Alwar (Rajasthan), May 3
The colour blue
stands for women's empowerment here in Rajasthan, a sign that they have
been pulled out of a life once condemned to manual scavenging.
Life
for 40-year-old Santosh Atwal, 33-year-old Banno Saini and several
other Dalit women was just about following the legacy of their ancestors
-- carrying night soil every morning, cleaning dry latrines, drains and
gutters -- and in return facing the unjust behavior and abhorrence of
society, that considered even the shadow of manual scavengers over it a
"sin".
However it was salvation for the women of the Balmiki
caste here; over a decade later, the very same people became fond of the
food items they prepare.
For them, not only have caste barriers
ended, but they were able to create a sense of reverence for themselves
in the public eye. All this was courtesy Sulabh International, an NGO
that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation and social
reforms through training.
Attired in blue saris, their uniform, a
group of 105 women, sharp at 6 a.m. every morning, reach Nai Disha,
literally meaning a new way, a vocational training centre started by
Sulabh International in this town, known for its forts and lakes, that
is just a two-hour drive from the national capital.
Under the initiative, they are engaged in making edible items like papad, noodles, pickles and several household items.
Word soon spread about their products and now they are also available in Delhi, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
"We
had never expected this kind of success when we started working here
way back in 2003. Relating ourselves with the upper caste people was
almost an impossibility, leave aside making something that could be used
by the people who didn't even consider us living beings. However,
Sulabh has made this happen," Saini, who has been with the centre since
its inception, told IANS.
"More and more woman from our community
want to join us so they too can get empowered by working here," said
Saini, who can also speak in English, which she learned at the centre.
Describing
the earlier situation, she said: "To avoid humiliation, we were forced
to hide behind veils not because we wanted to, but because if we moved
without them, people would identify us as the women who carried night
soil."
As per the 1961 Census, there were around 3.5 million
scavengers who used to clean human excreta. Though a lot of them changed
their profession, at least 60 percent of them stuck to it because of
the lack of job opportunities.
Nai Disha in-charge Rajinder Singh
said the women at the centre are also taught embroidery, make-up,
including bridal makeup, and making saris and jute bags.
"It was
never easy for us to convince the women to join our centre. Though they
were interested in overcoming the stigma that was attached to them, they
were under the impression that if people come to know about it, the
discrimination would aggravate. But they were wrong," Singh told IANS,
adding that as they also provided things that were not available in the
town - home made noodles, cotton balls and most importantly, a beauty
parlour, they instantly became acceptable to society.
He said though initially several people objected to the initiative, they later accepted it.
For the women at least, life has changed not only socially but economically too.
Apart
from being taken out to visit and see other parts of India, including
the Maha Kumbh mela, a sacred Hindu festival held in Allahabad, they
have been to Geneva, New York and London. Sulabh has arranged all their
trips.
on April 30, they shared food with union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at an event in the national capital.
Sulabh International Founder Bindeshwar Pathak said that for over a decade, the women have been trained in various skills.
"Our next focus is to ensure that they are able to establish their own businesses," Pathak told IANS.
"The
business would not only help them lead a comfortable life but also
ensure that they are able to educate their children for a better career.
This will automatically mean the end of caste-based discrimination,
which sadly still exists in many places in India," he added.
Emphasising
that the colour blue has become the symbol of women's empowerment in
and around Alwar, Pathak said: "Once the women at Nai Disha are well
established, the other women who are still confined to the cage of
scavenging will at least think of coming out of it, which is extremely
important," Pathak said.
(Rupesh Dutta can be contacted at [email protected])
