Alwar Declared Scavenging Free

Alwar Women Celebrate Indira Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary with rejoicings on their Liberation on November 19, 2009 World Toilet Day

Published by :Ram Chandra Jhafor Sulabh International Social Service OrganisationRZ-83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road New Delhi-110045 Ph. : +91-11-25031518, 25031519, Fax: +91-11-25034014Email : sulabhinfo@gmail.com / sulabhinfo1@gmail.comWebsite : sulabhinternational.org/sulabhtoiletmuseum.org

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Glimpses of the Function on World Toilet Day

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The former Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary was celebrated on November 19, 2009 by Sulabh International Social Service

Organisation as ‘World Toilet Day’ with a declaration by erstwhile scavenging women that their home town of Alwar in Rajasthan, is now completely free from scavenging and they are able to move about like equal citizens without anybody ever looking at them with contempt.

Jubilations marked the celebrations in the Crystal Ball Room of Hotel The Lalit in New Delhi. Not only liberated scavenging women from Alwar and Tonk were repeatedly cheered after the declaration, a party of Qawals literally brought the house down when they sang with rhythmic gusto and clapping “Mil Ke Hum Giradenge Unch Neech Ki Diwar, Shan Es Tirange Ki Aur Hum Barhaenge” and “Sulabh Hamara, Sulabh Tumhara, Gandhiji Ka Sapna Liya Humney Apna”.

Alwar Women Celebrate Indira Gandhi’s Birth AnniversaryWith Rejoicings On Their Own Liberation

Women from Alwar and Tonk lighting the lamp on World Toilet Day

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Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement, sat grinning from ear to ear as speaker after speaker lauded his achievement. Acknowledging the greetings, Dr. Pathak said:” “When I began this movement everybody laughed at me. Now making toilets is becoming a universal obsession as is clear from the world-wide celebrations of the World Toilet Day today.”

The main function organized by Sulabh to celebrate Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary and the World Toilet Day was held in Hotel Lalit where liberated scavengers occupying the dais recalled their horrifying life experiences when they were condemned to a calling which virtually segregated them from the rest of society and made them always look filthy and contemptible.” “Had Dr. Pathak not been there, I don’t know how long we would have continued living in hell,” was the comment of almost all the liberated scavenging women, all of whom were clad in light blue saris.

Not being the one to boast of his achievements, Dr Pathak said, liberation of scavengers had not been brought about overnight. But it was a gradual movement from one step to the other. Not only did it call for winning over their confidence to give up their traditional calling, it involved greater organization and management in providing them training in alternate crafts so that they turn a new leaf in life without any regret. First of all he called before the assembled guests the group of women who were scavengers

till 2003 in Alwar. This was followed by the group who gave up scavenging in 2006 and joined Sulabh’s Nai Disha training centre. Then the group which changed their calling in 2008 and last of all the group which entered Nai Disha centre early this year.

The function began with the garlanding of the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, who was the first national leader to raise his voice against untouchability, and Indira Gandhi who as Prime Minister specially wrote a letter to Bihar Chief Minister to expedite measures for the liberation of scavengers and extend them whatever help and assistance was called for by their pathetic

Liberated lady scavenger garlanding Mahatma Gandhi’s photograph who was amongst the first leaders to raise his voice against untouchability

Mrs. Usha Chaumar garlanding photograph of Mrs. Indira Gandhi to celebrate her birth anniversary as World Toilet Day

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plight. Dr. Pathak also read out a letter by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to an MLA from Bihar, deploring the fact that allocations for ending scavenging had not been utilized by the State Government.

Dr. Pathak introduced the liberated scavenging women, some of them were dressed in blue saree after their three main representatives Smt. Usha Chaumar, Smt. Sushila Chauhan and Ms. Dolly had lit the traditional lamp to mark the solemnity of the occasion. Since it was a day of rejoicing, the Sulabh staff had not failed in keeping the mood happy. A party of Qawals had been especially invited for the entertainment of guests. When they sang with Dholak beat and hand clapping the Qawali, “Sulabh Hamara, Sulabh Tumhara, Gandhi Ka Sapna Liya Humney Apna ….” they sent the audience into peals of joy and smiles.

Before the proceedings began there were hilarious moments when Dr. Pathak was presented with ceremonial boquet and shawl by Mr. Arun Pathak, Chairman of the Sulabh Organisation. All the top functionaries of Sulabh including Mr. B.B. Sahay, another senior functionary, were welcomed and honoured with bouquets and shawls. The compere of the show, Ms. Shweta, delighted everybody by making witty comments on the proceedings.

Dr. Pathak said, “We have chosen this day and date because Mrs. Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, played an important role in the progress of Sulabh. It was a communication from

Smt. Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, to an MLA of Bihar, informing that she was writing to the Chief Minister, asking him to give personal attention to the matter of elimination of the odious practice of carrying nightsoil on the head that set the ball rolling.”

Dr. Pathak said, the Prime Minister of Sweden, H.E Fredrik Reinfeldt, too met the scavengers in Sulabh campus in Delhi recently and blessed them to have a happy and prosperous life. In 2007, they attended World Toilet Summit in Vigyan Bhawan where earlier it was impossible for former untouchables even to venture near its portals. There they even addressed a conference. They were also invited to attend Sanitation Summit by the Economic and Social Council of United Nations on 2nd July, 2008.

Dr. Pathak said, Mahatma Gandhi was the first person whose attention was drawn towards the plight of the scavengers. He wanted to restore their human rights and dignity by having them relieved from their sub-human occupation, and to bring them in the mainstream of society on par with others. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the prestige of the scavengers to be equal to that of the Viceroy of India.

Recalling how he had been drawn into the liberation of scavengers Dr. Pathak mentioned, while working with the Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebration Committee in Bihar he was inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and started trying to fulfill his dream to relieve the

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh International Social Service Organisation on the dais with Mr. B.B. Sahay, Mr. Arun Pathak, Mrs. Usha Chaumar, Mrs. Sushila Chauhan and Ms. Dolly

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Letter of Late Smt. Indira Gandhi to Shri Bhagdeo Singh ‘Yogi’, former MLA, Bihar

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scavengers from their sub-human occupation. “It was a herculean task for me as by birth I belong to the Brahmin caste”, he said.

“To dispense with scavenging a technological solution was required. I invented a twin-pit pour-flush toilet. This was an important development because had this not taken place there would have been no means for eliminating the practice of manual cleaning of human excreta and discouraging the practice of making septic tanks or sewer systems which have heavy construction and maintenance cost and require enormous quantity of water for flushing.

“Thus, I opened the doors for scavengers to be relieved from their sub-human occupation of manual cleaning of nightsoil. If they had continued to do so nobody would have liked till today to share a seat or meal with them or even talk to them. Their liberation from scavenging, presented the challenge which I took up in my stride of rehabilitating them in respectable occupations. I started for them educational programmes and vocational training to become self-employed to earn their living and stand on their own feet.”

Talking about the transformation that has taken place in the life of liberated scavengers Dr. Pathak said, now even the local temple priest invited Usha Chaumar, and other erstwhile scavengers to the wedding of his daughter and accepted a gift from one of them; and Usha Chaumar had dinner along with the family members of the priest. They met Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who

blessed them and had lunch with them at the Sulabh campus.

Mr. B.B. Sahay, top-level functionary of the organization, said there was no dearth of concern for the plight of scavengers after Independence. Several committees were appointed to suggest measures for improving their working conditions and somehow mitigating their suffering. Although these committees suggested measures such as provision of uniforms or wheel barrows for them or improvement of their wages, they all failed in doing anything to eradicate untouchability which was the worse curse they suffered from

Dr. Pathak was the first pioneer in the country to design a technology which could put paid to untouchability. It was the greatest achievement for any social activist. “Today, thanks to the technology Dr. Pathak evolved, he needs no introduction anywhere in the world. He is being hailed and praised for his work.” Dr. Pathak’s contribution to improving the lot of women could never be underestimated. Going to relieve themselves in the countryside only before or after sunset especially in rural areas was their greatest suffering. They could not do so during the day for fear of being pounced upon by anti-social elements. Now, they thank their stars because they have Sulabh toilets constructed right in their courtyards or in the vicinity of their houses. All this has become possible due to Dr. Pathak’s invention.

Mr. Arun Pathak, President of Sulabh, proposed a vote of thanks to all the speakers and participants in the function.

Qawali on World Toilet Day

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When the function concluded, the invitees moved to the open enclosure of the hotel to partake of the delicacies which had been specially ordered as part of the lunch to mark the day. But chirpy Shweta who had been compering the show had the last word.

“Hamare Baad Mehfil

Mein Afsaney Baneyngay

Dhoondeyn Gey Baharon Mein, Jaane

Hum Kahan Hongey.”

The last batch of Liberated Women Scavengers from Alwar on World Toilet Day when Alwar was declared Scavenging free

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, speaking on World Toilet Day

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Children Form The Longest Queue Outside A Toilet To Mark

The World Toilet Day

Over 2000 school children formed the longest ever queue before a toilet to demonstrate their resolve to attach highest importance to the

toilet-going habit as part of their celebration of the World Toilet Day on November 19, which incidentally was also the birth anniversary of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, one of the brilliant former Prime Ministers of India.

That the World Toilet Day fell on the birth anniversary of Mrs. Indira Gandhi was not a

mere coincidence. It was a deliberate decision taken by the World Toilet Organisation at the first World Toilet Summit held in Singapore on the prompting of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh International and Social Reform Movement. “What could be greater tribute to Mrs. Gandhi than celebration of the World Toilet Day on her birthday,” was the argument advanced by Dr. Pathak and hailed by participants from all countries in the Toilet Summit.

The function marked by the formation of the

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, praising a child standing in formation of world’s longest queue outside a toilet on the occasion of World Toilet Day

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longest queue outside a toilet was organized by the company marketing Harpic Toilet cleaner in association with Big 92.7 FM and Sulabh International on the vast playground of the Ryan Public School in Rohini. Because of the unique character of the function all the participating children were happy like larks and cheered Dr. Pathak, the spirit behind the show.

Dr. Pathak said, forming the longest queue, as the school children had done, was both important and significant for it was an indication of the new generation’s determination to adopt sanitary and clean habits and put paid to the atmospheric pollution which had become a big problem due to open defection in the world today. “Can there be worse occupation than making toilets was the general comment on my work. But today the whole world wants to make more toilets to

end open defecation and check environmental pollution,” remarked the Sulabh Founder.

Dr. Pathak said importance of the toilet was being increasingly realized all over the world today, although until recent times it was dismissed as a topic unfit for discussion. What would a person facing acute call of nature do? He or she would just move about as if they were suffering from gripes, but actually looking for a loo. When he himself mimicked the person caught in such a situation, grimacing his face with discomfort and holding his tummy in hand, everybody laughed.

Dr. Pathak interspersed his remarks with two anecdotes, the first was of a father, calling upon his son to hurry up and come out of the toilet. When father banged the door, saying “Oh God, what’re you doing inside”, his son instantly jumped out. This made the father exclaim: “I didn’t know God dwelt there.” The other anecdote related to a boy and his girl friend. When the boy said “I love you” his sweetheart responded, “Me too!” The next question the boy asked was, “Will you marry me?” Instantly the girl interjected: “Have you a Sulabh toilet at home?” Both the stories made children cheer Dr. Pathak like mad.

Dr. Pathak said : “The sanitation condition in India needs attention. There are about five lakh children in our country who die every year due to lack of sanitation.” Stressing that participation by Harpic in the function would build awareness on hygiene, Chander Mohan Sethi, Chairman and Managing Director, Reckit Benckiser India Limited, said: “Such a move and inclusion of children in initiatives like this ensures that the future generation is also aware of the need for proper sanitation in India.”

Dr. Pathak exhorting the children to make sanitation an article of faith with them, said: “When you go home clean your own toilet today for this would be the best example of your resolve to adopt and imbibe hygienic habits.” “We’ll do it, we’ll do it” shouted the assembled crowd of boys and girls before Dr. Pathak got down from the dais, wishing them, “Godspeed”, and the children rushed towards a toilet to form the longest queue before it. Their feat enters the Limca Book of Records. There was no mistaking about the enthusiasm of youngsters.

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DollyOn World Toilet Day

This is a great day, today when Alwar is being declared scavenging free. With your blessing and the blessings of the Sulabh organisation we have changed

the direction and aim of our life. Now we are liberated and can march in step with everybody as equal citizens. Nai Disha has made our future so bright that today we are proud we can mix and mingle with society and do something worthwhile in life.

As a small girl, I used to go for scavenging with my mother and granny. I never liked it. But my grandmother insisted that this was our profession and I had to learn how to do it. So suppressing my inner feelings of contempt and hatred for the profession I became a scavenger but detested the treatment meted out to me. People would keep off us and this made me feel more wretched. Because of my interest in education I used to learn three R’s secretly. I studied upto 8th standard and after that I was made to drop out of school because my leanings towards education did not please anyone in our family. My grandmother used to say, “this girl does not have to study for ultimately she will have to accept being a scavenger”. When we would go for scavenging people would throw chapatis towards us and thus heaped insults on us.

Then it so happened that Sulabh vocational centre was started in Tonk. Sulabh workers called on us and urged us to give up scavenging and join their vocational centre. When we insisted on going to the Sulabh centre our family members opposed us and said, ‘We need not go to any training centre’. Then we prevailed upon our parents to let us to go to the centre. Following this my mother and myself started going to the centre. We registered ourselves at the centre. We were paid Rs. 1,000/- p.m. each. We are given education, training in tailoring and embroidery. We are also

given job work. All the women working at the centre formed a self-help group.

We were given expert training in tailoring in Jaipur. We purchased sewing machines and now we stitched clothes of even those people whose

Speech of

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excreta we used to remove. We teach stitching and tailoring to other downtrodden women also without any charge. Our brothers have started coming to the centre to receive training in Electronics and Motor Mechanics. Now they are competent enough to do good jobs and able to tackle power breakdown and problem with autos in the locality where we live. We don’t need to call experts from outside to handle such jobs. They are earning Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000 every month.

Now we want that no women of our clan should be engaged in scavenging. We are now planning to end scavenging altogether. Your presence amidst us at this function has raised our prestige. We hope and pray to continue to receive your cooperation and blessings. For this all of us are very grateful to you. We hope that like Alwar, Tonk will also be declared scavenging free one day.

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We, the Women of Alwar, make a solemn declaration that scavenging system for cleaning latrines has come to an end for good in this town. Now, neither any woman nor man is engaged in cleaning toilets in Alwar. Nobody is treating us as ‘untouchables’ any more. We have become part and parcel of the social mainstream. We hobnob, mix and dine with everybody without any caste distinction or discrimination. We celebrate all the traditional festivals, mingle with everyone at marriages without any bar. We visit temples to offer our prayers without any check or restriction. Our life is totally changed now. Even in our wildest dreams we could not imagine the dawn of a day when we would be able to move about with dignity and respect, holding our heads high. Now we are witnessing the fulfillment of our cherished dreams.

Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai!, Dr. Ambedkar Ki Jai!Sulabh Andolan Ki Jai!, Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!

Declaration

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We, the Women of Alwar, make a solemn declaration that scavenging system for cleaning latrines has come to an end for good in this town. Now, neither any woman nor man is engaged in cleaning toilets in Alwar. Nobody is treating us as ‘untouchables’ any more. We have become part and parcel of the social mainstream. We hobnob, mix and dine with everybody without any caste distinction or discrimination. We celebrate all the traditional festivals, mingle with everyone at marriages without any bar. We visit temples to offer our prayers without any check or restriction. Our life is totally changed now. Even in our wildest dreams we could not imagine the dawn of a day when we would be able to move about with dignity and respect, holding our heads high. Now we are witnessing the fulfillment of our cherished dreams.

Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai!, Dr. Ambedkar Ki Jai!Sulabh Andolan Ki Jai!, Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!

Dear Friends, On this historic day of declaring Alwar, a town in Rajasthan, India, as totally scavenging free, that is, of the practice of manual cleaning and physical carrying of

nightsoil, the history of 5000 years of untouchability and attached social discrimination stands changed.

We have chosen this day and date because it was a communication from Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India to an MLA of Bihar, informing that she was writing to the Chief Minister asking him to give personal attention to the matter of elimination of the odious practice of carrying nightsoil on the head. This set the ball rolling of implementation of the programmes aimed at eradication of scavenging.

In India, a class of people foreordained to clean human excreta manually were called untouchables. The sufferance and the pathetic conditions in which they lived for centuries defies description. They were hated, humiliated and insulted for centuries precisely and ironically for rendering yeomen service to the people. For had they not cleaned toilets, people would have died because of cholera and epidemics. As per 1931 census of India, there were 19,57,460 scavengers in the country. When partition of the country took place many continued to live at places where they had lived and worked earlier viz. in Pakistan or Bangladesh or India as the case might have been. As per 1961 census the number of scavengers in India was 35,32,000 (including sweepers and others). It is difficult to say how many of them were engaged

ALWAr(rajasthan)

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak on declaring Alwar Scavenging free

Speech of

By virtue of birth alone, scavengers were resigned to their fate of a life of misery

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exclusively in the cleaning of nightsoil. In 1992, Government of India collected reports from the State governments which revealed that 7,70,338 people were engaged in the unclean occupation of cleaning human faeces. And, now according to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment the number still engaged in scavenging is 1,15,037.

A brief report about the origin of and treatment meted out to the scavengers has been circulated to all of you and therefore I do not wish to go into further details. Mahatma Gandhi was the first person whose attention was drawn towards

the plight of the scavengers. He wanted to restore their human rights and dignity by their being relieved from the sub-human occupation and to bring them in the mainstream of society on a par with others. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the prestige of the scavengers to be equal to that of the Viceroy of India. However during Mahatma’s life time his dream was not fulfilled. After him the Central and State governments and non-official organisations tried, in their own way, for deliverance of scavengers from their dirty work, but did not succeed.

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak on World Toilet Day declaring Alwar scavenging free

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While working for and with the Gandhi Centenary Celebration Committee, I was inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma and started trying to fulfil his dream to relieve the scavengers from their sub-human occupation. It was a herculean task for me as by birth I belong to the Brahmin caste. I remember how while I was a child when I touched a woman dome, an untouchable, my grandmother made me swallow cow-dung and cow-urine to purify me. Like the Jonathan Livingston Seagull of Richard Bach, I too was also prevented, criticized and demoralized by parents, in-laws and the Brahmin community for working for the uplift of the scavengers. But I

was determined to do so. My conviction became firm when I saw a married girl being forced by her in-laws and husband to go to Bettiah town for cleaning bucket toilets. The conviction became firmer when I saw a boy attacked by a bull being abandoned and no one coming to rescue him just because he belonged to the scavenger community. Though, later taken to hospital, he died.

To dispense with scavenging a technological solution was required, I invented, innovated and developed one that was of conversion of bucket toilets into Sulabh system based toilets. This was an important development because had this not taken place there would have been little scope of eliminating the practice of manual cleaning of human excreta and discouraging implementation of septic or sewer systems which are expensive for construction and maintenance and require enormous quantity of water for flushing. Thus I opened the doors for scavengers to be relieved from their sub-human occupation of manual cleaning of nightsoil. If they had continued to do so nobody would have liked, till today, to share a seat or meal with them or even talk with them. Their liberation from scavenging presented the challenge which I took up of rehabilitating them in respectable occupations. I started educational programmes and vocational training for them to become self-employed to earn their living and stand on their own feet; and also arranged their meeting and social interaction with the elite of the society. I took them to good restaurants, hotels and places, where to only rich and important people had access. I did all this just to make them feel that they are equal to others. I arranged their audience with the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. His Excellency the Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, too met the scavengers in Sulabh campus in Delhi on 6th November, 2009 and blessed them a happy and prosperous life. In 2007 they attended World Toilet Summit in Vigyan Bhawan where earlier it was impossible for former untouchables to enter. There they even addressed a conference. They were also invited to attend Sanitation Summit by the Economic and Social Council of United Nations on 2nd July, 2008. Smt. Usha Chaumar and Smt. Sushila Chauhan addressed from the Podium a gathering inside the U.N. building where they also walked the ramp with models of America and India. On their return they offered worship in the temple at

Scavengers were treated as untouchables and were not allowed to drink water from water pot or tap

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Alwar which was not possible earlier. Now, they dine with Upper Class people, at times even in the colonies of the scavengers. The priest of the local temple invited Usha Chaumar, and other erstwhile scavengers to the wedding of his daughter and accepted gifts from them; and Usha Chaumar had dinner along with the family members of the priest. They met Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who blessed them and had lunch with them. Recently on the sacred festival of Chhatt (worship of the Sun god) the women scavengers participated in the festival and were applied vermilion on the parting of head as a mark of blessing wishing long life of their husband and welfare of their family. In this way, they have been relieved from sub-human occupation and emancipated socially and now are a part of the main-stream of society and are no longer subjected to insults. Rather they are welcomed in those houses where they earlier used to clean toilets. They are offered tea by the upper class people; and the eatables like papadum, pickles and noodles prepared by them are bought by the local people in areas where they live. This is how all the scavengers of Alwar have been rehabilitated. The latest group whom you have seen today also has joined the Organization. They have been provided new clothes. Alwar today will be declared free of scavengers who also stand rehabilitated.

This is a historic moment and we are thankful to all of you for being kind enough to witness this event today in the Hotel The Lalit of capital Delhi. You are also welcome to ask the erstwhile untouchable scavengers, questions and to tell in their own way how they felt earlier about their

life and how and what they feel today.

Now I would like to conclude with the observations made by Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar “Time changes everything, but it could not change the caste system and untouchability which has

made me wonder if this hateful practice, a great tragedy of Indian society, will ever go away. My sadness is deepened further when I find even intellectuals and well-educated persons failing to rise above social prejudices. However, my shaken confidence is restored when I see Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak’s amazing determination to abolish untouchability and considerable success in achieving it. Now I have begun to hope that untouchability, which has destroyed our social fabric, will finally become history. And, a new dawn will break over a new social order built on justice, fairness and equality. This is what Indian society has always aspired for.”

With these words, I thank you again for your kind presence.

A scavenger seen doing the inhuman work of cleaning a bucket/dry toilet manually which has been their lot for centuries

As per 1961 census in India, there were total

35,32,000scavengers

Instead of school, the child is going for scavenging

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Speech of

Smt. Usha Chaumar, President of Sulabh International on World Toilet Day

Hon’ble Founder Sir, Shri B.B. Sahay Sir, Shri Arun Pathak, Smt. Sushila Chauhan, ladies and gentlemen.

Today, we have gathered here on the World Toilet Day when Alwar in Rajasthan is being declared scavenging free.

Formerly I was a scavenger who began this wretched occupation along with my mother and later I was forced to take it up by my mother-in-law. Worse than the task of removing night-soil from latrines was the horrifying attitude of the people towards us. Even payment to us for the work we did in cleaning toilets was made from a distance

lest our touch should pollute the owner of the house. Even when we asked for drinking water it was poured towards us from above our heads. All this hateful treatment made us feel miserable and we grew up in this milieu of contempt and hatred. Leading miserable life I was always worried about the future of my children. There was no hope. God’s blessings may be received late but they are never denied. One day, Founder Sahib chanced to visit our Colony and offered us other work instead of scavenging in which we were engaged. We only wondered what could be the new occupation for the wretched. Also we were not conversant with any other mode of earning livelihood. Dr. Pathak opened for us in 2003 a training centre, Nai Disha, where we were taught to read and write, make papads, candles and trained in tailoring, beauty care and other occupations. We have made so much progress now that clothes styled by us were worn by top models who walked the ramp with us at fashion show.

Last year we got the opportunity to participate in the Mission Sanitation and for this purpose we were flown to New York. Before venturing abroad we received the blessings of Hon’ble President of India, and Smt. Sonia Gandhiji. On our return from New York we were invited to Rashtrapati Bhawan by the President of India to hear about our experiences in America. The owners of houses where we used to work as scavengers in Alwar deemed it fit and proper to sit and dine with us following our return from abroad. We are besides ourselves with joy and happiness from the respect and attention we receive from people around us now.

In the end, I would like to offer the gratitude of the liberated women and my own to Hon’ble Founder of the Sulabh Movement, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathakji, who has transformed our life, and express my thanks to all of you.

We hope that Tonk will be the next city to be declared scavenging free to be followed by many more cities.

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Speech of

Smt. Sushila Chauhan on World Toilet Day

Giving speech is a difficult job for a person like me who has learnt the three R’s only recently. But I cannot restrain myself from this task when I am amidst such eminent

people as are present here and at such a unique function on the World Toilet Day today where Alwar is being declared scavenging free.

When I recall my past and view it against my present situation, I can clearly see heaven and hell.

For liberating me from what was really hell of life I am deeply grateful to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak and Sulabh International. Had Dr. Pathak not been there, I wonder how long we would have continued to suffer and wallow in scavenging.

My thanks and greeting to all of you.

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Liberated women scavengers dancing and singing on Alwar being declared scavenging free on World Toilet Day

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Liberated women scavengers dancing and singing on Alwar being declared scavenging free on World Toilet Day

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Liberated women scavengers dancing and singing on Alwar being declared scavenging free on World Toilet Day

Glimpses of the Function on World Toilet Day

Alwar Declared Scavenging Free

Alwar Women Celebrate Indira Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary with rejoicings on their Liberation on November 19, 2009 World Toilet Day

Published by :Ram Chandra Jhafor Sulabh International Social Service OrganisationRZ-83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road New Delhi-110045 Ph. : +91-11-25031518, 25031519, Fax: +91-11-25034014Email : sulabhinfo@gmail.com / sulabhinfo1@gmail.comWebsite : sulabhinternational.org/sulabhtoiletmuseum.org

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