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Safai Karmachari Bhagyamma becomes a Shepherd
When SKA conducted a meeting at Gonegandla, Kurnool district, Andhra
Pradesh, a Dalit woman called Bhagyamma approached the team
explaining the difficult life she was leading, eking out her
livelihood as a safai karmachari in the local Chand cinema theatre.
She indicated her desire to leave this occupation if provided with
an alternative means of livelihood. SKA offered to arrange for a
loan from the SC Finance Corporation if she gave up her safai work.
Soon after, Bhagyamma left this work and SKA recommended her case to
the local MRO and DRDO, who forwarded a letter to the SC Corporation
for financial assistance. Three days later, the SC Finance
Corporation sanctioned Bhagyamma a Rs.500 loan for the purchase of
sheep. Bhagyamma started grazing these sheep instead, and today each
of these sheep is worth between Rs.1,500 and Rs.2,000. She recently
earned Rs.3,600 by selling two sheep.
Seema, a safai karmachari girl from Punjab, has this to say:
“I can’t take any more of this humiliation. I am ready to work
twenty-four hours a day to help our women to come out of this shame
[of manual scavenging].”
Salima Bi, Aurangabad city, Maharashtra
In 2005, Salima Bi was discovered by the SKA Mahashtra Team cleaning
a community dry latrine in Aurangabad city. Details of her case were
submitted to the Supreme Court as evidence of the existence of
manual scavenging. Moreover, interaction with SKA activists lead to
Salima Bi deciding to give up this work. Now she is working as a
sweeper for the same municipal body, with a more assured salary.
Meena, Nandnagari, Delhi
Twenty-year old Meena is an ex-safai karmachari woman who
demonstrated tremendous courage in leaving the work of manual
scavenging .
She took up 'bindhi sticking' as an alternative livelihood in the
beginning. However, as she identified ten more safai karmacharis in
different places of Delhi, she decided to start working full-time
with SKA. She also encouraged her husband and mother to join her in
this voluntary work for their community. Nowadays, she fearlessly
uncovers the underlying caste and gender oppression her community
faces for different visitors, concerned groups and media teams. She
is a true community activist, reaching out to other Dalit women from
the safai karmachari community with a caring attitude and showing
that it is possible to live a more dignified life.
Demolition of Dry Latrine in Yallareddy Civil Court Premises,
Nizamabad District, Andhra Pradesh
During SKA’s survey of dry latrines in Yellareddy town, Nizamabad
District, Andhra Pradesh, a dry latrine was discovered to exist on
the premises of Yellareddy Civil Court. SKA collected information
from the local people about usage of this latrine and about the
person who regularly cleaned it. When the Court did not take action
on SKA’s request to demolish the dry latrine, SKA filed a case
against the District Judge. Now Vinod, who was engaged in manual
scavenging on the court premises, has been rehabilitated as an auto
driver. Vinod says the intervention by SKA has brought about
positive change in his life.
Sravani, 11-year old Dalit girl from Andhra Pradesh had this to
say at SKA’s ‘CDL Shava Yatra’ (‘Community Dry Latrine Corpse’) mass
rally in Kurnool in May 2006:
“Why should we life the shit of others? Why is this [occupation]
forced on Dalits? Why should any person from any community do this
inhuman work? We Dalits will no longer lift shit, nor will we allow
anyone else to do so!”
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