Introduction

India has the second largest scavenging population in the world after China. Although the exact number of manual scavengers remains disputed, the 2011 census showed that between 800,000 to 1,000,000 people are engaged in manual scavenging in India (The New Indian Express, 2013). Scavenger communities are known by the different names in the India: Bhangi, Hadi, Thotti, Mehter, Dhanuk, Valmiki, Chuhra and Balmiki (Haryana). Whatever they are called, they are placed in the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy (Freed, 1970) and are trapped into performing ‘unclean’ occupations through the generations. The overarching conceptual identification of these occupations intersecting with communities is explored here through a focus on manual scavengers. Manual scavenging refers to the removal of human waste/excreta using brooms, tin plates and baskets from the dry latrine for disposal and the people engaged doing it are referred to as manual scavengers. Contemporary debates around the exact name of these communities is disputed and remains contested. This chapter uses the neutral English term ‘scavenger’. This may to refer to ‘Chuhra’ ‘Balmiki’ ‘Bhangi’ ‘Mehtar’ ‘Hadi’ ‘Dom’ and so on. The Government of India also uses the term ‘Safai Karamchari’ in Hindi language which in English translates as manual scavenger. As a continuation of this a National Commission for Safai Karamcharis was formed by the government to look into issues of the scavenger community.

In Indian caste-based society, identity, social status and respect of communities/people are directly related to the occupation they are ascribed to perform. Work and occupation such as manual scavenging is given the lowest status in the society. India is also known as ‘Hindustan’ and this is the most common word in Indian society. The meaning of ‘Hindustan’ is the country of Hindus. Therefore, large populations of India are influenced by the Hindu religion and beliefs, following the Hindu code and ideas which have been set out by the controversial Hindu law giver Manu and is commonly known as ‘Manusmriti’. These ideas, as described by Blunt (1981), hold that a particular caste group will be engaged in a particular type of work or profession based on their birth and descent. This theory is still widely accepted by a very large orthodox section of Hindu society.