Byculla cartoonist depicts manual scavengers in Ganeshotsav tableau

MUMBAI: A household Ganpati in Byculla has depicted an elaborate tableau based on the struggles faced by sanitation workers, with particular focus on the Dalit community. Activists say that despite photo ops with politicians and ceremonial feet washing rituals, the plight of manual scavengers remains unchanged.

Gaurav Sarjerao of Yogeshwar Building in Ghodapdeo, Byculla, is a 27-year-old cartoonist and storyboard artist. He has shown a sanitation worker immersed in a gutter up to the neck. Women safai karmacharis are wielding brooms and wiping paan spit from walls — where ironically slogans proclaim ‘Do not spit here’.

Male workers are emptying trash with bare hands into a civic garbage van. On the opposite flank, a squeaky clean corporate tree-lined avenue with tall skyscrapers shines as the fruit of their efforts. A small idol of Ganesh looks askance, as if seeking introspection from citizens.

A particularly searing comparison between facilities shows a bare bodied safai worker in Mumbai, while his counterpart in Hong Kong is dressed in a fully protective suit resembling an astronaut’s outfit.

Gaurav said, “Since10 years, our family has celebrated Ganeshotsav with focus on social issues. This year, we are highlighting the struggles of sanitation workers. Even in today’s modern, tech-driven world, there are still people forced to clean sewers and manholes. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that bans manual scavenging and declares it illegal for anyone to enter manholes, many workers are still compelled to do so owing to a lack of proper machinery and facilities.”

He says the labourers receive scant respect. “Most come from marginalised communities, especially the Dalit caste, which adds a layer of social discrimination to their plight. We must push for better solutions to end this inhumane practice.”

Gaurav’s friends helped him complete the design in 12 days. The decoration and Ganesh idol are both eco-friendly. There are slogans saying, ‘As per the Supreme Court, manual scavenging is illegal. Still it is happening’, and ‘Every Dalit is not a sanitary worker but every sanitary worker is Dalit’. The team took guidance from Scoopwhoop and BBC’s documentary on the subject.

Courtesy : TOI

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