Sularabh Movement Essay

*Manual Scavenging is a largely sanitary issue. The environmental conditions in India , Chaplin says, are practically identical to those of 19th century urban areas in Britain and in a large sense Europe. The most significant issue of insanitary living and working conditions of large segments of the urban populace have largely been ignored for a long time because Indian urban communities has middle class "monopolized" the administration which has led in lack of interest in sanitary reform and the avoidance to fundamental basic services. The congress party which has mostly ruled according to "principle of consensus and compromise" to create a political administration that was mostly dominated by middle class which has maintained status quo

Bindeshwar Pathak. He discovered twin-pit pour flush toilet which has turned out to be affordable, socially acceptable, technologically suitable innovation alternative to dry latrines. This toilet met all the seven conditions laid down by WHO. Pathak is inspired by Gandhian vision where " a scavenger will have as much social prestige as that of a viceroy" (Tripathy 173). Also Pathak understood that freedom and rehabilitation of scavengers was extremely troublesome and thus there was a need of a thoroughly considered option to integrate scavengers to mainstream society. The Sulabh movement comprises of a mixed bundle of alternative occupations such as tailoring, motor mechanics, carpentry and leather goods manufacturer. The achievements of Sulabh Sanitation Movement is worth highlighting - 1.3 million household toilet constructions, 54 million toilets by government based on Sulabh design, 640 towns has been made scavenging free.
It is not only economical upliftment that is necessary, socio-cultual upliftment is equally important. To change traditions will of all the segments of society is required and in this direction Sulabh had started 'social adoption' methodology. People who are socially and economically well off adopt scavengers families. This initiative is quite successful in mainstreaming of Balmikis in society and 10,000