Of animal scavengers and pigs

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_of-animal-scavengers-and-pigs_1739009

 

I have always known that human beings give pigs a bad name – calling a messy or dirty individual a messy pig, for instance, and that pigs on the contrary were very clean animals. But this new use to which they were put bemused and befuddled me.

The first time I went to Goa, many many years ago, I wanted a tour of ‘heritage’ Goa. A kind and knowledgeable friend took me on an extended tour of sites, mostly Portuguese and mostly churches. We also went to some old mansions where the famous families of Goa had resided in splendour for generations.

That is when I first discovered a curious thing about pigs — that they were officially used in these old houses to eat human excreta in the absence of sewage systems. That the pig pens were built to ensure that they got human waste directly and could dispose of it immediately, more or less as it fell. And that these pigs were actually kept to grace the tables and palates of the Goans.(Recycling at its best – the pigs eat human excreta and the humans eat the same pigs). 

Now I have always known that human beings give pigs a bad name – calling a messy or dirty individual a messy pig, for instance, and that pigs on the contrary were very clean animals. But this new use to which they were put bemused and befuddled me.

Why this comes to mind is because of a petition filed in the Supreme Court of India by the Safai Karmachari Andolan with data culled from the latest census, and heard by the Supreme Court with anger and disbelief.SKA found that despite claims to the contrary, most States in India still use manual scavengers and animals to clean toilets! Yes, I knew of the inhuman practice of continuing manual scavenging, but that there exists data on how many animals are deployed to clean toilets astonished me. This then is obviously a common practice, not only confined to old Goan families. 

SKA data shows that of the 24.6 crore families in the country, close to 10% throw sewage untreated directly into the environment, 50% of which is dealt with by equal numbers of manual scavengers and animals!

The first list of poor performers has some obvious ones with UP topping the list – 3.16 lakh toilets (42% of the national figure) serviced by manual scavengers and over 80,000 by animals. But Bengal coming in second was a surprise, with over 70,000 toilets serviced by animals and 1.3 lakhs cleaned by humans. According to census estimates Gujarat has 4,000 plus toilets cleaned by animals and half the number by humans – vastly underestimated figures according to local NGOs working with the issue.

What has angered the Supreme Court is the continuing denial of the States. How can we even try to deal with the problem if we refuse to accept it exists? (Some of you may remember the incident where a photo of manual scavengers in Gujarat, taken as part of a study by the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences, was dismissed by our chief minister as actors posing as scavengers.)

For several years I have been involved with SKA and its extraordinary and tireless leadership. I have seen the results of their efforts. They had wished to put a complete stop to manual scavenging by 2010 but that hasn’t happened. Sometimes they have taken the law into their own hands, as when the brave Narayanai Amma from the South took hammers to break down dry latrines. At other times I have seen their frustration. But the practice remains, even if reduced, and governments continue in denial.

As Indians we seem to embrace denial easily as a way of not wanting to confront and deal with uncomfortable issues. Child labour, and its wide spread prevalence is another such issue. We see children serving at tea stall, running errands, cleaning homes, and yet we do not question it, warn the perpetrator that we will complain to the police or take any initiative what so ever. We think it is none of our business. If the state of our country is not OUR business then whose business is it?

Meanwhile I keep wondering – what are these animals who act as scavengers? How have we remained so unknowing of this phenomenon? Or is it only I who is in the dark?

The writer isanoted danseuse and social activist. She can be reached at mallika@darpana.com