THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Though the term ‘Harijan’ in India has become unparliamentary after much struggle of the Dalit community particularly the Ambedkarites, it continues to be in the mainstream communication and parlance in Bangladesh where it is particularly referred for community engaged in sanitation work or in simple terms for the sweeper community. Though it is also true that they are not the only Dalit community in Bangladesh. There are native Bangla community and immigrants which include both Harijans as well as Rabidasis. The continuous chanting of Harijan and its acceptance among the sweeper community only reflect that the Dalit movement is in a very nascent stage and Dalits suffer from many obstructions including being a religious as well as cultural minority. Actually, term Harijan for communities working in sanitation work was legalized by the government in 2013.
‘ In 2013, the government of Bangladesh introduced a policy for the socially and economically disadvantaged communities and categorized them into three types- dalit, harijan, and bede. The policy defines ‘Harijan’ as ‘people who are known as harijan in the society and do not hesitate to introduce them as harijan’ (Department of Social Service, 2013)[i]. It is tragic that most of these communities still remain at the margins and government and activists still carry the name which has been widely rejected by all the communities in India.
Immigrants without any identity
The Dalit question in Bangladesh remained highly unaddressed like that in Pakistan where the entire issue is considered as related to ‘Hindus’ alone without fair representation anywhere except in the ‘sanitation work’. Though there is no official data about the exact numbers of Dalits in Bangladesh yet roughly it is estimated to be between 5.5 million to 6.5 million. Bangladesh Dalit narrative now excludes the native Bangla speaking communities like Namashudras who have been better represented and ‘well off’ relatively to the immigrant Dalits though it is another fact that Bangladesh too does not have any constitutional safe guard for the Dalits on the question of representations in the government services and politics.
Dalit movement in Bangladesh is still in its nascent stage as the native Namshudras don’t feel being part of it. Many of the Dalit leaders accused that most of the members of Namashudra community feel more like caste Hindus and practice untouchability with them. So, the Dalit movement emerged out of the basic needs of the ‘migrant’ untouchable communities. It is important to understand that the ‘term’ migrant is being used for non-native Bengalis who were brought to Bengal by the British in 1870.
The non-Bengali Dalit groups who generally speak in Hindi, Utkal, Deshwali and Telegu migrated or brought in to East Bengal before 1947 from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa, and Madras. They worked as cleaners, tea gardeners (1853-54), jungles cleaners, and other cleaning jobs in the middle of the British Rule (1838-1850).
So frankly speaking, British brought these different groups particularly the Sweepers to Bengal from not only Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha but also from the southern states like Madras Presidency A number of people living in the slums of Dhaka are Telugu speaking who migrated from Andhra Pradesh, in past part of Madras Presidency. Most of the menial sanitation work was done by these communities hence they faced not only contempt but isolation due to nature of their ‘job’. Interestingly, Dalit movement too is divided not merely the native Dalits and immigrants but among the immigrants too where those engaged in the sanitation work are categorized as ‘Harijans’.
Sanitation workers or Safai Karmcharis or communities engaged in manual scavenging: Raut, Hela, Hari, Dome, Domar, Telegu, Lalbegi, Banshphor, Dusadh, Chhatraira, Balmiki, and others.
The other Dalit Communities in Bangladesh
Apart from the Sweepers, there are five other categories of Dalits in Bangladesh. They are following:
Tea Plantation Workers: Bangalee, Bauri, Robidas, Tanti, Khodal, Karmokar, Bhumij, Bihari, Nayak, Mridha, Bakti, Chasha, Ghatuar, Goala, Gour, Kumri, Mushohor, and others
Leather Processing Workers Rabidas, Rishi and others
Pig Rearing Kaiputra or Kwara
Brick Kiln Workers: Kol, Rajbhar and others
It is not that the native Bangla people do not face discrimination but the differences seem to be growing. The Bangalee Dalits are those who are native like Namashudras and others, still well represented in the services, jobs and educated in comparison to immigrant ones. Secondly, all of them are actually more organized on community lines and not as a ‘Dalit’ which actually is just a decade old phenomenon.
Non Bengali Dalits
The non-Bengali Dalit groups who generally speak in Hindi, Utkal, Deshwali and Telegu migrated or brought in to East Bengal before 1947 from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa, and Madras. They worked as cleaners, tea gardeners (1853-54), jungles cleaners, and other cleaning jobs in the middle of the British Rule (1838-1850).
Telugu’ came from predominantly from Madras Residency and most of them were Mala, Magida, Chakali etc and are known as Madrasi. Most of them live in the slums of Dhaka and tea gardens of Sylhet and other such area. The number of Telugu speaking Dalits is not less than 40000 in Dhaka.
The other Dalits who migrated from United Province are known as Kanpuri as most of them hailed from Allahabad and Kanpur. Bihari’s are already known as Bihari but it is also a contemptuous term used for Bihari Muslims who were considered against the liberation movement.
A number of Native Dalits actually migrated after Jogendranath Mandal had openly supported the Muslim League call for a separate nation. In fact, places like Sylhet today are in Bangladesh because of massive campaign carried out by Mandal during the referendum. Interestingly, the Muslim majority areas like Karimganj actually voted for being part of India. Anyhow, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement says, Dalits in Bangladesh can be divided into two groups. A section of Dalits who were brought to the country during the British rule to work as cleaners and forest clearing and tea plantations. Another section who have been children of this country for thousands of years but are considered as low caste in the eyes of the so-called society based on birth and profession such as fishermen, barbers, washermen, blacksmiths, cobblers, Kalu, Majhi, Zola, butchers, hunters, gardeners, Bede, Dhuli etc. Dalits are considered upper caste in the mainstream society and untouchable by others. Despite their significant contribution to the country’s economy, environment, and social development, they are the most economically and socially deprived Dalit community.
Is issue of caste discrimination an internal matter of Hinduism in Bangladesh ?
The crisis of the Dalits in Islamic society or where the Muslims are a majority refer to actually a kind of betrayal of the entire ‘ideology’ of the Dalit Muslim alliance which the Muslim League actually pretended during the partition period so that maximum number of those areas from Punjab and Bengal become part of Pakistan. History teaches us a lesson that Dalits and minorities whether it is Muslims or Hindus, are only safe under a secular constitution. Once the constitution becomes theocratic and appease majoritarianism there are scant chances of the minorities getting any success. Dalits in both Bangladesh and Pakistan actually faced double victimhood. First, they were a minority and then Dalits. It is not that the Muslims loved them and provided them respect. The sanitation work in Pakistan as well as Bangladesh is purely ‘reserved’ for the Harijan communities. There are pockets where untouchability does not exist while in a majority of the northern areas like Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Khulna etc, they do face untouchability. The Harijan community people are not allowed to drink tea or eat at the hotels in many places, says Manek Lal Dom, 85 years aged person in Bhola. He adds that they don’t face discrimination of any kind in Bhola because a number of persons now working as sewage cleaner hail from Muslim community too.
The Bihari Dalits or Bhojpuri Dalits who migrated to undivided Bengal were actually invited or taken by the British as sweepers, cleaner, tea plantation workers, picking up dead bodies and doing all kinds of menial work. They came over leaving everything. The only thing they had with them was their ‘faith’ but otherwise they had nothing to own. Most of them came to Bangladesh in 1930s. Manek Lal Dom’s grandfather came here as a sweeper and he was born in Bhola only. Now, Bhola is the largest island in Bangladesh on Bay of Bengal.
Unlike in India and to some extent in Nepal, Dalit movement has to function with in the periphery of ‘majoritarian politics’. In Pakistan, most of them are used to portray Hindus as worst racist as well as matter confining inside Hinduism. Some of the Pakistani organization organize Ambedkar Jayanti events every year and invite Ambedkarites and other human rights scholars to speak. Interestingly, the entire event is not made to help the Dalits in Pakistan but a pure anti Indian propaganda resulting in neglect of the local Dalit activists and leaders. In Bangladesh, the situation can be a bit better as civil society mobilization in Bangladesh has been far better and superior than Pakistan. However, Dalit movement does not have that autonomy as it has in India because of various reasons including strength to organize resources at their own. There are administrative issues too. The presence of Dalits particularly the Bhojpuri speaking immigrants, Harijans, Rabidasis, inside the Parliament or in various structure of state is almost nil.
Dalits not even a minority
Dalits are not even a minority in true sense. Minorities have a right to own their language, start their institutions, inclusive politics and many more things. The Bhojpuri minorities in Bangladesh don’t even know their native language. The only thing they have is their ‘traditional’ festivals and family events. They speak in Bhojpuri and can sing Bhajans. They have their own temples in certain places and they worship but can’t read and write Bhojpuri or Hindi. Bangladesh came into being for the language movement but how is that it does not care to protect the languages of those who immigrated. Frankly, Dalits are not even considered equal citizens otherwise this question would have always raised that they must have their own language and schooling in their native language schools. A majority of them are thoroughly landless.
Manek Lal Dom’s grandfather migrated from Darbhanga in Bihar to undivided Bengal. He was born in Bhola, Bangladesh’s biggest island on the Bay of Bengal. They were responsible for maintaining the cleanliness in the city. The work was harsh and harder. Since 1930s till this day in Bhola, Manek Lal Dom lives in a rented house. This is a government rented house for which they pay about 80 Taka per month. Ofcourse, more than a 1000 taka for electricity and 500 taka for water bill every month in a salary of TK 6000 per month. Imagine, a family that came over more than 100 years ago, still does not have a house of its own to live. That result in people living in the street or open spaces.
Biggest victim of state sponsored eviction
Actually, ‘Harijans’ in Bangladesh face the eviction threat maximum as they don’t have any residential papers and live on the ‘mercy’ of the state. Fact of the matter is that during the partition, a large number of refugees including the Dalits came to India from East and West Pakistan but the sanitation workers were not that fortunate as leaders wanted them to be there. If they are not there then who would clean their toilets, is said to be an argument of a great leader during partition days. The gross failure of the respective governments everywhere is that the city cleaners never got a right to life with dignity. Rather than honoring their hard work and acknowledging the discrimination they face daily both at the hands of the authorities as well as the common people, Hindus and Muslims alike, these Harijans face threat of evictions any time. An eviction happened in Dhaka’s famous Miranzila Harijan colony on June 11, 2024 where they had been living for generations. “Although the authorities claimed they will evict 87 families, they are planning to evict more than 120 families,” said Nirmal Chandra Das, secretary general of Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad.[ii]
As research paper narrate the story of Dalit ghettoization in Dhaka. ‘The Dalits have been ghettoized in 27 hubs (12 are prominent) in and around Dhaka. A very few of them could establish their career outside the precincts. They are not unified as they have internecine strife, which is an obstacle before obtaining enough social capital to secure their collective interests. As a result, they could flourish themselves as successful individual entrepreneurs. The Dalits of Bangladesh are regimented patriarchy. But in Dhaka the women enjoy relatively more freedom. This opens another frontier of dilemma. They become educated, and due to the open media, they know the world faster, but finally, they discover that their world is confined to their precinct. They discover their capability failures and newer types of intersectionality every day. “It is better to be born an idiot, rather than handicapped conscious beings”- said a Dalit girl to me. Her name was Anuradha. I heard it with a friend and sighed’[iii].
Many people might say as why cant these people stay elsewhere? Why do they live in the slums of Dhaka. I have visited these slums in Dhaka and can only say that the circumstances that they live is simply ‘unlivable’. Most of the time, they are surrounded by filthy water where mosquitos and other insect fly around and heavy stink make things impossible to stay on. I saw the similar conditions in Bhola when I visited Manek Lal Dom’s house. There was no electricity. Dom said that they can’t any house on rent outside as none of the owners want to give them house on rent so most of the people end up staying on the street and roads as they don’t have the capacity to buy a house for themselves.
Imagine a community which was brought to clean the human excreta has not got a place to live and frankly speaking that way they cant be termed as citizens of the country. If even after working for nearly 40 years, the salary is 6000TK then it reflects the highly iniquitous social order. When the issue of Dalit was being used as a Hindu subject then why the leaders of two independent countries did not do better for them. They could have shown an example that the societies which are Islamic does not recognize birth-based differences and that they would do their best to bring the marginalized to the mainstream but that never happened. A report in Bangladesh suggested that many of the ‘Harijans’ are now changing their names as well as surnames so that they are not identified by it. It says the Telugus are now using ‘Das’ title to be seen as a native Bangladesh. I would this in Bhola too where most of the new young had Bengali surnames. The friend who took me various places and son of a Bhojpuri Harijan put his surname as De. When he came to the hotel to meet me, we were speaking in English and he was speaking with my Bangladeshi friend in Bangla. After some time, I could realise he was not well verse in English. These friends asked me whether I understand Bangla to which I informed that I can understand a bit. After some time, I just casually asked whether he understand Hindi or watch Hindi movies or serials which are popular. I was shocked to hear that this friend told me that he knows Hindi well and his ancestors came from Darbhanga in Bihar.
‘The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, report 2023 entitled ‘The Situation of Dalits in Bangladesh: Country Report says that, ‘ The literacy rate among male and female Dalits is 48.3% and 38.7% respectively which is far behind Bangladesh’s national literacy rate of 74.66%. Most of the Dalits live in designated housing settlements built on common land i.e. Khas land and 56% of Dalit households do not have any land.[iv]’
Unprotected and isolated
The biggest crisis of the sweeper or Harijan community in Bangladesh is that the state has no protection for them. No encouragement in the services other than sanitation work. Community itself has been pushed into such a corner that the entire fight right now is related to their housing and sanitary jobs in various government services including municipalities or big city corporations. While the ‘reports’ always try to suggest that it is only the Hindus who discriminate against them otherwise everything is so ‘nice’. A very similar approach by Pakistani Dalit Rights groups too who feel very happy to narrate us the Brahmanical history of what is ‘Dalit’ without ever asking their own rulers and authorities as what have they done so far. In fact, no report in Bangladesh so far speak about the job reservation for the Dalit community particularly the Harijans in the non-sanitation work. In fact, today, that job too is under attack as very much similar like in various municipalities in India, it is reported that number of non-Harijans pay money to get the better paid sweeper’s job in various municipalities and government offices and then sublet that too the Harijans on some petty money. In fact, due to these irregularities Sheikh Hasina government promised to ‘ensure’ 80% reservation in the sanitation work for the Harijan community. This was opposed and the so called ‘revolution’ in Bangladesh actually created more insecurity among Dalits particularly Harijan community as they don’t know whether there will be a protection for their job in government departments particularly for sweepers as well as sanitation work. Babul Das (56), a sweeper from Madarbari Shebok Colony in Chittagong, said: “Our children do not get white collar jobs even though they have the qualifications. It would console our heart if even one of us got an official job. But unfortunately, it never happens. Sweeping is the only profession, no matter whether we want to stick to it or not. Our destiny is sweeping, though this too is uncertain nowadays[v].”
Ironically, the stigma, discrimination continue to ‘track’ them despite living in a different society. The issue of Dalits is not merely that of being part of a hierarchical Hindu caste order but those who claim not to have anything to do with the caste system and birth-based discrimination, actually, have to answer more as the conditions under their leadership and society is perhaps worst. They have no voice of their own.
A newspaper report in Bangladesh says, ‘Brought into the Bengal region by the British government from Madras, Kanpur, Hyderabad and some southern areas of what is now India, this sweeper community consists of people who are known as Harijans. They were chosen for the job and brought here as cleaners because of their status as ‘Dalits’ or ‘low class’ Hindus. Although they left their place of origin, the stigma surrounding their identity did not leave them[vi]’.
While I was not able to visit these localities in Dhaka but researchers have found out that ‘Dhaka city has six Sweeper colonies where they passed their vulnerable life. These are:-Ganoktuli, Dayaganj, Dhalpur, Sutrapur, Agargaon and Mohammadpur sweeper colonies[1].In Dhaka city, the Telegu Sweepers are the large in number, they are concentrated mainly in four ghettos or quarters, known as :(1) Wari or Tikatuli Sweeper quarters; (2) Dhalpur Sweepers quarter, officially named city Palli; (3) Gopibag sweepers quarter, and (4) Muhammadpur Sweeper quarter. All the quarters are located within the perimeter of Dhaka city[vii].
There are few other areas, for example, Wari (Tikatuli), Babu Bazar, Dhalpur, Gopibagh and Mohammadpur, where the Harijan sweepers are largely concentrated. Over one lakh sweepers live in the Ganaktuli Sweeper Colony located on a piece of 20 acres of land by the side of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Headquarters at Pilkhana[viii].
It is equally important to know that most of the ‘Harijans’ did not go to East Bengal, as it was called during pre-partition days but were either taken by the Mughals in the 16th century and later by the British in the 19th century to carry the sanitation and sweeping work for their cantonments and other institutions of the Raj.
‘In the nineteenth century, for example, fifty sweepers were brought from Kanpur by the British Government to clean public toilets which were constructed in Dhaka for the city dwellers by the Ordinance No. 7 of 1870. In 1905, however, more sweepers were required with the establishment of Dhaka as the capital of East Bengal. The sweepers used to carry out the task of cleaning the city on daily basis.[ix]’
Absence of concrete data
Ironically, we don’t have exact figures of manual scavenging in Bangladesh. If you ask activists, most of them will deny the existence of this but the fact is the entire country does not even have the flush toilet system. If that is not there then how is the entire sewage system. We also have not seen the sewage system reports or whether there are deaths in sewage cleaning operation there. A report last year published by Down to Earth Magazine actually revealed that manual scavenging still persist in many parts and most of those engaged in it are those who were brought by the British from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
‘There are around 800-1,000 Dalits in Lalmonirhat (Rangpur division) They are all involved in activities related to sanitation. Some 50-60 are actively engaged in manual scavenging. Their ancestors were non-Bengalis who were forced to migrate from the northern and southern parts of India (present-day Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh) to East Bengal (now Bangladesh) under the pretext of permanent government jobs by the British before the 1947 Partition of the subcontinent’[x].
Sadly, there is no data or monitoring of death in sewage or septic tank as well as number of people engaged in manual scavenging. A research paper reported that ‘Total 136 person died in 5 years from 2014 to 2018 in Septic Tank according Bangladesh institute of labor studies’[xi].
Glossy reports suggested that Bangladesh became almost open defecation free in 2019.
Bangladesh is almost open defecation free (about 99% achieved). Basic sanitation coverage is 64%, safely managed sanitation is currently 36.4% in rural areas. (Source: Multi Cluster Indicator Survey, MICS, 2019 report by BBS and UNICEF)[xii]. World Bank data too show that there is zero open air defecation in Bangladesh[xiii] but a report published by Daily Star, Dhaka says that while Bangladesh has definitely succeeded in reducing the open-air defecation yet it has not reached at zero level. Actually, such reports that Bangladesh has succeeded in achieving the target of zero open air defecation have been appearing in the global media since 2016 but the reality is something different. One is certain if NGOs, academics and activists really take this matter, we will find a different story as published by Daily star, Dhaka, which says ‘Over 21 lakh people in Bangladesh engage in open defecation in the absence of public toilets, raising the risk of health hazards via the transmission of a wide range of diseases, says a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report. It further says that, the number of people practicing open defecation in Rangpur is 7.35 lakh, while it is 1.24 lakh in Dhaka’[xiv].
Bangladesh Dalits and Excluded Rights Movement
Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement is working harder to empower the Dalits and Harijan communities. It is not merely movement based but also providing decent alternative to the community engaged in sanitation work. It is working deeply in the communities in different parts of the country and new young leaders are emerging from the community. BDERM also used international solidarity and has presented reports on the conditions of Dalits at the international forums too. However, it needs to be careful and would be doing a great service to allow the movement grow in diversity and autonomy followed by building up a confederation of various organisations working on the issue. Of course, the approach should not confine to merely ‘agitational work’ but also positive work, skill development as well as ensuring their representation in government services, educational institutions and most importantly seeking their involvement and engagement in non-sanitation or non- sweeping occupations. BDERM has been not working with international solidarity as well as Indian organizations like Safai karmchari Andolan but also building up national solidarity and doing advocacy for the rights of Harijans with the government. BDERM has a network of over 17 NGOs and 2000 individuals and has been working at the international forum along with International Dalit Solidarity Network. They have been demanding a National Dalit Rights Commission but things have not moved much. Bangladesh can also think of an anti untouchability and anti manual scavenging act but that would only be possible if the activists and the government think that the issue exists. If they all remain in denial mode then it is difficult. For that to happen, academics, media, NGOs, social movements must focus on gathering data and monitoring violation of cases particularly related to untouchability, manual scavenging, septic tank or sewage deaths and other issues of those working as sweepers in municipalities and other private and government institutions.
The new Dalit movement in Bangladesh is making every effort in the right direction but it needs more strength and build community leadership. Intellectuals and activists cant just satisfy themselves this as a ‘caste system’ and ‘internal problems’ of Hindus. They are citizens of Bangladesh and need full protection. So far, I found the demand by them was for a dignified housing and government job as Safai Karmcharis, for which the earlier government had fixed a quota of 80% for the Harijan community but now that too is not implemented. The result is non-Harijans are getting jobs which are relatively better paid but keep the children of Harijans as absentee cleaner, a practice very much prevalent in India too. Moreover, as we demand in India, the government must ensure reservation for children of Harijan communities in the non-sanitation work. They must get equal opportunity to progress and for that their children must get preferential treatment in the form of affirmative action. Most importantly, government must prohibit the term Harijans, which is purely demeaning and also the biggest mental block of the community to think beyond sanitation work. Right now, the threat is to their livelihood through mechanization as well as hijacking of their jobs by others through corrupt practices. All reports suggest they face the biggest threat of eviction and a majority of them despite living there in the third or fourth generation do not have a house of their own. For long the issue of Dalits has been side tracked but now the situation demands the government focus on their emancipation through constitutional provisions banning untouchability and caste discrimination in all forms and practice. Some positive measures need to be taken including job reservation, education, health, housing and land redistribution. Will the Dhaka government act and respect the sacrifices of the Harijan community people who make Bangladesh clean and yet do not have access to safe and clean drinking water and living conditions. Let us hope that the government of Bangladesh will act positively and provide dignified alternative to one of the most marginalized communities, called Harijans in Bangladesh.
