ in Champaran to fight the exploitation of farmers, and half-a-century later, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak also stayed in a remote village in Champaran’s Bettiah and launched his Sulabh Sanitation Movement. It is a rare instance of inspirational parallelism

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April 09 - 15, 2018

gandhi & ME

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wo historic movements were initiated in Champaran, Bihar.

The first was that of Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha against the plight of the indigo farmers in 1917, which marked the beginning of the freedom movement based on people’s involvement. It was also the beginning of the Gandhian era in Indian politics and history. Half-acentury later, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak started another historic movement in Champaran, that of Swachh Bharat, to end manual scavenging and to re-integrate a class of Indian society which was reduced to a subhuman status. Dr Pathak, interestingly, was carrying the Gandhian baton of social transformation of the most oppressed and deprived class in the country, and he chose Champaran as the battlefield of his war against social exploitation.

The parallels between Gandhi’s satyagaraha in Champaran and Dr Pathak’s Gandhi-inspired social revolution are quite connected and share the same idealistic commitment to change lives in a non-violent manner. Dr Pathak makes no secret of his Gandhian inspiration and his commitment to fulfil Gandhi’s social

goal of removing the stigma of untouchability attached to the lives of manual scavengers. Gandhi was quite clear that political freedom had no meaning until it is followed by freedom from exploitation at the social and economic level.

Dr Pathak’s mission takes the Gandhian revolution to its logical goal by ending manual scavenging and creating open defecation free villages. Dr Pathak did not merely end manual scavenging but he saw to it that the people who were formally manual scavengers had a new vocation and that they were reintegrated with the rest of society.

Dr Pathak remains the torchbearer of the Gandhian legacy in its true and idealistic sense.

While the Champaran satyagraha of Gandhi culminated in India becoming a free country in 1947, Dr Pathak’s movement of ending

manual scavenging and creating the ODF villages points to Mission Swachhh Bharat to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2019.

THE BACKGROUND OF SCAVENGING Since the ancient time, manual scavenging has been in existence in India. Manual scavenging is the inhuman and unhygienic practice of cleaning human excreta with bare hands. The people doing this work of cleaning dry toilets and carrying and disposing of human faeces are known as scavengers and treated as untouchables. Scavenging had been practiced in the ancient, medieval and British periods, and continues still in some pockets in contemporary India. Untouchable scavengers have a heartrending history of being humiliated and insulted even by those in whose houses they went to clean toilets. They had to clean bucket toilets before sunrise, so that

Untouchable scavengers have a heartrending history of being humiliated and insulted even by those in whose houses they went to clean toilets

Quick Glance For aeons these scavengers have been treated as untouchables They worked before sunrise so that no one could see them They were forced to live in the fringes of cities and villages

nobody could see or touch them. In the medieval period, they were made to wear bells around the necks so that on hearing the sound, people could move away from them. Even while giving them food or water, the people would maintain a safe distance from them. They had to live on the fringe of village or town. Their children could play only with pigs and animals.

The doors of education and religion were closed to them: they were not entitled to enter school or temple.

The inspirational story of Dr Pathak’s movement in his own words: MY CHILDHOOD I lived the first 18 years of my life in Rampur village in the district of Vaishali in Bihar, India. Vaishali is the place where the world’s first democratic republic blossomed. At my birth in 1943, the population of the village comprised seven castes—the Brahmins, the first in the social hierarchy, followed by Kshatriyas, the Yadavas and artisans being in the backward category and Dusadhs, Chamars and Doms in the category of scheduled castes, now known as Dalits. The scheduled castes were divided into two categories: the ‘impures’ and the ‘untouchables’, as they were called before the independence of India.

While Dusadhs and Chamars were considered as the impure castes, the Doms were treated as an untouchable caste. After the independence, untouchability was abolished, and now no caste is called impure or untouchable.

The villagers could physically touch the Dusadhs and Chamars because they helped in farming, tending cattle and doing sundry other works. The Chamars carried animal carcasses out of the village and buried them. They also repaired shoes and slippers. But nobody in the village accepted drinking water from their hands or had meals with them because they belonged to the impure community.

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A scene of the play depicting a newly married girl being forced by her in-laws and her husband to go for cleaning bucket toilets

Yadavs of the backward community reared cattle and were suppliers of milk and milk products like curd and ghee (clarified butter) to the villagers. The higher castes mingled with them socially and on occasions had meals with them.

It is rather strange that the Doms, though treated as untouchables, used to deliver wicker winnowers and baskets—termed in local dialect as chalani, soop, dogra, etc.—to the people of higher castes and yet nobody would touch them. They could not draw water from the wells and had to wait near the wells or ponds for the Good Samaritan to arrive at the place to draw water and fill their pitchers. Their pitchers were generally made of iron to distinguish them from those made of clay used by the upper-caste people. It is ironical that the Dom whom an upper-caste person would not touch during his lifetime provided the fire after his death for his pyre, to be lit by the deceased’s son or some other relative, because it was believed that only then the dead person would attain salvation and get a place in heaven.

All this is beyond comprehension but this was the tradition in the village.

The house in which I lived was a big one with a large courtyard.

Many people frequented our house but when a Dom woman came to deliver bamboo household items, my grandmother sprinkled water to cleanse the pathway walked upon by the Dom woman. As a child, I was curious to know why my grandmother did so only when the

Dom woman came to our house and not when others did. People used to say that since she was an untouchable, the path she walked upon became impure and therefore grandmother used to sprinkle water to cleanse it. I was curious to know what would happen after touching the untouchable, and this led me sometimes to touch her stealthily lest someone should see me doing so.

But one day when the Dom woman was returning from our house and my grandmother was sprinkling water, the latter saw me touch the Dom woman and raised a big hue and cry, asking how I could now be allowed to live in the family. The whole family was agitated, nobody ate food and their mood turned grim and sombre. The priest was called to provide a solution to the problem.

After careful consideration and long deliberation, the priest advised that I should undergo a purification ritual.

For this, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine and the water from river Ganga was poured into my mouth and I had to swallow that to purify myself.

I cried bitterly but to no avail. This incident was a nightmare for me and has always made me contemplate whether there was any solution to such a problem.

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Another scene of the play showing a scavenger boy being attacked by a bull with no one to rescue him

When I was in the village, I used to defecate in the open as other villagers did, as no house, including mine, had a toilet. And because of toiletlessness (sic), the women suffered the most. My mother, grandmother and aunts had to wake up at 4 am to go to defecate in the open, as they could not go out for relieving themselves after sunrise or before sunset. Most of the women suffered from headaches because they had to withhold answering the call of nature during the daytime.

Sometimes women in the village had to face criminal assaults and snake bites in the late evening or early morning when they went to defecate in the open.

Girls did not feel encouraged going to school, as no school had a toilet.

Many children used to die because of diarrhoea and dehydration.

My sister’s son died because of diarrhoea. I used to go to a school in a neighbouring village, as my village had no upper primary and middle school. In that village, a landlord had a bucket toilet which was cleaned by an ‘untouchable’ scavenger. The toilet was built near the road through which we had to pass. Sometimes we used to see a woman cleaning the bucket toilet by carrying it on her

At this point in time I started dreaming, without any reason, that I will not take up a job, but work on something that people would see me as someone who has left his mark in the world

head to throw the excreta at another place. The place used to stink so much that we had to cover our noses while passing through. The woman scavenger’s family used to live on the outskirts of the village. Nobody mingled with her family and they had to live in cruel isolation.

I was born in an affluent family.

This affluence of the family continued till 1955 when my father, who was a doctor of indigenous medicine, gave up his practice and came back to the village to look after the family affairs. There were 16 members in our extended family and six servants, a total of 22. The family income dwindling, my father started mortgaging the pieces of land to raise money but later started selling them. Thus, the family’s economic condition went on deteriorating day by day.

I passed the matriculation examination in the year 1960 and left the village for higher studies in our district town of Muzaffarpur.

I started giving private tuitions to younger students which solved my problem of meeting my expenses on food and accommodation. My father used to give me some money for the payment of college fees and other expenses. I continued at Muzaffarpur for a year and thereafter came to Patna to seek admission into the Bihar National College, Patna.

My uncle, who ran a small teashop, gave me accommodation and food and my father continued to support me. But it was very difficult to gain admission in the college, as the date

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for seeking admission was over and the classes had started. Everybody discouraged me, saying that I would not be able to get admission, but I persisted. I plucked up the courage and went to see the Principal of the college, Dr. D.P. Vidyarthi. He patiently heard me out and asked for my mark-sheet from the PreUniversity class which I presented to him. He then asked the professor in-charge of admissions to admit me. The professor told the Principal that all the seats had already been filled up and that he had already allowed admission of nine extra students. Besides classes had started a month back and it was doubtful if the Vice-Chancellor would agree to this admission. The Principal told the professor that he was ordering my admission whether the ViceChancellor agreed or not, and that the Vice-Chancellor would question him, not the professor. This was how I got admitted to B.N. College.

God in the disguise of the Principal helped me, otherwise the admission was impossible.

The next year in the B.A. Part-1 examinations, I stood first among the students of my college and was awarded Rs. 14 per month as scholarship for two years from 1962 to 1964. The scholarship was in the name of an eminent person, Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh. I took Sociology Honours. After six months when the new subject of Criminology was introduced, I took Criminology as a group paper in Sociology. In both the terminal examinations I topped the list but in the final examination of graduation, I couldn’t secure first class because of poor marks in Criminology papers. That brought a turning point in my life. Although the Head of the Department of PostGraduate course, Dr. Narmadeshwar Prasad, asked me to continue my Post-Graduate studies, explaining that I could not become a lecturer if I did not continue.

But I decided to go back to my village. The Headmaster of the village school (from where I had passed my matriculation examination) asked me to join the school, as there was a temporary vacancy (a teacher was on leave for six months). He also assured me that he would ensure that I got the permanent job in the school.

So I served as a school teacher for six months on a monthly salary of Rs. 80.

And then I left this job and went to work on Muster Roll on Rs. 5 per day at the Patratu Thermal Power Station which is now in Jharkhand State but was earlier in Bihar. I had hoped to be appointed later as a Vigilance Officer. I remained at Patratu for a year but feeling frustrated on not

April 09 - 15, 2018

getting the post of Vigilance Officer, I left the job.

At this point of time, I started dreaming, without any reason, that I should not take up a job, rather I should do something for which I may be known as someone who has left his mark behind in this world, although I had no idea at all what I should do to fulfill this dream. Meanwhile, a professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University came to see me and said that the Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore had written somewhere that “in such a situation reflection on the past lives helps to solve the problems of the present”. So I left the job and started working with my father, who was an Ayurvedic doctor

and prepared medicines. I used to sell the medicines in the far-flung towns of Darbhanga, Madhubani, Jainagar, Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Bettiah, etc.

Sometimes, I had to walk 10-15 km per day carrying bottles of various solutions on my head and 10 kg of medicines hanging on both my arms. I sometimes used to put these medicines on a bullock cart, if I found one on the way. During those difficult days, I also started selling medicines in different branches of the Sugar Co-operative Union.

Again, a turning point came in my life when the officer-in-charge of the Motipur Sugar Union started supporting me. Sometimes I used to go to his house and go by rickshaw

I had no idea that a person could travel sleeping in a train, which I did on my journey to Madhya Pradesh, to attend my post graduate studies, and did not ask anyone more about this

with him to the building known as the Combined Building, housing offices of various government departments in Muzaffarpur. On reaching the gate of the Combined Building, he used to ask me to get down and come a little later to the office. When I would reach the office, he would ask me when I had come. This would surprise me, as I used to accompany him on the rickshaw from his house.

One day I asked him why he asked me such a question. He answered that since I supplied the medicines to his office and it was he who passed the bills, it was not appropriate for him to go to office with me.

If anyone came to know that he was acquainted with me, it would not be taken as a right thing. I felt humiliated and belittled. On that very day, I decided to leave the business of selling medicines and do something else. If a person doing normal business can’t walk and be seen with someone, then there is no dignity in that work. So I told my father that I would not continue that work. My father was surprised to hear my reason and tried to persuade me to continue, but I left that job.

The next chapter in my life is related to a university in the state of Madhya Pradesh, where Criminology was taught at the post-graduate level. I applied for admission there and was given admission. So I took money for admission and other expenses from my father and set out on a journey to Madhya Pradesh to join the Sagar University. This was my first long-distance train journey; I had no idea that a person could travel sleeping in the train. I did not try to enquire more about it from anyone. I purchased a ticket for Lucknow and thought that on reaching Lucknow, I would ask somebody how to get to Sagar University in Madhya Pradesh.

It may appear strange, but this is the true story of my life.

BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY At Mahnar Railway Station, I bought a ticket for Lucknow and boarded the train. On the way is Hajipur, a railway junction station and the district headquarters of Vaishali, my home district. As the train halts here for some time, I got down to have a cup of tea. Here I met two persons known to me, one our family friend Mr. Dhruv Narayan Singh, and the other, my cousin Mr. Chandra Mohan Jha, who works with me now.

Both had come at the station to buy newspapers. They enquired where I was going. I told them about my journey to Sagar. Mr. Singh told me that there was a post of secretary in the Gandhi Museum with a pay of Rs.

April 09 - 15, 2018 I told Mr. Prasad that I belonged and berated me in a language which 600 per month and that the post was permanent. At that time the pay scale to an orthodox Brahmin family and I loathe to repeat. The people of the of a lecturer was Rs. 450 per month. narrated the story of my childhood Brahmin community also ridiculed So they asked me to discontinue the when I touched the Dom woman and humiliated me. The situation journey and go to Patna to take up and how my grandmother made me was totally unfavourable and swallow cow dung, cow urine and the nobody appreciated my initiative to this post.

I was not ready to accept their water from Ganga for that. Secondly, change the lives of the untouchable advice, but they forcibly took out my I asked him how could I ask people scavengers.

Anyway, I went and lived in a luggage from the train and brought not to use bucket toilets unless I was me to Patna. In Patna, within the in a position to give an alternative to colony of scavengers in Bettiah town Gandhi Museum building, there bucket toilets, and given the fact that for three months and came to know was an office belonging to the Bihar I was not an engineer, how could I about their origin, culture, values, Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebration devise one. Mr. Prasad replied that morals, etc. I lived and interacted Committee. This Committee was he did not know whether or not I was with them, and taught them in the formed to make preparations for the a Brahmin or an engineer, but he saw evenings. They used to drink alcohol celebration of the Birth Centenary some spark in me and thought that I heavily. I suggested to them to stop Year of Mahatma Gandhi in the year could do the job. This left me with drinking. I also asked them not to 1969. Mr. Saryu Prasad, known to no excuse or alternative. Thereafter, play cards so much. While living with Mr. Dhruv Narayan Singh, was the Mr. Rajendra Lal Das gave me two them, one morning, I saw that a newly General Secretary of the Committee. Mr. Singh asked Mr. Prasad to give me the job of a secretary.

Utterly surprised, Mr. Prasad asked him who had informed him that there was a vacant post of secretary and said there was no post and therefore no vacancy. I spent 10 days at Patna looking for a job and thereafter when I talked to the Registrar of the Sagar University about the admission, I was told that as the seat had been filled up, I should not come. So I had no alternative but to continue trying to find a job in the Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebration Committee.

Finally, I was appointed in the Committee as a t r a n s l a t o r — f r o m The First Sulabh Public Toilet Complex at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, Bihar Hindi to English and vice versa—but without pay! I ended books, one written by himself in married girl was being forced by her up taking up the post. The money I Hindi and the other published by the parents-in-law and her husband to go was carrying for the admission was World Health Organisation entitled to the town to clean bucket toilets spent during this period. However, Excreta Disposal for Rural Areas and and she was crying bitterly, as she was most unwilling to go and clean after four months, considering my Small Communities.

In Sociology, we were taught that toilets. On hearing her heartrending performance, I was appointed in charge of publicity propagating the if you want to work for a community, cries, I went and intervened, trying ideals of Mahatma Gandhi through you must build a rapport with the to persuade the family members not books, booklets, badges, posters, people of that community so as to to force her, if she was unwilling to etc., on a salary of Rs. 200 per month. know them and understand their go and clean toilets. They heard me Later on, I was transferred to the problems. It was this lesson that but did not agree; they countered by Scavengers’ Liberation Cell. From prompted me to live in a scavengers’ asking me what she would do from here, another part of my journey colony with the help of a scavenger. the morrow if she did not do the began. Mr. Saryu Prasad, the General While I was coming to live in the work of scavenging and earn some Secretary, and Mr. Rajendra Lal scavengers’ colony, named after Mr. money. Even if she sold vegetables Das, organizer of the Liberation of Jagjivan Ram, a freedom fighter and who would buy them from her, as Scavengers’ Cell, asked me to work the former Deputy Prime Minister of she was an untouchable. Despite for the restoration of human rights India, I was not quite sure, whether to my protests, they sent her to clean and dignity of the human scavengers continue this endeavour, as my father bucket toilets.

After a few days after this incident, (who clean dry toilets and carry was very upset because Brahmins human excreta as headload), which and toilets did not go together. By I was going to the market with a was one of the dreams of Mahatma the time I was also married and my colleague of mine. We saw a bull father-in-law was extremely angry attacking a boy of ten or eleven, who Gandhi.

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was wearing a red shirt. When people rushed to save him, someone from the crowd shouted that he belonged to the untouchable scavengers’ colony, and then everybody left him. My friend and I took him to the hospital but the boy died. After this incident, I took a vow to fulfill Gandhi’s dream of relieving scavengers from their subhuman and health hazardous occupation.

Gandhi was the first person whose attention was drawn towards the plight of scavengers. He wanted scavengers to be relieved from their subhuman work and wished to restore their human dignity and bring them on a par with others in society. Gandhi even wanted a woman from the scavenging community to become the President of India. A lifelong campaigner for sanitation, he once said that cleanliness was even more important than the political independence of the country. However, during Gandhi’s lifetime, nothing much could be done on this front. After Gandhi, many committees were formed to find out the solution to the problem of scavenging.

Every committee suggested improvements in the living conditions of the scavengers, but none could give a solution to the problem.

While living in the colony, I studied carefully the book written by Mr. Rajendra Lal Das and also the WHO book published in 1958, Excreta Disposal for Rural Areas and Small Communities. I was greatly impressed by this sentence from the WHO book: “Suffice it to say here that out of the heterogeneous mass of latrine designs produced all over the world, the sanitary pit privy emerges as the most practical and universally applicable type.”

GENESIS OF SULABH MOVEMENT On the suggestion of the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Daroga Prasad Rai, and the Minister of Local Self Government, Mr. Shatrughan Sharan Singh, I founded in 1970 the Sulabh Shauchalaya Sansthan, now known as Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, a non-profit voluntary social service organisation.

They were of the opinion that social programmes cannot be implemented by the government or by NGOs alone. We agreed that the NGOs should work with the government

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April 09 - 15, 2018 organization. This period of my life was very stressful and at times I even thought of committing suicide. I had to sleep on railway platforms and due to a shortage of money, I often missed meals. Neither any grant nor any work assigned by the government came my way. I was passing through a miserable phase of my life and was on the verge of a breakdown.

In 1973, I persuaded a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly (MLA) to write a letter to the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, about the situation pertaining to the liberation of scavengers, requesting her to pay personal attention to the problem. Within a fortnight he received a reply from Mrs. Gandhi stating therein that she was writing to the Chief Minister to give his

In 1974, Sulabh started the work of conversion of bucket toilets in Bihar, and the local self-government department gave us the clearance for the project the same year agencies to achieve the development targets and to implement social programmes. After founding Sulabh, I applied for a government grant of Rs. 70,000 to run the organization.

Meanwhile, the government of Mr. Daroga Prasad Rai collapsed and a new government came in. My application for the grant was sent from the Local Self-Government to Planning to Finance, but to no avail.

In 1971, Mr. Rameshwar Nath, an IAS officer, joined the Department of Local Self-Government and asked me to meet him. I met him and he said that he had gone through my papers and felt that the Sulabh programme of sanitation and social reform was going to have a great impact in the country, but he saw a danger in my asking for a grant. He said that the Finance department would most likely raise questions and object to my request for the grant, and the next year when I applied again for another grant, I might receive—after a considerable delay—say another Rs. 50,000. He frankly said that depending on grants the programme would not go very far.

So he suggested that instead of asking for grants, I should take money for implementation of the programme and from the savings I should run the organization.

I followed Mr. Nath’s suggestion and applied to the government to award some work to Sulabh, instead of giving some grant. Since the decision in the matter was being delayed and I was in urgent need of funds, I raised some resources on my own. I sold some land in my village and my wife’s ornaments and also took loans from friends to run the

personal attention to this matter.

Although the government took note of Mrs. Gandhi’s letter and started to act upon it, the issue again got lost in the red tape of bureaucracy. Thus, the problem of scavengers remained unsolved.

However, in the month of August 1973, a ray of hope appeared. I had gone to Arrah town to meet

some officers and there I saw a board with the name of Mr. R.K. Mishra, Executive Officer of Arrah Municipality. I entered his room and he asked me what I was engaged in. I told him about my efforts to get my programme fund sanctioned by the government and that the government so far had not given any direction in the matter to the local bodies (municipalities or corporations), thus I was without any work at the moment. On hearing this, he gave me Rs. 500 to construct two toilets for demonstration in the compound of the office of the Arrah Municipality.

I constructed the toilets. When the Chairman of the Municipality, Mr. Ram Vilas Singh, came to see the demonstration project, he was very happy, as he had been a freedom fighter and keenly aware of the dream of Mahatma Gandhi to relieve scavengers from their dehumanizing work. The Chairman agreed to the proposal of the Executive Officer to build such toilets in Arrah town and convert existing bucket toilets there into Sulabh flush toilets.

When I started my work for sanitation, the situation was very dismal in India, both in urban and rural areas. Only a few towns had the provision of the sewage system and a small number of people were using septic tanks. The two systems that prevailed on a large scale were very unpleasant—open defecation and manual scavenging.

All alone, I used to go door to door to motivate and educate the beneficiaries to get their bucket latrines converted into Sulabh toilets.

But people were not ready to accept this technology and I felt frustrated.

Finally, one Municipal Councillor of the Arrah Municipality, Mr. Suresh Prasad Singh, came to my rescue, asking me to convert the bucket toilets of his house into Sulabh flush toilets. After seeing the functioning of the Sulabh toilets in his house, his neighbours followed him and then people of the town started coming in droves to get the bucket latrines in their houses converted into Sulabh toilets. This was how the conversion of bucket latrine programme started in Bihar. Then, the Executive Officer of the neighbouring town, Buxar, came to know about the scheme and asked me to implement such projects there also. So work started in Buxar too.

In 1974, Sulabh started the work of conversion of bucket toilets into Sulabh toilets in Patna City. The local self-government department, which was considering recognizing Sulabh as a catalytic agent to work between government, local bodies and beneficiaries, cleared my

April 09 - 15, 2018 proposal in April 1974.

The Government sent a circular to all the local bodies to take the help of Sulabh in conversion of bucket toilets into Sulabh ones with a view to relieving the scavengers from the sub-human occupation. Subsequently, the programme was taken up throughout the state of Bihar.

Two-Pit, Pour-Flush Technology In 1970, I invented and developed many designs of twin-pit pour-flush toilet and popularised them as Sulabh Shauchalayas. The various designs are given below. The first design is the two-pit latrine (Figure 1). The pits are circular and a minimum of 1m distance Sulabh Public Toilet on ‘pay & use’ basis along with Sulabh Biogas Plant at New Delhi was kept between both pits to ensure that at time of cleaning the precautions, there will be no case of VIII. Pits are generally designed for three-year dislodging interval, but if pit and taking out the fertilizer, no ground-water pollution.

When I submitted the Sulabh two- desired, can be designed for longer water remains at the bottom, making sure that the pit is totally dry. In the pit design to the State Government of period or can be reduced even to two second design, from the bottom of Bihar, initially there was scepticism years. the pit does not go from one pit to and the Government was not ready IX. Maintenance is easy, simple and other so that the fertilizer taken out to recognize the technology, but costs little. is dry (Figure 2). This design is used after discussions and persuasions the X. Needs only one liter of water for in an area where there is less space. Government of Bihar sent circulars flushing, while conventional flush In the narrow lanes, the pits are kept to the local bodies and municipalities toilet needs 10 to 12 liters of water. in single direction and the second pit to implement Sulabh Shauchalaya XI. Needs less space than a spectic is connected with the pipe. If there technology for the conversion of tank toilet system. is less space than the pan and water bucket toilets. By this time, the XII. Does not need scavengers for seal is placed on the dividing wall period of Gandhi Birth Centenary cleaning the pits or disposal of itself and the dividing wall is made of Celebration Committee was over sludge. This can be done by the householder.

1’3. So even in the smallest of places, and it had to be wound up.

Sulabh toilets can be constructed, Advantages of Sulabh Two-pit, Pour- XIII. Makes available rich fertilizer and soil conditioner. even in the verandah of a house. flush Toilets People can use the covered pit as a I. Hygienically and technically XIV. Can be easily connected to pathway, because there is no smell, appropriate, and socio-culturally sewers when introduced in the area.

XV. A low volume flushing cistern nothing is visible and no gas pipe acceptable. is provided. People prefer using the II. Afforadable and easy to construct could be attached to avoid pour flushing. slab over the pit for various purposes with locally available materials.

Absence of toilet facilities at like cleaning food grains, cooking III. Design and specifications can be food, etc. also, at times, a small shop modified to suit householder’s needs schools made the female students avoid attending schools and this is opened on the slab over the pit. and affordability.

This toilet connected with a pipe IV. Eliminates the breeding of resulted in drop-out of girls from can even be constructed on an upper mosquitoes, insects and flies school. My efforts to provide toilet facilities at schools have reduced floor of a house and can also be breeding. constructed where the water-table is V. Can be constructed in different this. Women have gained the most from provision of toilets facilities. physical, geological conditions. high.

In a high water-table area, the VI. Free from health hazards and does Over the years, Sulabh has upper portion of the pit should be not pollute surface or ground water, two feet above the water-table for it if proper precautions and safeguards converted more than 1.5 million bucket toilets. No case of jaundice to function well. The upper portion are taken during construction. of the pit should not be constructed VII. Can be constructed on upper has been reported for the last 40 years in households and areas where on a par with the water-table. floors of houses.

Wherever the water supply is through pipelines, there is no chance at all of pollution of water. If the source Till recently, public toilets were considered hell of water is a tube well, 15’ distance on earth, so when people heard of our plan to from the pits should be maintained.

The toilets should be constructed 30 run public pay toilets, no one was willing at all ft away from the open wells. In short, if toilets are constructed with some to take this seriously

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a Sulabh toilet has been in use. This technology is perfectly safe and hygienic and fulfills all the conditions of sanitary latrines.

PUBLIC TOILET COMPLEXES In 1974, Mr. Rajdeo Narayan Singh, an IAS officer, joined the Patna Municipal Corporation as its administrator. After taking a vow to make the city clean, he wanted to build— and properly maintain— public toilets at different places. One morning, while I was sitting at his residence, he asked the Chief Engineer of the Corporation to build a public toilet near the Reserve Bank of India office in Patna. The RBI building is located adjacent to the Gandhi Maidan, which is a huge ground where more than five hundred thousand people can congregate. The same day, Mr. Singh invited me to come to the place at 3 pm. As I reached the place, I heard him directing his Chief Engineer to construct a public toilet in a day. The Chief Engineer was flabbergasted and expressed his inability, saying it was impossible to build a public toilet in a day.

The administrator Mr. Singh turned towards me and asked whether I could do it. For a few seconds, I thought over the matter and felt it was a great opportunity I should not lose. So I expressed my readiness, “Yes, I can do it.” On hearing this, he told me that the Corporation would provide the land and the cost of construction, but not the cost of maintenance and suggested that I should maintain public toilets on “pay and use” basis.

Indian people were not in the habit of paying for the use of toilets. In 1878, though an Act was passed by the then British Government in Bengal for maintenance of public toilets on “pay and use” basis, it did not work.

Before my sanitation work started, public places in India including religious and tourist centres had no public conveniences. The following anecdote will explain not only lack of toilets but also any awareness about them.

In the days when you could not count on a public toilet facility, an English woman was planning a trip to India. She registered to stay in a small guest-house owned by the local schoolmaster. She was concerned as to whether the guesthouse had a WC. (In England, a

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bathroom is commonly called a WC which stands for Water Closet.) She wrote to the schoolmaster, not fluent in English, asked the local priest if he knew the meaning of WC. Together they pondered possible meanings of the letters and concluded that the lady wanted to know if there was a ‘Wayside Chapel’ near the house. A bathroom never entered their minds, so the schoolmaster wrote the following reply: “Dear Madam, I take great pleasure in informing you that the WC is located nine miles from the house. It is located in the middle of a grove of pine trees, surrounded by lovely grounds.

It is capable of holding 229 people and is open on Sundays and Thursdays. As there Sulabh has constructed and maintained, the second largest toilet in Shirdi, Maharashtra, with 148 toilets along with dressing room, baby sitting, breast feeding facilities and 108 bathrooms, 2,300 lockers for keeping the belongings of pilgrims. The complex is lit by electricity produced from the human excreta generated biogas plant. 50,000 persons can use these facilities daily

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are many people expected in the summer months, I suggest you arrive early. There is, however, plenty of standing room. This is an unfortunate situation, especially if you are in the habit of going regularly. It may be of some interest to you that my daughter was married in the WC, since she met her husband there.

It was a wonderful event. There were 10 people in every seat. It was wonderful to see the expression on their faces. My wife sadly has been ill and unable to go recently. It has been almost a year since she went last, which pains her greatly. You will be pleased to know that many people bring their lunch and make a day of it.

Others prefer to wait till the last minute and arrive just in time! I would recommend that your ladyship plan to go on a Thursday, as there is an organ accompaniment. The acoustics are excellent and even the most delicate sounds can be heard everywhere. The newest addition is a bell which rings every time a person enters. We are holding a bazaar to provide plush seats for all since many feel it is long needed. I look forward to escorting you there myself and seating you in a place where you can be seen by all.

With deepest regards, The Schoolmaster.”

No wonder, the woman never visited

India.

Not long ago, public toilets were supposed to be hell on earth. So when the people heard about the idea of running public toilets on the pay-and-use basis, they did not take it seriously, thinking no one would pay for the use of a toilet. When I put up the first public toilet with urinal and bath facilities, I also provided soap powder to wash hands because Indians use water for ablution after defecation. As a result, on the first day itself, five hundred persons used the toilets and paid for the facility.

Many distinguished people of Patna would come in the morning to see the spectacle of people paying for the use of toilets. In other words, this simple idea worked very well, and in 1974, the demand for putting up toilets and conversion of bucket toilets into Sulabh ones in parts of Patna and also in other towns of Bihar increased. Throughout Bihar, people began to accept the pay-anduse system for the use of toilets.

Another initiative I undertook was this: In a public toilet, I put up a pit latrine with provision of space for 8 ft 3 per person per year for disposal of human waste. It worked well for

World’s largest Sulabh public toilet complex at Pandharpur, Maharashtra

six months. But after that it started filling up frequently, because human excreta at the bottom used to get converted into manure. Therefore, it became difficult to maintain such pit latrines. I later switched over to the construction of septic tanks which, too, filled up frequently because of the pour-flush provision in the public toilets. The human excreta used to get accumulated very soon and led to frequent filling up of the septic tank.

I, therefore, started searching for a suitable technology for disposal of the human waste.

In 1978, a National Seminar was organized in Patna by the Government of India, WHO and UNICEF, in which the officers of Government of India, secretaries and chief engineers of the State governments and other experts from the State and Central governments participated. They went house to house to see the functioning of individual toilets and also public toilets at public places. After seeing such toilets for the first time in India, it was recommended that the programme implemented in Bihar be extended to other states of India.

Thus the diffusion of the Sulabh innovations started from Bihar and spread to other parts of the country.

In 1979, the UNDP came into the picture and for seven years it evaluated the schemes of low-cost sanitation and the water conditions from pit latrines. It prepared a manual for low-cost sanitation and distributed it amongst the international agencies and countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

In 1980, the UNICEF funded an

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April 09 - 15, 2018 International Seminar organized by UNDP in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and they also started taking interest in this project.

So far, Sulabh has constructed more than 8,500 public toilets and other NGOs and governments have put up many more public toilets in India. Now people are used to paying for the use of a toilet. Sulabh toilets have improved availability of and access to toilet facilities for the public as well as foreigners who visit India as tourists.

By converting bucket toilets into the Sulabh toilets at the behest of state governments and municipal bodies, a large number of scavengers (more than 120,000 scavengers) have been freed. Till now, 1.5 million bucket toilets in 1620 local bodies in 1687 cities/towns in 26 states and four Union Territories of India, have been converted by Sulabh. The Sulabh toilets built in individual houses and public places are used by 20 million people daily.

Because of the presence of many religions and caste system in India, the cases of caste and religious tensions are sometimes reported.

However, Sulabh public toilets are places that represent and promote national integration. So far, there has not been a single case reported where Hindus or Muslims, members of the upper or lower castes or former untouchables have refused to use public toilet because ‘others’ also use the toilets.

DELIVERY MECHANISM The development of technology was important, but equally important was the adoption of a delivery mechanism to get this technology to the people so that bucket toilets in their households could be converted into Sulabh toilets. Generally, when the beneficiaries go to the municipal bodies, it takes them time to get subsidy and loan from them and they have to face harassment at the hands of concerned officers and clerks.

Hence the people get discouraged going to municipal bodies. To deal with the problem, it was decided by the Government of Bihar that social workers of Sulabh should go from house to house to motivate, educate and persuade the beneficiaries to convert their bucket toilets.

The social workers tell the householders about the health hazards due to the stinking environment caused by bucket toilets.

They tell people that no scavengers would be required to clean the Sulabh toilets and that there would be no foul odour, stinking environment and health hazard of any kind. Thus informed, beneficiaries agree to

(Left) Sulabh Toilet Complex at Sethani Ghat, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh funded by Hon’ble Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the then MP of Rajya Sabha and now Cabinet Minister for External Affairs

convert their bucket toilets. Then they fill a form and sign the required agreement between the municipal bodies and the beneficiaries and authorize Sulabh to draw money from the municipal body on their behalf. The Sulabh social workers then visit the municipal offices, follow procedures and complete the necessary formalities. The money is then received by them on behalf of the beneficiaries and materials are collected, and masons and labourers arranged. The Sulabh workers get the toilets constructed in the premises of the beneficiaries.

In light of the prevailing cult of corruption, Sulabh, while building household toilets, takes utmost precautions to use good materials as per the estimates prepared and also closely supervises the construction.

Inquiries are made through postal mail on the satisfaction of the beneficiaries and guarantee cards are given to the beneficiaries, stating therein that if anything goes wrong or some defects develop in the construction during two year period,

(Above) Inside View- Ultra Modern Sulabh Toilet Complex at Deoghar, Jharkhand

rectification would be done free of cost. In this manner conversion of bucket toilets into Sulabh toilets started in Bihar.

All beneficiaries, municipal bodies and the government were satisfied with the conversion work and this established the credentials of Sulabh with the government and the general public. The delivery mechanism stated earlier is still in existence.

This procedure has ensured that complaints are received only in the very small number of cases which are then rectified at the earliest.

By converting bucket toilets to the Sulabh design by state governments and with the efforts of municipal bodies, million of scavengers have been freed. Till now 1.5 million bucket toilets have been converted by Sulabh in different municipal bodies in various parts of the country.

WORLD’S LARGEST TOILET COMPLEX AT PANDHARPUR, MAHARASHTRA The unhygienic conditions due to the lack of basic toilet facilities are

Sulabh Toilet Complex at Kabul, Afghanistan

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appalling at pilgrim centres in India than other places for the simple reason that they are sacred places for the pilgrims. In continuation of Sulabh’s efforts of building toilets at public and religious places, it has recently selected Pandharpur, one of the most popular pilgrimage cities located in the district Sholapur of Maharashtra.

Vithoba or Vitthal, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, is the deity of Pandharpur, and its temple is located on the banks of the river Bhima.

The temple attracts over 12 lakh pilgrims for the Ashadhi Ekadashi Yatra. During this and other yatras and two Aartis in a month nearly one crore pilgrims visit the holy shrine at Vitthal Mandir every year.

In response to the call of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to put an end to defecation in the open, especially in religious places, Sulabh is constructing here the world’s biggest toilet complex in cooperation with the Government of Maharashtra.

In the holy backdrop of Ashadhi Ekadashi, the overflowing crowds and lack of adequate toilets and other amenities for pilgrims, Pandharpur gets desecrated and is converted into a pathetic and unhygienic town.

Lack of basic toilet facilities has become the bane of Pandharpur.

The Government of Maharashtra

Biogas plant at Kabul, Afghanistan

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Sulabh Biogas Plant at New Delhi

Biogas Street light at Patna

Biogas used for cooking

(GOM) took cognizance of the filthy condition at Pandharpur and initiated the Pilgrimage Development Plan for which Sulabh International proposed phase-wise implementation which was approved by the executing body of GOM. Sulabh International has completed the execution of the phase I (434 seats) before Ashadhi Yatra 2015 and the facility was used by over two lakh pilgrims. Phase II (983 seats) was made operational before Ashadhi Yatra 2016 and was used by over 4.5 lakh pilgrims. The Sulabh Effluent Treatment Plant

Engine used for converting biogas into electricity

ongoing phase III (1,441 seats) will be made operational before Ashadhi Yatra 2017. It is estimated that more than 6.5 lakh pilgrims will be served every year thereafter. Along with the basic toilet and bathroom facility other amenities like locker rooms, changing rooms and medical aid have been provided to the pilgrims.

In brief, Sulabh has so far constructed eight toilet complexes consisting of 1,417 toilet units at Pandharpur. About 1.5 lakh people are using the toilets everyday.

Altogether 23 splendid toilet complexes consisting of 2,858 toilet units will be constructed with provisions for lavatories, bath cubicles and urinals.

There will be special toilets for physically challenged people, besides 397 toilets for VIPs. Almost four lakh devotees will be able to use these toilets on the occasion of special Yatras. Moreover, hundreds of pilgrims can take bath together at this complex, along with using the facilities for lockers, dressing rooms, and medical treatment. Sulabh thus endeavours to create a clean and hygienic atmosphere in Pandharpur. Thus, Sulabh is striving to fulfill the dream of the Hon’ble Prime Minister by making the places around the holy shrines beautiful and open-defecation-free.

BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY The use of the Sulabh public toilet led me to switch over from septic tank to biogas disposal technology, where biogas digester (constructed underground) is connected to the public toilet and human waste flows into it through gravity. In the biogas digester, a floating dome type was first tried. Abundant quantity of gases was produced for cooking and lighting but there was foul smell because human excreta, after decomposition, used to float. Also when attracted by low temperature in winters, it resulted in sharp decrease of biogas production.

Therefore I kept on searching for another design.

Finally, I switched over to the fixed dome biogas digester, with

some change in the design. Whereas the septic tank is rectangular, biogas digester is circular, with the provision of a dome to contain the biogas.

On the first day, 30-40 kg of cow dung was required to be put inside the digester, after 30 days of which human excreta starts decomposing and starts producing biogas. This biogas can be used for lighting mantle lamps, cooking food, warming one’s body during winters and can also be converted into energy to supply electricity to the neighbourhood and for street lighting. 200 such biogas digesters have been connected to public toilets in various parts of India.

One public toilet has been constructed and maintained by Sulabh in Bhutan. Five public toilets with biogas digesters and Sulabh effluent treatment plants have been built in Kabul, the war-torn capital of Afghanistan. Awareness programme was conducted there to make people aware of the advantages of using toilets. The public toilets have been functioning efficiently there, even during the severe winters of 2007 when the temperature went down to -30°C. Sulabh designed individual toilets also functioned very well in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, in 1984-85 when the temperature went down to -14°C. Hence these technologies are suitable not only for tropical hot climates but also for the cold climatic regions.

To convert biogas into energy, earlier the engine was run on diesel and biogas with a ratio of 20:80%.

We did further research and have now shifted to the battery system, where the engine is run 100% on biogas.

SULABH EFFLUENT TREATMENT (SET) TECHNOLOGY The water discharged from the biogas digester is treated through Sulabh effluent treatment technology—a sedimentation chamber, a sand filtration tank, aeration tank, activated charcoal and finally passed through ultra violet (UV) rays.

The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of the waste water is thus reduced to less than 10 mg/l.

This is pure water containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potash and is a good nutrient to raise farm productivity. It can also be used

Both the Sulabh technologies help, firstly in reducing global warming because it cuts pollution in the atmosphere, and also helps in conserving water

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Sulabh Health Centre at New Delhi

Sulabh Safe Drinking Water at Madhusudankati village, West Bengal.

It is taken from a local pond

Inside of Sulabh Health Centre at New Delhi

A local people used the facility of Sulabh Water ATM at Palam, New Delhi

as a fertilizer in flower beds and in kitchen gardens. This technology is far better than the septic tank system. So I recommend that in nonsewered areas, in housing colonies, high-rise buildings, schools, colleges, hospitals, etc., biogas digesters instead of septic tanks, should be used for disposal of human waste.

In this technology, human excreta is recycled onsite and it is one of the best examples of sustainable development.

Both technologies developed by me are suitable, not only for developing countries, but also for developed ones, because in household Sulabh

designed toilets, the gases produced are absorbed in the ground and the soil facing that pit. They are not allowed to exit into the atmosphere.

In the biogas digester also all the gases produced (methane, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide and others) are not allowed to enter the atmosphere, but being combustible are burnt for different uses.

Both Sulabh technologies help, firstly, to reduce global warming because they help reduce pollution in the atmosphere. Secondly, in both technologies water is conserved.

Only one litre of water per person per use is required to flush in the Sulabh toilet whereas in the septic

Sulabh is bottling this water, which is known as Sulabh Safe Drinking Water, and is selling it at mere fifty paise for every litre in West Bengal in Murshidabad and West Dinajpur

tank system the water requirement is 10 litre and inm the sewer system, even more than that. Therefore an enormous quantity of water is saved if these technologies are used globally. Thirdly, both technologies which contain phosphorus, nitrogen and potash produce bio-fertilizer and are a good nutrient to raise the productivity of fields. They can also be used for horticulture, floriculture, etc. Both technologies fulfill all the conditions of a sanitary latrine.

Therefore, these technologies are universally applicable.

In brief, it can be said that the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals can be achieved only by the use of these technologies adopted with some modifications due to different local conditions. On the basis of sewage and septic systems, the Millennium Development Goals were not achievable.

THE SULABH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY

Sulabh has a well-equipped and fully functional laboratory with testing facilities for undertaking research and innovation in waste water treatment methods, lowcost sanitation technologies, development and improvement of biogas digester system, etc. Among other things, this laboratory has the distinction of testing a large number of samples, at the behest of the Delhi Pollution Control Board, from effluent treatment plants of various industries in Delhi and providing certificates about the quality of the effluent discharged.

SULABH HEALTH CENTRE: AN INITIATIVE TO OUTREACH The Sulabh Ideal Health Centre is a part of the Sulabh Toilet Complex.

A Total Healthcare Concept is practised here to achieve the goal of ‘Health for All’, as visualized by the WHO. The Health Centre has the following facilities:

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Sulabh Safe Drinking Water at ISKCON, Haridaspur, West Bengal. It is taken from well

Sulabh Safe Drinking Water at Medinipur, West Bengal. It is taken from well.

The toilet museum has an impressive display of privies, chamber pots, bidets and water closets, and has been ranked as the third weirdest museum in the world by Time napkins.  Distribution of Condoms, Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs), Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS), Iron, Folic  Acid and Calcium Tablets free of cost.  Works as the Pulse Polio Centre of the Delhi Government.

SULABH PURIFIED DRINKING WATER IN WEST BENGAL AND WATER ATM AT NEW DELHI The Sulabh Purified Dr. Pathak keenly hearing the suffering of Drinking Water is the the people due to arsenic contamination in latest technological groundwater. Sulabh came to their rescue initiative from Sulabh. by setting up a water treatment plant and Impure water from providing clean and cheap drinking water at rivers, ponds, wells, Madhusudankati village in West Bengal water bodies and taps is purified by this Sulabh technology, and the treated  Free consultations with doctors by water becomes safe for human general public throughout the day. consumption. Sulabh has installed  Dispensing of essential medicines water treatment plants at six sites at a token amount of Rs. 5 to those of West Bengal in Madhusudankati who are willing to pay; otherwise in North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad they are given free of cost. in Murshidabad district, Mayapur  Sanitary Napkin Vending Machine in Nadia, Suvasgram in South 24 which provides low-cost sanitary

Parganas, ISKON Haridaspur in North 24 Parganas and Chaksultan in West Medinipur. Raw water is drawn from the river Ganga in Mayapur and Murshidabad, while in Madhusudankati it is taken from a local pond. In Haridaspur, Chaksultan and Mirzapur, (West Medinipur), it is taken from well.

After its treatment at the Sulabh Water Treatment Plant, the water from the river/pond/well becomes purified and absolutely safe for drinking.

Sulabh is bottling this water which is known as Sulabh Safe Drinking Water. It is available for 50 paise per litre in West Bengal.

For residents of Madusudankati, the plant has proved to be a great help after years of suffering from skin and other diseases caused by arsenic in groundwater pumped from wells.

After commencement of the Sulabh Water Treatment Plant, the residents are getting clean Sulabh Jal. There has been considerable improvement in the health of the people affected by the arsenic poison.

Apart from supplying safe drinking water, Sulabh is also treating people suffering from arsenic poisoning at a health centre adjacent to the water plant.

At the entrance of Sulabh Campus in New Delhi, such purified water is available for Re 1/- per litre at the Sulabh Water ATM. TRAINING OF FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS Sulabh trained professionals from 14 African countries (namely Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Rwanda) in 2005 and 2006 on the techniques of construction and maintenance of both types of toilets.

Sulabh has started consultancy work in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Bangladesh and proposes starting work in 50 countries where there is lack of sanitation facilities.

SULABH INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF TOILETS The Sulabh Campus in New Delhi has a fascinating Museum of Toilets. One of its kinds in the world, the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets has a rare collection of artefacts, pictures and objects detailing the historic evolution of toilets since 2500 BC. A large number of visitors, both from India and abroad, have shown an avid interest in this museum, finding it informative, educative and fascinating. So far more than 30 lakhs people have visited it through our website, and over 10,000 people have taken the trouble to come here personally to see this museum.

Different items collected in the museum give a chronology of developments relating to sanitation technology, toilet-related customs

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International Workshop on Sanitation Technology

and etiquettes, and shed light on the sanitary conditions and legislative efforts of many countries over the centuries.

The museum has an impressive display of privies, chamber pots, toilet furniture, bidets and water closets in use from 1145 AD to the contemporary time. The museum aims to educate students and interested people about the historical trends in the development of toilets, provide information to researchers about the design, materials and technologies adopted in the past and those in use in the contemporary world, and help policy-makers and sanitation experts better grasp the efforts made earlier in this field across the world so that they can learn from the past and solve the present-day problems in the sanitation sector.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets has been ranked as world’s third weirdest museums amongst 10 by the Time Magazine.

SULABH PUBLIC SCHOOL The Sulabh Public School is situated within the Sulabh Campus in New Delhi. Here, 60 per cent of the students are from the Dalit community and 40 per cent from other communities. This English medium school is one of the first

schools of its kind where Dalit students get not only free quality education but also get all facilities, including books, uniforms, etc., free of cost.

In this model school, the toilets are cleaned by the teachers and students themselves, not by others. Mahatma Gandhi wanted that all people should clean their own toilets, and this

Inside view of Sulabh International Museum of Toilets

school does it.

SULABH SCHOOL SANITATION CLUB Sulabh has set up a School Sanitation Club. In this Club, apart from other activities, the schoolgirls are taught to make sanitary napkins using simple materials. The club has also installed a vending machine where

sanitary napkins are available.

Incinerators have also been installed where sanitary napkins are disposed of easily.

SULABH VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE The Sulabh Campus in New Delhi also houses a Vocational Training Centre. This centre imparts to young students, mainly belonging to the weaker sections of society, two-year training in vocations like tailoring, beauty care, computers, fashion designing, embroidery, stenography, electronics, etc. It is heartening to note that not a single youngster trained here in the marketfriendly trades has come back to say that he or she has not got a job.

They all get employment because the training given here is extensive and effective. The Sulabh Vocational Training Centre gives young people from struggling background hope by showing them the way to earn their living and lead a meaningful life.

After liberating as many as 120,000 manual scavengers from their subhuman occupation, I opened vocational training centres and the Nai Disha organisation

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Pankhuri Gidwani, Miss India 2016 (2nd Runner-up) operating the vending machine

Students of Sulabh Public School in the morning assembly at New Delhi

LIBERATION AND REHABILITATION OF SCAVENGERS After liberating thousands of scavengers (120,000 so far) from their demeaning and subhuman occupation, I opened vocational training centres in Patna, Jhambul, New Delhi, etc., for their rehabilitation. I also started a centre ‘Nai Disha’ (New Direction) in Alwar, Rajasthan, to give the liberated scavengers education and vocational training in different trades such as embroidery, beauty care, making eatables such as papad, noodles, etc., to make them selfemployed. The edibles prepared by them are now bought by local people in whose houses they used to go to clean toilets.

This is a sea change in the attitude of the people. Recently, a Brahmin invited one untouchable scavenger to the wedding of his daughter.

In October 2015, the Safaigiri Award was awarded to Sulabh’s Mrs Usha Chaumar for cleaning up the extremely unhygenic Assi Ghat in Varanasi

He even accepted a gift from her and allowed her to dine with his family members. This had never happened before in India’s history of 5,000 years. I did all this only through peaceful means and a silent revolution is taking place, which cannot be narrated here due to space constraint.

Sulabh organized programmes for the ex-scavengers’ social interaction with the elite in society and took them to important places to mingle them with the elites. The former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the ex-President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, and top Congress leader

A girl of the Sulabh School Sanitation Club disposing of sanitary napkin, which after burning will be converted into ash

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, all gave them audience. They were invited to the United Nations to participate in the Conference ‘Sanitation for Sustainable Development’ on July 2, 2008. They even addressed the audience from the podium of the United Nations and participated in a Fashion Show ‘Mission Sanitation’ inside the UN building. They later went to the Statue of Liberty in New York to tell the world that they were no more untouchables.

Sulabh is committed to the cause of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and this organisation is at the forefront of toilet construction in individual households and in schools. Recently,

it was given the task of cleaning the Assi Ghat at Varanasi, which was covered with silt and mud mound which was nearly 15 feet high. This was cleaned in a record time and the flight of nearly 50 stairs was cleaned from silt and mud and is now being used by devotees and tourists alike.

Boats have started plying in the ghat, which is now being maintained by Sulabh volunteers.

On October 2015, SAFAIGIRI Award for the Cleanest Assi Ghat, Varanasi (a dream project of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi) has been presented to Mrs. Usha Chaumar, a liberated untouchable and now President of Sulabh International by India Today Group at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi.

UNTOUCHABILITY NO MORE (APRIL 13, 2015) Hon’ble Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Home Affairs, shared meal with the erstwhile untouchable scavengers on the occasion of the National Function ‘Untouchability No More’ organized by Sulabh to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

On this occasion the families of the higher caste and untouchable scavengers also exchanged greetings The girls of Sulabh School Sanitation Club making sanitary napkins at New Delhi

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(Right) Students of cutting and tailoring class, a trade of Sulabh Vocational Training Centre, at New Delhi

and ate from each other hands. This was the landmark occasion held for the first time.

DR. PATHAK AND HON’BLE SHRI NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA’S SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN In a remarkable new development, the present Prime Minister Hon’ble Shri Narendra Modi has powerfully underlined that without freedom from filth India cannot become a great nation. He has kicked off Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which is a national mission to make India’s streets, roads, and infrastructure clean by 2019. The central component of the mission is the construction of toilets. Besides constructing toilets in every school immediately, it plans to construct 12 crore toilets in rural India by October 2019. The aim is to provide every household a toilet and thus eliminate open defection.

Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour-flush toilets and eradication of manual scavenging are an integral part of the mission’s objective. The Prime Minister’s plan of cleanliness has generated a nationwide enthusiasm, and Dr. Pathak alongwith his organization Sulabh, which has a formidable expertise and track-record in this area, is playing an important role in this mission.

Sulabh has adopted many villages, like Hirmathla village in the state of Haryana, making them free from open defecation. Here, as in many other places, Sulabh has built public and household toilets, for example in Punjab Sulabh has built 12,000 individual toilets and about 7000 toilets in schools in different states of the country.

WIDOWS OF VRINDAVAN The Supreme Court of India in an order directed the National Service Legal Authority (NALSA) to contact Sulabh to find out whether they could come forward to help the suffering widows living in four Government shelters in Vrindavan.

Consequently, I along with my colleagues in Sulabh have been working for the Vrindavan widows, providing them all possible relief since 2012. Sulabh has been involved in this welfare work both in terms of financial help and in uplifting the general conditions of the widows.

We are providing a monthly stipend of Rs. 2000 to nearly 800 widows per month plus providing medical and

ambulance facilities to them. We are also giving them vocational training in garland-making, agarbatti-making, tailoring, etc., to make them selfreliant. The widows are also being taught English, Hindi and Bengali.

To bring cheer and happiness in their lives, Sulabh has started celebrating the festivals of Holi, Durga Puja, Diwali and Christmas with them.

Sulabh also takes them from time to time on excursions to Delhi, Kolkata, Agra, etc. A memorable moment came in the windows’ life when they met the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and tied Rakhi on his wrist.

WIDOWS OF VARANASI We subsequently also adopted the widows of Varanasi like those of Vrindavan. I identified 150 widows who are given financial help of Rs. 2000 per month and thus launched our second campaign against the age-old and oppressive tradition of widowhood at Varanasi. Besides taking care of the widows’ basic needs, Sulabh has made a significant contribution in creating awareness among the people by probing and highlighting the problems of

poor widows living in deplorable conditions in Varanasi.

WIDOWS OF VILLAGE DEOLIBHANIGRAM, UTTARAKHAND Moved by the natural disaster that struck Uttarakhand in June 2013 that left many villagers and pilgrims homeless, Sulabh extended a helping hand to women who had been widowed and others by giving financial help of Rs. 2000 per month to the women and elderly members of the family and also Rs. 1000 to each child, covering 155 devastated residents of six villages of DeoliBhanigram Panchayat. Sulabh has further decided to give Rs. 1000 per month to 300 more families of these villages. A vocational training programme was also launched for the women and widows for imparting training in candle making, sewing, making diya-bati and providing basic education.

The centre has been provided with 12 computers, 25 sewing machines along with other equipments and materials for imparting training.

The centre is imparting training to women and others in eight trades, i.e., Tailoring, Knitting, Machine

In a remarkable move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed that without freedom from filth, India can never be a great nation and he has set in motion the Swachh Bharat Mission

embroidery, Computer education, Shorthand typing, Candle making, Aggarbati (Incense) making, Batti (cotton) making and Paper plate and Dona making. The centre is also providing basic education to trainees, besides making them computer literate. The main motto of Sulabh is providing vocational training to women and others in these villages, so that they can acquire necessary skills to earn a living. Raw materials like wax, thread, gas, oil, pen, pencil, paper, cotton, books, CD, stationery, ribbon, etc., are provided to them free of cost. Sulabh International Centre for Action Sociology is training them with a view to providing an alternative source of income and rehabilitating them by enabling them to be self-employed in different trades.

REWRITING THE FATE A young widow, Vinita , the victim of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy, got married to Rakesh. The marriage ceremony was held on 16, October 2017 in Gopinath Temple in Vrindavan.

A humble heart is the wellspring of truth and beauty, and people whose hands are full of gratitude and appreciation are truly beautiful.

I felt the pain of the deprived.

I relentlessly fought to restore the dignity and the rights of India’s untouchables. My heart also went out to another marginalized section of Indian society—the widows.

Contd. on Page 18

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KAMALADEVI CHATTOPADHYAY Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a Gandhia freedom fighter and educationist

VIEWPOINT

gandhiji opened up a new way of life to the world the Highest Concept The kind of world community to which we have to attach ourselves - Dr S Radhakrishnan

G

andhi once said: “I want my country to be free. I do not want a prostrate India. I want an India which is free and enlightened. Such an India, if necessary, should be prepared to die so that humanity may live”.

Nationalism is not the highest concept. The highest concept is world community. It is that kind of world community to which we have to attach ourselves. It is unfortunate that we are still the victims of concepts which are outmoded, which are outdated.

So to say, we are living in a new world, and in a new world, a new type of man is necessary, and unless we change our minds, changes our hearts, it will not be possible for us to survive in this world. The concept of One World must be implemented in every action of every nation, if that One World is to become established. I have no doubt that the world will become one.

As I said the other day, it is in the mind of events, it is the will of the universe, it is the purpose of Providence. We are being led from state to state to the concept of one family on earth.

If we are able to achieve it, we should do so by handling our own minds and hearts. Our task today is to deal with the souls of men; it is there that the changes have to be brought about.

Before outer organisations are established, inward changes have to take place. An outer crisis is a reflection of an inward chaos, and if the chaos inside the minds and hearts of men.... is not removed, we cannot bring about a more satisfactory world order.

Editor-in-Chief

Kumar Dilip Edited, Printed and Published by: Monika Jain on behalf of Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation, owned by Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation Printed at: The Indian Express Limited A - 8, Sector -7, NOIDA (UP) Published at: RZ - 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam - Dabri Road, New Delhi - 110045 (India) Corporate Office: 819, Wave Silver Tower, Sector - 18, NOIDA (UP) Phone: +91-120-6500425 Email: editor@sulabhswachhbharat.com, ssbweekly@gmail.com

G

andhiji is universally acknowledged as the greatest man of his age. The extraordinary thing about him is that he held no high office nor was he a statesman ruling the destinies of countries. Nevertheless, he towered above all such personalities. His greatness came from the realm of the spirit, his influence and unparalleled leadership from his universal love and faith in mankind. He drew his strength from what he termed ‘ soul force’, an inner strength, and one cannot believe in it or non-violence without an abiding faith in the innate goodness lurking in all fellow beings. This is what made Gandhiji, a universal leader who served the world. “Mankind is one, seeing that all are equally subject to the moral law. All men are equal in God’s eyes.”

It is not strange that Gandhiji should call his deity “Truth’, for this term is universal, it is meaningful, and it is pregnant with manifold experiences and establishes friendly channels of communications with even those who may differ widely in policy and even in interest.

Having established these links, he has also shown that local belonging and local ties, though they seemingly limit freedom of action, need not necessarily do so. In fact, he expounds: “Duties to self, to the family, to the country and to the world are not independent of one another. One cannot do good to the country by injuring himself or his family. Similarly one cannot serve the country by injuring the world at large. In the final analysis, we must die that the family may live; the family must die that the world may live. But only pure things can be offered in sacrifice. Therefore, self-purification is the first step. When the heart is pure, we at once realize what our duty is at every moment” He never conceived of freedom and independence for India in narrow, exclusive sense as his assertions prove: “My notion of Purna Swaraj is not isolated independence but healthy and dignified interdependence. My nationalism, fierce though it is, is not exclusive, not designed to harm any nation or individual.

Legal maxims are not as legal as they are moral.

I believe in the eternal truth of sic utere tuo ut alienum non loedas’ (use thy own property so as not to injure thy neighbours). Our nationalism can be no peril to other nations inasmuch as we will exploit none, just as we will allow none to exploit us. Through Swaraj we would serve the whole world.”

Again, he reiterates: “It is impossible for

one to be an internationalist without being a nationalist. Internationalism is possible only when nationalism becomes afact, i.e., when peoples belonging to different countries have organised themselves and are able to act as one man. It is not nationalism that is evil; it is the narrowness, selfishness, exclusiveness which is the bane of modern nations, which is evil. Each wants to profit at the expense of, and rises on the ruins of, the other.

“I am a humble servant of India and in trying to serve India; I serve humanity at large...

After nearly fifty years of public life, I am able to say today that my faith in the doctrine that the service of one’s nation is not inconsistent with the service of the world has grown. It is a good doctrine. Its acceptance alone will ease the situation in the world and stop the mutual jealousies between nations inhabiting this globe of ours”.

Gandhiji has been unique in historic in many respects. But his most outstanding contribution lies in his supreme achievement of trasforming the principles of non-violent resistance into a successful instrument for achieving liberty, justice and peace. What was once just a personal discipline, he elevated into a social technique for community or national emancipation. Gandhiji’s approach to the wider social and political strains and tensions rested on a basic social harmony which assumed a fundamental unity between all peoples and classes and rejected completely the inevitability of violent confrontations and clashes. He had a convincing confidence of being able to touch the higher and finer side of man and bend him to modulations and adjustments without calling in the power of the State. Thereby, he offered the alternative of a genuine doctrine of co-existence which has become so significant and strategic in the world affairs of today. The socialism of several of the new rising countries also tends to be based more on national unity than on class warfare.

Yet, he did stand exactly for Stateless world. He believed in sovereignty in terms of an authority which directed the national community through democratic process, that is , ‘consent’. The relationship between States also, therefore, emerged from mutual identity, common interest and purpose basic to all human existence. Military or similar alliances and expansionist actions are ruled out. The emphasis is in the ‘right conduct’ between

April 09 - 15, 2018 fellow States.

However the inter-State relationship was based on the internal values and domestic patterns. In this context, the stress Gandhiji put on his constructive programmes becomes clear and meaningful. In fact, he declared it as essential to the struggle for freedom.

“We can never reach Swaraj with the poison of untouchability corroding the Hindu part of the national body”, he proclaimed. To him, freedom conveyed a state where such indignities and religious animosities ceased to exist, and internal harmony, which meant a discipline that had transformed hatred into friendliness, confrontation into co-operation, distrust into trust prevailed. A mere shedding of colonial rule to him was an illusory freedom, a meaningless term. Gandhiji has been hailed as a social scientist and an unusual one, for he generally made the first test of his hypothesis on himself before he commended it to others. He was a class apart in this as in other ways. An unerring instinct in the choice of the problems, a persistence and thoroughness in research, and a rare skill in organising made a perfect combination in him. It has been said that a reformer’s business is to make the impossible possible by giving an ocular demonstration in his own conduct.

Perhaps, in his case, the old Sanskrit saying ‘Power does not come to a man because he does things that are hard, but because he does things with a pure heart’ could be very aptly applied.

Gandhiji’s great contribution lay in his opening up before the world, a new way of life, the path of peace if one may call it, a method of combating in a creative and constructive way, aggression and exploitation in Hindu part of the national body”, he proclaimed. To him, freedom conveyed a state where such indignities and religious animosities ceased to exist, and internal harmony, which meant a discipline that had transformed hatred into friendliness, confrontation into cooperation, distrust into trust prevailed.

A mere shedding of colonial rule to him was an illusory freedom, a meaningless term. Gandhiji has been hailed as a social scientist and an unusual one, for he generally made the first test of his hypothesis on himself before he commended it to others. He was a class apart in this as in other ways. An unerring instinct in the choice of the problems, a persistence and thoroughness in research, and a rare skill in organising made a perfect combination in him. It has been said that a reformer’s business is to make the impossible possible by giving an ocular demonstration in his own conduct. Perhaps, in his case, the old Sanskrit saying ‘Power does not come to a man because he does things that are hard, but because he does things with a pure heart’ could be very aptly applied. Gandhiji’s great contribution

lay in his opening up before the world, a new way of life, the path of peace if one may call it, a method of combating in a creative and constructive way, aggression and exploitation in intergroup, as in international relations. His constant references to the world beyond India prove that he believed his beliefs and techniques were equally applicable to the rest of the world as to India. He declared at the Asian Conference in Delhi, his confidence that the fragrance of non-violence would permeate the whole world.

Some have raised a point whether Gandhiji’s being an Indian did not make easier for him to fashion this technique in relation to the indigenous people and environment. But experience has shown that his philosophy and example are equally valid for all human beings and the forces he invokes are deeper than cultural or social, and function at a more basic level. In a way our daily lives testify to this truth, for it is a physical as much as an emotional ex perience.

For, a common bond draws us towards the same objectives and inspires us to the same ideals. There is an identity in our human interests. That is why a tragedy, wherever it may have taken place, fills us with sorrow just as a triumph or success fills us with joy.

“All that produces ties of sentiment between man and man must serve as an antidote to war”, said Sigmund Freud. It is this bond of identification that brings out the essential resemblance between men, the sense of closeness and oneness with the larger community that Gandhiji tried to stimulate and stress. In truth, the entire edifice of human society is founded on this.

In this context, there is faith in the assumption that the opponent or the erring party is redeemable, negotiations between the conflicting sides, possible, and the unadjusted adjustable.

Nevertheless, in Gandhiji’s scheme of things, there are situations and factors that could not be compromised. In fact

one may say that non-resolvable matters are integral to the Gandhian strategy, like,for instance colonialism, colour or caste or religious discrimination.

The Gandhian technique, employed where bargaining was not possible, was pacific but involving active sacrifices.

“Abstract truth has no value for me”, said Gandhiji, “unless it incarnates in human beings who represent it by proving their readiness to die for it”.

The Gandhian strategy of social dissent, though historically not new, gained special significance as it came to be more widely adopted in more recent times. During World War II, several of the subject peoples under Nazi rule employed it and even if they did not always win political success, certainly generated moral fervour and a sense of inner satisfaction that moral assertion brings. In recent years, the struggle in the United States for Civil Rights claims to be fashioned on a similar pattern.

But for Satyagraha to be an alive, effective weapon, creativity, not rigidity, is essential.

C l o s e l y linked with this, was Gandhiji’s concept of religion as an all pervasive influence, not a matter of deities, worship and rituals. His was a basic religion that could become the common faith of all. The very fact that devout Christians and ministers of the Church would seek him for inspiration and guidance was proof enough of his universal faith that could enfold all. ”The better mind of the world desires today”, said Gandhiji, “not absolutely independent States warring one against another but a federation of friendly, interdependent States. The consummation of that event may be far off. I want to make no grand claim for our country. But I see nothing grand or impossible about our expressing our readiness for universal interdependence rather than independence. I desire the ability to be totally independent without asserting the independence.

“Nor have I the slightest difficulty in agreeing that in these days of rapid inter-communication and growing

“The better mind of the world desires a federation of free nations”

OpEd

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consciousness of oneness of all mankind, we must recognise that our nationalism must not be inconsistent with progressive internationalism. India cannot stand in isolation and unaffected by what is going on, in other parts of the world.

We should therefore range ourselves with the progressive forces of the world.

“We want freedom for our country, but not at the expense or exploitation of others, and not to degrade other countries. I do not want the freedom of India if it means the extinction of England or the disappearance of Englishmen. I want the freedom of my country so that other countries may learn something from my free country, so that the resources of my country might be utilized for the benefit of mankind. Just as the cult of patriotism teaches us today that the individual has to die for the family, the family has to die for the village, the village for the district, the district for the province, and the province for the country, even so, country has to be free in order that it may die, if necessary, for the benefit of the world. My love, therefore, of nationalism or my idea of nationalism, is that my country may become free, that if need be, the whole country may die, so that the human race may live. There is no room for race-hatred there. Let that be our nationalism.

“There is no limit to extending our services to our neighbours across Statemade frontiers. God never made those frontiers. “My goal is friendship with the whole world and I can combine the greatest love with the greatest opposition to wrong.

“For me patriotism is the same as humanity. I am patriotic because I am human and humane. It is not exclusive.

I will not hurt England or Germany to serve India. Imperialism has no place in my scheme of life. The law of a patriot is not different from that of the patriach.

And a patriot is so much the less a patriot if he is a lukewarm humanitarian.

There is no conflict between private and political law.

“I would not like to live in this world if it is not to be One World”.

It is impossible for one to be an internationalist without being a nationalist. Internationalism is possible only when nationalism becomes a fact, i.e., when peoples belonging to different countries have organised themselves and are able to act as one man. It is not nationalism that is evil, it is the narrowness, selfishness, exclusiveness which is the bane of modern nations, which is evil. Each wants to profit at the expense of, and rise on the ruin of, the other. Indian nationalism has struck a different path. It wants to organise itself...for the benefit and service of humanity at large. — MAHATMA GANDHI

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gandhi & ME

April 09 - 15, 2018 A scavenger woman manually removing and cleaning human excreta from dry toilets

Life Changing Incident Arrah, Bihar: Dr. Pathak along with the manual scavengers carrying human excreta on their heads for disposal after manually removing the same from the bucket toilets

A humble heart is the wellspring of truth, and people whose hands are full of gratitude and appreciation are truly beautiful people in this world

Widowhood in India is often described as a tragic moment in a women’s life—one in which her identity is stripped away with the death of her husband. But my intervention in the lives of the widows has enthused the latter with a new hope. I have not only provided the necessary material support to the widows but also given them the moral strength to stand on their own feet. I have given a new life to the long-suffering widows of India. The widows now lead a purpose-driven

life, happy and secure in both the human and divine protection.

I have created a new culture that embraces the poor and extols the dignity of labour. My love for the downtrodden finds expression in myriad and tangible ways. No wonder those who know me say that I was born to help the helpless.

PUBLICATIONS The WHO has published literature about Sulabh and distributed them on a large scale. UN-HABITAT

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Entering a temple – a dream fulfilled on December 21, 2008, for scavengers, whose entry was banned for centuries due to the practice of untouchability

Erstwhile women and girls scavengers along with Dr. Pathak at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah offering prayer

Erstwhile women and girls scavengers accompanied by Dr. Pathak entering the Church – Sacred Heart Cathedral at New Delhi

Erstwhile women and girl scavengers with Dr. Pathak entering the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib at New Delhi

Liberated erstwhile women and girls scavengers took a Holy bath in Kumbh Mela at Allahabad

Tailoring

Making-papad

Education

Beauty care

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The then Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi with sons and daughters of liberated scavengers, on November 8, 1988, in New Delhi after their visit to Nathdwara temple

The then Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, giving audience to the erstwhile scavengers (untouchables) of Alwar, Rajasthan, who used to clean nightsoil earlier: and now after basic education and training have become self-employed and are leading a life of dignity

Mrs. Laxmi Nanda, erstwhile woman scavenger, reciting the poem to Hon’ble Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at New Delhi

Shri Rahul Gandhi, the then Vice President of Indian National Congress, interacting with the liberated erstwhile women scavengers

The then Hon’ble President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, giving audience to the erstwhile scavengers (untouchables) of Alwar, Rajasthan, who used to clean nightsoil earlier and now after basic education and training have become self-employed and are leading a life of dignity

The then Hon’ble President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, crowned and blessed erstwhile untouchable scavenger Smt. Usha Chaumar, on becoming the President of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on July 25, 2008

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FAREWELL TO UNTOUCHABILITY: Smt. Amola Pathak and Dr. Pathak, Shri Jagdambika Pal, Member of Parliament, Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Home Affairs and Smt. Usha Chaumar at a meeting.

Mrs. Usha Chaumar, an erstwhile woman scavenger and now President of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, sharing lunch with Hon’ble Shri Rajnath Singh, at New Delhi

COMMON DINING: People from all sections of society, including Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, having a common dining session, thus making Dr. Ambedkar’s dream come true

The erstwhile women scavengers (untouchables) walked the ramp with the models showcasing their handiwork at the United Nations in New York, on July 2, 2008. This helped in social emanicipation of the liberated scavengers

has also published a case study, ‘International Year of Shelter’ in 1987 and distributed it in various countries (Table 1).

In 2003, the UNDP in its Human Development Report recommended the use of Sulabh technologies by international agencies and other nations.

The UNDP again in its Human Development Report 2006 wrote about the successful functioning and self-sustainability of public toilets in India. Sulabh technologies are being taught in the universities of Stanford and California. After studying the Sulabh technologies and methodologies, a student of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad, evaluated and prepared a case study about the Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform

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I was awarded the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize, the Legende De La Planet Congress Foundateur Jeux Ecologique at UNESCO and named Heroes of Environment

by Time magazine This path-breaking initiative of taking the dalits, widows from Vrindavan and Varanasi for a dip in the Holy water of the Kshipra River during the “Simhastha Kumbh” at Ujjain, was taken by Dr. Pathak, as a step towards egalitarian inclusion of the downtrodden in the religious-social mainstream of Hindu world

Dr. Pathak offered prayers at the divine Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlingam Mandir along with the erstwhile untouchables women scavengers from Alwar and Tonk (Rajasthan), and the widows from Vrindavan and Varanasi

Spiritual Guru Shri Awadheshanand Giri ji Maharaj blessed the liberated untouchables women scavengers, widows from Vrindavan and Varanasi at Ujjain

Spiritual Guru Shri Awadheshanand Giri ji Maharaj, Yog Guru Baba Ramdev with Dr. Pathak at Ujjain

COMMON DINING: Dr. Pathak and Hindu Priests, dining with the liberated untouchables women scavengers from Alwar and widows from Vrindavan and Varanasi

Liberated untouchables women scavengers performing Puja in temple at Ujjain

Movement. The Asian Development Bank and Ashoka Foundation have also prepared documents on the work of Sulabh. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, in his book has also written how Sulabh sanitation technologies and methodologies have changed the Indian sanitation scenario.

Awards and Recognitions I was conferred one of the highest civilian awards, ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 1991 by the Government of India form my work in sanitation sector and social service. His Holiness Pope John Paul II gave me audience at the time of conferment of the International

St. Francis Prize for Environment (Canticle of all Creatures ) in the year 1992. In June 1996, Sulabh technology was declared one of the Global Urban Best Practices by United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) at Habitat II Conference held at Istanbul. The UN-Habitat and

Dubai Municipality conferred the, 2000, Dubai International Award for the ‘cost effective and appropriate sanitation system’ for improving the environment on Sulabh. The 2nd Annual IREO Renewable Energy Award was presented to Sulabh at the United Nations in June 2009. I was awarded the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize by Stockholm International Water Week and the LEGENDE DE LA PLANETE Congres Foundateur Jeux Ecologiques at UNESCO, Paris in 2013. I have been selected by the Time magazine as one of the Heroes of the Environment for the designer’s lowcost toilet that has helped the planet, improved sanitation for millions and freed countless scavengers from a life of cleaning human waste. I am ranked

by The Economist ( November 2015) amongst the World’s Top 50 diversity figures in public life along with the US President Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie and Bill Gates. I got WHO Public Health Champion Award at New Delhi in 2016 and The New York Global Leaders Dialogue conferred the “2016 Humanitarian Award” upon me in April 14, 2016 in New York. The New York Global Leaders Dialogue jury said: “ Dr. Pathak is a great Humanitarian who, for decades, has enhanced the quality of life for millions of fellow human-beings. He is the perfect example of a social leader, who is needed to be followed by other nations.”Mr. Bill De Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York, declared April 14, 2016 as DR. BINSDESHWAR PATHAK DAY. Recently, I have received the “Indian of the Year 2015Outstanding Achievement” award for my contribution in the field of sanitation CNN-News 18 in New Delhi.

THE SULABH VISION AND MISSION My vision for Sulabh and mission for the organization for the next few decades are inextricably linked to the huge problem of lack of sanitation and safe drinking water in India as well as in other developing countries.

Today, more than 2.4 billion people

April 09 - 15, 2018

Dr. Pathak presenting the bouquet to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhawan on May 22, 2015

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Hon’ble Shri Amit Shah, National President, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) takes holy dip with dalit sadhus in Kshipra river during Simhastha Mahakumbh in Ujjain

I got a chance to live two lives in course of one. The first life was given

by God but Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak gave me the second life.

-Usha Chaumar President, Sulabh International (October 5, 2016)

(Left) Mrs. Usha Chaumar receiving the ‘SAFAIGIRI Award’ from Hon’ble Prime Minister

Earlier untouchables... Now brahmin-with the aura of their re-birth erstwhile scavenger ladies can be seen in yellow sarees with Sulabh Founder, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.

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Though 71 per cent of the earth is covered with water, only 0.6 per cent is surface water, which stresses the importance of saving this resource from pollution

His Excellency Prime Minister of Sweden Mr. Fredrik Reinfeldt and his wife Ms. Filippa along with Dr. Pathak, giving audience to the erstwhile scavengers of Alwar, Rajasthan

His Excellency Mr. Jean M. Deboutte, Ambassador of Belgium to India, with the liberated women scavengers from Alwar, Rajasthan, during his visit to Sulabh campus

A unique lunch and an amazing experience when Hon’ble Mr. Rajmohan Gandhi dined with the liberated scavengers and the families where they did scavenging, along with priests, in the lawns of the Sulabh Campus, New Delhi on January 5, 2009

Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium and Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, , shaking hand with Mrs. Laxmi Nanda, a liberated woman scavenger from Alwar, Rajasthan, during her visit to Sulabh Campus

H.E. Mr. Timothy J. Roemer, Ambassador of U.S.A. to India and Ms. Sally Roemer with Dr. and Mrs. Pathak and the erstwhile scavengers who have been liberated and rehabilitated by Sulabh International

US Ambassador His Excellency Mr. Richard Rahul Verma, group photograph with the liberated untouchables women scavengers from Alwar and Tonk, Rajasthan and Nekpur, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

in the world lack access to sanitation and over 1.1 billion lack access to safe drinking water.

What we have done and intend to do in the light of the dimension of the problem is deeply linked with sociological as well as scientific aspects. The infusion of social reforms in the working of Sulabh is as important as the technical aspects like the designs and techniques of waste and excreta disposal. Total abolition of scavenging, restoration of human rights and social dignity for the scavengers, total elimination of untouchability from society, promotion of a safe system of human excreta disposal in urban and rural areas as well as ensuring the security and safety of our natural water sources are the basis of our future dream and vision.

IMPACT OF SULABH It is established that 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, of which a mere 0.6% is in the shape of surface water bodies such as lakes and rivers. These figures show how important it is to save this meagre percentage of water from pollution and from being wasted. It is here that Sulabh has stepped in by designing devices that prevent pollution.

Keeping in mind that the technologies developed by me are free from patent, any organization or country can adopt them free of charges, and thus could help other the world achieve the Millennium Development Goals not only on water and sanitation, but also on health, human rights, poverty alleviation, etc.

Sulabh is an NGO whose work has been successful and has had a great impact, as it works with Government agencies. It has widespread acceptance, nationally and internationally. Apart from restoring social dignity and improving health, the Sulabh toilets have inbuilt mechanism that reduces greenhouse effect. Gases produced during decomposition of excreta in the pit do not escape into the atmosphere, rather they are absorbed in the soil.

Thus, it prevents global warming and improves the environment.

I also found that any innovation, initiative or implementation should be based on the requirement of and demand from the people. They should have a wide and large-scale acceptability and social relevance.

They should suitably take into account the social scenario and should be adaptable to varying conditions. The technologies developed by me will help the 2.4 billion people without access to improved sanitation, enabling them to use toilets with

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Dr. Pathak uplifted the Widows from their Pathetic condition

Right: Widows of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh during lunch organised by Sulabh International at Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh

Widows from Vrindavan tying ‘Rakhi’ to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on the occasion of ‘Raksha Bandhan’, in New Delhi

safety and dignity.

In order to bring the sanitation issue to a higher level of education and make it technically accessible to the professionals of this sector, Sulabh under my guidance has prepared a Sulabh Encyclopaedia of Sanitation. To make the sanitation sector more lucrative, technically and professionally, I have initiated the setting up of a University of Sanitation, after realizing that sanitation is both a technological

as well as social challenge. It is more challenging to overcome the problems in a heterogeneous society because of diversity and complexity of socioeconomic and cultural aspects. The magnitude of problems varies widely in different regions of the world. The University of Sanitation would help a lot to overcome the problems in different regions/societies. Thus, our vision and mission go hand in hand with the Millennium Development Goals.

Widowhood in India is considered as a tragic moment when the woman’s identity is stripped away, but Dr Pathak has brought a new hope

The widows of Vrindavan being taught how to read and write English, Hindi and Bangla After Vrindavan Dr. Pathak has adopted widows of Varanasi

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Sewing machines have been given to the helpless widows of Deoli-Bhanigram village, Uttarakhand by Dr. Pathak

Computers training is being given to widows of Deoli-Bhanigram village, Uttarakhand by Dr. Pathak

Medical facilities provided to the villagers of Uttarakhand

A young widow, Vinita, the victim of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy, got remarried with Rakesh

AFFORDABLE SANITATION IN INDIA Defecation still occurs in open spaces in India but pioneering work

by Sulabh International has shown that human waste can be disposed of safely and in a socially acceptable way. Sulabh’s approach is based on partnerships with local governments, backed by community participation, and this has substantially improved environmental quality in rural and urban slums inhabited by poor people.

Sulabh’s solution is a low-cost, pourflush water-seal toilet with leach pits for on-site disposal of human waste.

The technology is affordable for poor people because designs suit different income levels. Flushing requires only one litre of water, compared with the 10 litre used by other toilets. Moreover, the system is never out of commission because there are two pits; so one can always be used while the other is being

Sulabh is an NGO whose work has been successful and has had a great impact, as it works with Government agencies. It has widespread acceptance, nationally and internationally cleaned. The latrine can be built with locally available materials and is easy to maintain. It also has high potential for upgrading because it can easily be connected to a sewer system when one is introduced in the area.

Since 1970, more than 1.5 million of the units have been constructed in houses. In addition, 8,500 have been installed in pay-and-use public toilets, maintained by an attendant round the clock who supplies soap for washing hands. The public toilets include facilities for bathing and doing laundry and offer free services to

children, disabled and poor people. As a result more than 20 million people have received improved, low-cost sanitation, and 50,000 jobs have been created.

Sulabh’s door-to-door campaigns also provide free health education to millions of people. The organization trains local people to construct their latrines themselves, and has helped set up and maintain fee-based community toilets in slums and other areas. The extent and magnitude of the sanitation problem is huge, but Sulabh with its family of more than 50,000 committed

volunteers has dedicated itself to be equal to this challenging task. Thus, we are striving to fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, knowing well that “we have miles to go before we sleep”.

Sulabh Swachhta rath: Chariot of Cleanliness Sulabh Swachhta rath was launched on November 18, 2014, during the three-day International Toilet festival otganised by Sulabh on the occasion of the World Toilet day. Various programmes under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan were held with the support of the largest moving model of the toilet.

The Rath is equipped with the latest audio-visual gadgets, and is being used as Sulabh Swachhta information education and communication vehicle travelling across the country and spreding the message of Swachh Bharat and the Sulabh Sanitation Movement.

April 09 - 15, 2018

TSS Rajan

Meeting Mahatma

27 07

Meeting With Mahatma Gandhi

I found greatness in the Mahatma of the future long before the world did

V

anity is a part of human nature. We always like to exhibit ourselves to our best advantage, particularly when we happen to be on view. True greatness rarely exhibits itself in such a way. God’s good man never seeks occasions to display his good nature. It is inherent in him. This was the lesson I learnt when I happened to meet Mahatma Gandhi, a plain Mr. Gandhi, South African barrister Gandhi if you like it, in about the year 1909 in London. I was merely a medical student - one of the many that flocked to the London University even in those days. I had no occasion to know or see Mr Gandhi. Like many other young men, I felt I was intensely patriotic if I joined any movement, national in outlook, which had for its motive the freedom of India. To have the courage to talk of Indian freedom in those days was a great patriotic act, and I had a great veneration for those young men who talked loudly of revolution leading to freedom for India. A handful as we were, we became a dreaded lot in the Indian world that lived and moved about in London. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was our chief, and the late VVS Ayyar his lieutenant. We decided on bringing together all Indian students scattered about Great Britain just to remind ourselves of our national solidarity in an alien land. A search was made amongst the leading Indian front-rank politicians who had then congregated in London, to request them to preside and take part in the function. We had a categorical refusal from every one of them till at last it was left to Mr. Gandhi to agree to our request but with a condition.

The function consisted of a dinner and a post-dinner talk.

Over one hundred and twenty five students agreed to partake in the subscription dinner, and it was to have been arranged in some hotel or restaurant in London. But the chief guest of the function, Mr. Gandhi,

Quick Glance “As a medical student in London, I had never heard of Gandhiji” “I had great veneration for the young men who talked about revolution” “We decided to bring together all Indian students from across Britain”

Mr Gandhi’s talk was organised at a London hotel by 125 students, but Mr Gandhi strictly wanted a vegetarian Indian dinner our last hope as a president, would not have anything of the kind, and insisted on a pukka vegetarian Indian dinner, to be managed in whichever way we thought best.

The condition was agreed to, and we straightway engaged a hall, bought provisions, and decided to cook various Indian dishes for the function. A part of us volunteered to do the cooking, and we entered on our duties in the underground cellar and kitchen of the building early in the day so that we might be ready to lay the table at 7.30 p.m. - our dinner time. At about 2 p.m. a small, thin, wiry man with a pleasant face joined us in work and was making himself very useful. He volunteered to do the washing of plates and cleaning of vegetables with such gusto and willingness that we were only too willing to give him the joy of his performance. Hours rolled on, and there was no abatement in the work turned out by this man. Later in the afternoon when Mr. Ayyar turned up in the kitchen, did we come to

know that our unannounced worker was Mr. Gandhi, the great man of Indian South Africa, the president of our evening function. It took my breath away to see the great man of whom we had heard so much and to witness his utter humility and willingness to share with us the work we were engaged in. Our importunity in dissuading him from his services did not prevail, for he continued his work well on into the evening when he helped us to lay the tables and the plates, and serve the dinner we had prepared. At long last after strenuous work of hours did he consent to sit at the head of the table and preside over the function.

At the beginning of his speech, a very simple and hesitant one, he told us how pleased he was to see us tuck up our sleeves and do the work in the way that we had done. He said he knew the difficult task we had undertaken, and was agreeably surprised to know that the Indian students in London, sons of well-todo parents, did not consider it mean

to serve their fellow-men in the way we had done, and that it augured well for the future of our land. He spoke of many other things besides, but I have forgotten them all now.

What persists in my mind even at this distance of time is the picture of my first meeting the Mahatma in the underground kitchen cellar of a London restaurant. I have often been a prisoner in the jails of our country during the many occasions of the satyagraha struggle conducted

by Gandhiji; and during all those occasions I have found myself voluntarily working in the kitchen.

During our last internment, Rajaji [Chakravarti Rajagopalachari] made a casual remark about me, saying: ‘Rajan, how is it that I find you gravitating to the kitchen whenever you happen to be imprisoned?’ Has Gandhiji’s example in the kitchen cellar in London got into your blood and stuck there? I do not know. But I do remember I found greatness in the Mahatma of the future years, long before the world knew of him.

(TSS Rajan was born in 1880 in India. He met Gandhi for the first time in London in 1909 as a young revolutionary student. Later he joined all the three national movements for independence in India and was promptly jailed. A doctor by profession, he operated on Gandhi’s son. In independent India he was inducted in the Government of Tamilnadu. He died in 1953.)

28

A Note On Gandhi

April 09 - 15, 2018

A Note On Gandhi Aldous Huxley

It will be a long time before the nationalistic frame of reference is replaced by a set of terms in which men can do their politics non-nationalistically

G

andhi’s body was borne to the pyre on a weapons carrier. There were tanks and armoured cars in the funeral procession, and detachments of soldiers and police. Circling overhead were fighter planes of the Indian Air Force. All these instruments of violent coercion were paraded in honour of the apostle of non-violence and soulforce. It is an inevitable irony; for, by definition, a nation is a sovereign community possessing the means to make war on other sovereign communities.

Consequently, a national tribute to any individual — even if that individual be a Gandhi — must always and necessarily take the form of a play of military and coercive might.

Nearly forty years ago, in his Hind Swaraj, Gandhi asked his compatriots what they meant by such phrases as “Self-Government” and “Home Rule.” Did they merely want a social organization of the kind then prevailing, but in the hands, not of English, but of Indian politicians and administrators? If so, their wish was merely to get rid of the tiger, while carefully preserving for themselves its tigerish nature.

Or were they prepared to mean by “swaraj” what Gandhi himself meant by it—the realization of the highest potentialities of Indian civilization by persons who had learnt to govern themselves individually and to under¬take collective action in the spirit and by the methods of satyagraha?

In a world organized for war it was hard, it was all but impossible, for India to choose any other nations.

The men and women who had led the non-violent struggle against the foreign oppressor suddenly found themselves in con¬trol of a sovereign state equipped with the instruments of violent coercion. The ex-prisoners and ex-pacifists were transformed overnight, whether they liked it or not, into jailers and generals.

The historical precedents offer

Quick Glance Body of the apostle of non-violence was bourn to the pyre on armoured vehicle The national tribute to anyone carris a show of military might Gandhi’s ‘Swaraj’ was to realise the highest potentials of India

Gandhi wanted to transform nationalism by substitution of violence by satyagraha and by applying principles of decentralisation little ground for opti¬mism. When the Spanish colonies achieved their liberty as independent nations, what happened? Their new rulers raised armies and went to war with one another. In Eu¬rope, Mazzini preached a nationalism that was

idealistic and humanitarian. But when the victims of oppression won their freedom, they soon become aggressors and im-perialists on their own account. It could scarcely have been otherwise. For the frame of reference within which one does

one’s thinking, determines the nature of the con¬clusions, theoretical and practical, at which one arrives.

Starting from Euclidean postulates, one cannot fail to reach the conclusion that the angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles. And starting from nationalistic postu¬lates, one cannot fail to arrive at armaments, war and an increasing centralization of political and economic power.

Basic patterns of thought and feeling cannot be quickly changed. It will probably be a long time before the nationalistic frame of reference is replaced by a set of terms in which men can do their political thinking non-nationalistically. But meanwhile, technology advances with undiminished rapidity. It would normally take two generations, perhaps even two centuries, to overcome the mental iner¬tia created by the ingrained habit of thinking nationalisti¬cally. Thanks to the application of scientific discoveries to the arts of war, we have only about two years in which to perform this herculean task. That it actually will be ac-complished in so short a time seems, to say the least, ex¬ceedingly improbable.

Gandhi found himself involved in a struggle for national independence; but he always hoped to be able to transform the nationalism in whose name he was fighting— to transform it first by the substitution of satyagraha for violence and second, by the application to social and economic life of the principles of

Cover Story

April 09 - 15, 2018 decentralization. Up to the present, his hopes have not been realized. The new nation resembles other nations inasmuch as it is equipped with the instruments of violent coercion.

Moreover, the plans for its economic development aim at the creation of a highly industrialized state, complete with great factories under capitalistic or governmental control, increasing cen¬tralization of power, a rising standard of living and also, no doubt (as in all other highly industrialized states) a ris¬ing incidence of neuroses and incapacitating psychoso¬matic disorders. Gandhi succeeded in ridding his country of the alien tiger; but he failed in his attempts to modify the essentially tigerish nature of nationalism as such.

Must we therefore despair? I think not. The pressure of fact is painful and, we may hope, finally irresistible.

Sooner or later it will be realized, that this dreamer had his feet firmly planted on the ground, that this idealist was the most practical of men. For Gandhi’s social and economic ideas are based upon a realistic appraisal of man’s nature and the nature of his position in the universe. He knew, on the one hand, that the cumulative triumphs of advancing organization and progressive technology cannot alter the basic fact that man is an animal of no great size and, in most cases, of very modest abilities. And, on the other hand, he knew that these physical and intellectual limita¬tions are compatible with a practically infinite capacity for spiritual progress.

The mistake of most of Gandhiji’s contemporaries was to suppose that technology and organiza¬tion could turn the petty human animal into a superhuman being and could provide a substitute for the infinities of a spiritual realization, whose very existence it had become orthodox to deny.

For this amphibious being on the borderline between the animal and the spiritual, what sort of social, political and economic arrangements are the most appropriate? To this question, Gandhi gave a simple and eminently sen¬sible answer. Men, he said, should do their actual living and working in communities of a size commensurate with their bodily and mental stature, communities small enough to permit of genuine self-government and the assumption of personal responsibilities, federated into larger units in such a way that the temptation to abuse great power should not arise.

The larger a democracy grows, the less real becomes the rule of the people and the smaller the say of individuals and localized groups in deciding their own destinies. Moreover love,

Gandhi said men should do their actual living and working in communities commensurate with their bodily and mental stature and affection are essentially personal relationships. Consequently, it is only in small groups that Charity, in the Pauline sense of the word, can manifest itself. Needless to say, the smallness of the group in no way guarantees the emergence of Charity between its members; but it does, at least, create the possibi1ity of Charity.

In a large, undifferentiated group, the possibility does not even exist, for the simple reason that most of its members cannot, in the nature of things, have personal re¬lations with one another.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.” Charity is at once the means and the end of spirituality.

A social organization, so contrived that, over a large field of human activity, it makes the manifestation of Charity impossible, is obviously a bad or¬ganization.

Decentralization in economics must go hand in hand with decentralization in politics. Individuals, families and small co-operative groups should own the land and instru¬ments necessary for their own subsistence and for supply¬ing a local market. Among these necessary instruments of production, Gandhi wished to include only hand tools. Other decentralists— and I for one would agree with them— can see no objection to power-driven machinery provided it be on a scale commensurate with individuals and small co-operative groups. The making of these power-driven machines would, of course, require to be carried out in large, highly specialized factories.

To provide individuals and small groups with the mechanical means of creating abundance, perhaps one-

third of all production would have to be carried out in such factories. This does not seem too high a price to pay for combining decentraliza¬tion with mechanical efficiency. Too much mechanical effi¬ciency is the enemy of liberty because it leads to regimen¬tation and the loss of spontaneity. Too little efficiency is also the enemy of liberty, because it results in chronic pov¬erty and anarchy. Between the two extremes, there is a happy mean, a point at which we can enjoy the most im¬portant advantages of modem technology at a social and psychological price which is not excessive.

It is interesting to recall that, if the great apostle of Western democracy had had his way, America would now be a federation, not merely of fortyeight states, but of many thousands of self-governing wards. To the end of a long life, Jefferson tried to persuade his compatriots to de¬centralize their government to the limit. “As Cato con¬cluded every speech with the words, Carthago delenda est, so do I every opinion with the injunction, ‘Divide the counties into wards.’”

His aim, in the words of Professor John Dewey, “was to make the wards ‘little republics, with a warden at the head of each, for all those concerns which being under their eye, they could better manage than the larger republics of the county or State’... In short, they were to exercise directly, with respect to their own affairs, all the functions of government, civil and military. In addi¬tion, when any important wider matter came up for deci¬sion, all wards would be called

29 07

into meeting on the same day, so that the collective sense of the whole people would be produced. The plan was not adopted. But it was an es¬sential part of Jefferson’s political philosophy.” And it was an essential part of his political philosophy, because that philosophy, like Gandhi’s philosophy, was essentially ethi¬cal and religious. In his view, all human beings are born equal, inasmuch as all are the children of God. Being the children of God, they have certain Tights and certain responsibilities — rights and responsibilities which can be ex¬ercised most effectively within a hierarchy of self-govern¬ing republics, rising from the ward through the State to the Federation.

“Other days,” writes Professor Dewey, “bring other words and other opinions behind the words that are used. The terms in which Jefferson expressed his belief in the moral criterion for judging all political arrangements and his belief that republican institutions are the only ones that are legitimate, are not now current. It is doubtful, how¬ever, whether defence of democracy against the attacks to which it is subjected does not depend upon taking, once more, the position Jefferson took about its moral basis and purpose, even though we have to find another set of words in which to formulate the moral ideal served by democ¬racy. A renewal of faith in common human nature, in its potentialities in general and in its power in particular, to respond to reason and truth, is a surer bulwark against totalitarianism than in demonstration of material success or devout worship of special legal and political forms.”

Gandhi, like Jefferson, thought of politics in moral and religious terms.

That is why his proposed solutions bear so close a resemblance to those proposed by the great American.

That he went further than Jefferson — for ex¬ample, in recommending economic as well as political de¬centralization and in advocating the use of satyagraha in place of the ward’s “elementary exercises of militia”—is due to the fact that his ethic was more radical and his reli¬gion more profoundly realistic than Jefferson’s. Jefferson’s plan was not adopted; nor was Gandhi’s.

So much the worse for us and our descendants.

(Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer, novelist, philosopher, and prominent member of the Huxley family. He graduated from Balliol College at the University of Oxford with a first class honours degree in English literature.)

30

excerpts from the book: “NARENDRA DAMODAR MODI: the making of a legend”

April 09 - 15, 2018

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

L When the Prime Minister came to attend an election rally in my constituency during the Lok Sabha elections, he asked me about Naxalbari and said that the place is in the same state as it was when the uprising happened. He had asked

me to develop it, that is why I adopted it under this scheme

aunched on October 11, 2014, the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan,

by Prime Minister Modi, this rural development programme basically calls on each Member of Parliament and Member of a Legislative Assembly to adopt a village and encourage its inhabitants to take steps to develop it economically, socially and culturally with government assistance.

The Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal ministry to monitor every stage of this scheme.

SS Ahluwalia

Member of Parliament from Darjeeling on adopting Naxalbari for SAGY

Excerpts from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the launch of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

All governments that have come to power in India since independence have been working for rural development in their own

way. These efforts should continue relentlessly while adapting to the times. The speed of change should pace itself in accordance with the pace of the world. This is an ever-continuing process. However, it is important to introduce new elements each time to speed up and enliven this process.

The point is, today, we have to take the Adarsh Gram Yojana forward with our MPs’ guidance, MPs’ leadership and MPs’ efforts.

For the time being, we have thought of a total of three villages in this term. One model village should be achieved by 2016, and based on that experience, two more model villages are to be achieved by 2019. Later, every year, one village can be done by an MP. We have almost 800 MPs, and if we do three villages before 2019, then 2,500 villages will be covered.

If the states also make schemes for their MLAs based on this scheme, then, six to seven thousand more villages can be added.

To be Contd. Next Issue

Events

April 09 - 15, 2018

events & more...

Best In Standup with Manish Tyagi, Pyatyush Chaubey Venue: Canvas Laugh Club Noida, Delhi Wed, 18 Apr 7:30PM

SSB crossword no. 17

events

SOLUTION of crossword no.16

Corporate Shooting Challenge 2018 Participation Venue: Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range Suraj Kund Road, Tughlakabad, New Delhi, Delhi Sat, 21 Apr 10:00AM

Speed Skating TournamentApril ‘18 Edition Venue: Noida Stadium, Sec 21 Sun, 15 Apr 10:00AM - 5:00PM

1. Sindhi 2. Nasik 3. London 4. Jamuna 5. 1911 6. Kuwait 7. 1935 8. 1979 9. Nepal 10. 1935

solution of sudoku-16

7th Home Expo India, 2018 Venue: India Exposition Mart Limited , Delhi Mon, 16 Apr 9:30AM

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

USA Geneva Mercury Japan Bombay Pluto Tokyo Punjab Brazil Blood

31

ACROSS 3. India and this country agreed to work closely in various sectors, including security, nuclear energy, and disaster management.

6. In India the first television programme was broadcasted in 8. ISRO and __________ has tied up for the production of space-grade lithium-ion cells.

13. This country handed over the 18th dieselelectric locomotive to Myanmar recently.

14. The programme ‘Gyan Vani’ is broadcasted by 16. Sunil Nayyar was appointed as the MD of __________ company.

17. Which has been certified as the world’s first Trusted Digital Repository?

18. This country will starts world’s fastest wind tunnel.

19. Which country will host the first-ever World Ocean Festival?

20. Who said ‘Man is a political animal’?

DOWN 1. Which country’s cricket team gained One-Day International (ODI) status for the first time?

2. Which of the following English films was the first one to be dubbed in Hindi?

4. Elavenil Valarivan won __________ in Junior ISSF World Cup Shooting.

5. ‘Mirchchhakatika’ was written by 7. The first history book was written by 9. Karnataka Bank opened its first all-woman branch at __________.

10. Which country sign MoU with India for the infrastructure projects in railways and transportation?

11. In which year was the ‘All India Radio’ set up?

12. Jio and this online music service has signed an agreement to create a digital media platform.

15. SEBI Raises Currency Derivative Trade Limit to __________ Million.

sudoku-17

47 Football Tournament Venue: Sector 47 , Noida Sat, 21 Apr 7:30AM Sun, 22 Apr 12:30PM

on the lighter side by DHIR

Please mail your solution to - ssbweekly@gmail.com or Whatsapp at 9868807712, One Lucky Winner will win Cash Prize of Rs 500/-. Look for the Solution in the Next issue of SSB

32

POSTAL REGISTRATION NO. DL(W)10/2240/2017-19

Gandhi & Me

April 09 - 15, 2018

Dr Pathak Invokes The Spirit Of Mahatma Along With Liberated Scavengers

Former women scavengers from Alwar and Tonk, Rajasthan offering homage to Mahatma Gandhi with Dr Pathak at Phoenix Ashram, Durban, South Africa on December 05, 2012

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at London

(Right) Paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, New Delhi, after fulfilling his dream

Dr Pathak offers a garland on the statue of Gandhi at the The Gandhi Peace Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Dr Pathak with ex-scavengers from Alwar and Tonk, Rajasthan, at New Delhi

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561, Joint Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Delhi No. F. 2 (S-45) Press/ 2016 Volume - 2, Issue - 17 Printed by Monika Jain, Published by Monika Jain on behalf of SULABH SANITATION MISSION FOUNDATION and Printed at The Indian Express Ltd., A-8, Sector-7, NOIDA (U.P.) and Published from RZ 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road, New Delhi – 110 045. Editor Monika Jain