M S Sridhar A rare contemporary leader-cusader 1

A rare Indian contemporary leader-crusader

M S Sridhar

July 2008

An instruction material for personality development (leadership) program of Mahatma Vidyalaya School,

Muthtanallur, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore Rural

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Mahatma Gandhi

• said 'cleanliness is next only to godliness' • suggested 'Tatti par mitti' (cover human excreta

with soil) or use of trench latrine which he himself used

• felt those who are engaged in sanitation work should not be treated as untouchables; they should get equal respect in the society and declared that "the Bhangi (scavenger) is as important as the Viceroy"

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A shameful practice continued unabated• Nearly 80 per cent of the country's population still either defecate

in open or use unsanitary bucket latrines or smelly public toilets • 700 million Indian population who go outside for open defecation

even along roads and railway tracks • 110 million Indian houses have no toilets and 10 million houses

have bucket toilets • Hardly 20 per cent of the population has access to water/ flush

toilets connected to a sewerage system • Only 14 per cent enjoy water-borne toilets connected to septic

tanks or leach pits • In rural areas, a mere 3 per cent of the population has access to

sanitary toilets • The need to have 'night soil' removed has given rise to the

profession of 'scavenging' or collecting it from bucket latrines• Even after banning and after 60 years of independence there are

tens of thousands of manual scavengers in the country• “Incredible India, drowning in its excreta” – Sunitha Narain

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Holy Ganges

• Ganges water in Varanasi ghats contain 60,000 bacteria per ml; downstream after 32 open streams of sewage and 60,000 half burnt corpses (per year) join, it is 1.5 m bacteria per ml

• India has facility to treat 18 % (actually treats 13% due to power shortage) of the 33,200 m litres of sewage its cities produce everyday

• 1000 Indian children die of diarrhea

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A ray of hope• He is born into a respectable upper-caste Brahmin family in

Rampur Baghel village (Vaishali district of Bihar)

• He liberated scavengers and said “lack of sanitation and hygiene is a national health hazard; should be tackled on a war footing; the subject of toilets is much more important than any other social challenge.“ &“toilet is a tool of social change”

• With a passion for lavatory technology he invented low cost (Rs. 40,000/-) community flush toilets without being connected to sewerage system No manual scavenger Only 2 ltrs of water as against 10 ltrs in traditional flush Two pit system last long (for 10 people for 2 years) Provide composted manure clean enough to grow vegetables Training centre in Alwar to rehabilitate scavengers

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A ray of hope …contd.

• Sulabh International: a charitable trust founded in 1970 built 1.2 m latrines (Sulabh Shauchalayas) across India and set up more than 7,500 pay-&-use community toilet complexes

• nearly 10 million people have been provided with improved, low cost sanitation

• liberated 60,000 scavengers from the demeaning practice of physically cleaning and carrying human excreta and found respectable new work

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1. "What Abraham Lincoln did for Blacks in America, Dr. Pathak has done for scavengers in India. Both are great redeemers“ - observed Mulk Raj Anand2. The New York Times, in the article 'Untouchables gain the help of a Brahmin”, hailed him as a "full-time crusader against the humiliations of untouchability“3. Sulabh declared a global 'Urban Best Practice' at the Habitat-II conference held at Istanbul and the Economic and Social Council of United Nations has granted Special Consultative Status to Sulabh 4. Even UNDP and the World Bank recommend its adoption in other countries 5. "You are helping the poor", lauded Pope John Paul II while honouring Dr. Pathak with International St. Francis Prize for the Environment, in 1992.

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak: a less known crusader-leader

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Achivements of Dr. Pathak

• Social commitment: set up a number of vocational training institutes; given training in various vocations like computer technology, typing and shorthand, electrical trade, woodcraft, leathercraft, diesel and petrol engineering, cutting and tailoring, cane furniture making, masonry work, motor driving etc.

• Sulabh has set up an English medium School in Delhi for children of the scavengers, the first of its kind in India. Half the number of children are from scavenger families and the remaining half from other castes

• In 1988, Dr. Pathak led 100 scavengers along with Vedic Brahmins to the famous Nathdwara temple in Rajasthan

• has made an open appeal to the elite of society to have social interaction with at least one such family ; 5,000 scavenger families have been socially upgraded (Mr. I.K. Gujral adopted one scavenger's family

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Achivements of Dr. Pathak …contd.• A technological breakthrough: very simple device consisting of

two pits and sealed cover; while one is in use, the other pit is left to manure; and, finally, it is cleared to be used as manure; the two-pit pour-flush toilet in urban areas which could be affordable, safe and hygienic system for the disposal of the human waste in absence of sewers and septic tanks

• Public toilet-cum-bath complexes:

Sulabh Shauchalaya Complex) 5,500

community complexes in 1075 towns

across the country with 24-hours

water supply and electricity

• Poverty alleviation and rural development: imparting participatory training to school teachers and students in the fields of environmental sanitation and community health

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Achivements of Dr. Pathak …contd.

• Biogas from human excreta: introduced the idea of obtaining biogas from human excreta; first biogas plant in Patna, in 1982; more than 68 biogas plants connected with large-sized public toilets are operational in India

• Biogas from water hyacinth: in dried and pulverised form blending with cow-dung, human excreta or other vegetable wastes used as feed material for biogas production

• Low-cost waste water treatment underway

• Solid waste management: Sulabh has developed a new technology which requires only 5-6 days to make compost from any biodegradable waste without manual handling during composting.

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Achivements of Dr. Pathak …contd.

• Ensuring health and hygiene: opened healthcare centres in community toilet complexes; Hundreds of volunteers have been trained in 158 slums; promoting women group formations after training

• Museum of Toilets in New Delhi:

artifacts, pictures and objects

detailing the historic evolution

of toilets since 2,500

• Innovative leadership: Under the dynamic and inspiring leadership of Dr. Pathak a dedicated team of sociologists, scientists, engineers, journalists and public-spirited persons, has built a large national network

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New Sulabh toilet complex in Kabul

Sulabh Effluent Treatment system

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Date of Birth

April 2, 1943

Place of Birth

Village Rampur, Baghel, Dist. Vaishali, Bihar, INDIA

Education 1964: Graduation in Sociology1980: Master's degree in Sociology, topping the list from Patna University1985: Ph.D. on "Liberation of Scavengers Through Low-Cost Sanitation".1986: Master's degree in English, topping the list from Patna University1994: D.Litt. on "Eradication of Scavenging and Environmental Sanitation in India - a Sociological Study".

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Founder,Sulabh Sanitation Movement.

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The Dubai International Award for best practices to improve the living Environment

His Holiness Pope John Paul - IIgave audience to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak before awarding him with international St. Francis Prize for the Environment"Canticle of All Creatures" in 1992

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In 1991, Dr. Pathak was conferredPadma Bhushan by the Presidentof India Mr R.Venkataraman for his "distinguished social service"

Dr Pathak receiving National Citizen'sAward from the then President,Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma

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Sri Lankan Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Bernard Soyasa at Sulabh Toilet Museum, New Delhi

Dr Pathak received Indira GandhiPriyadarshini Award at a colourfulfunction in 1994 in New Delhi

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Dr Pathak with sons and daughtersof liberated scavengers in Patna

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Mr I.K.Gujral, former Prime Minister of India, was among many eminent persons who adopted scavenger families on May 2, 1994 at a function in New Delhi

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Profile, Aims & Objectives

SULABH MOVEMENT

RESTORING HUMAN RIGHTS

The objectives of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation are: To restore human rights and dignity : Prevention of environmental pollution and improvement of health, hygiene and

ecology Harness non-conventional energy sources from human waste and other wastes

and save fuel and forests. Procure manure from Sulabh Shauchalayas and Sulabh toilet complexes and

use it to raise farm productivity. Promote job-oriented education and primary healthcare. Form groups of people from all walks of life throughout the country and abroad

to build public opinion against social evils of all hues and for the cause of economically poor and neglected sections of the society.

Create new job opportunities by training change-agents for integrated rural development.

Promote consultancy, research and development in technical and social fields. Diffusion of innovations, education, motivation and awareness through mass

communication.

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Thank you