Positioning Gandhi's Basic Education & Sanitation in Tharuhat's Champaran
Dr Ajay Kumar
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| Dr V Kundu GSDS, Prof Avijit Pathak JNU, Prof K.P. Pandey, Prof Avinash Singh NIEPA, Prof N.V. Varghese VC NIEPA (L to R) in Inaugural Session Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha |
At the outset, let me first congratulate NIEPA for organizing National Discussion Meet on " The Relevance of Gandhian Educational Ideas and Experiments : Implications for Policy and Practices" to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 4-5 October 2019 for developing a proper understanding of the relevance of Gandhian educational ideas specially in the light of current and emerging issues and challenges. And also let me extend my sincere thanks for inviting me as a participant in this historic meet, on a historic topic & on this historic occasion.
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| Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha |
I selected this topic because I was born in Bettiah, head quarter of West Champaran of Bihar, and as a part of my PhD from JNU, I chose to work on the Tharus of West Champaran - little known, perhaps unknown and un -highlighted or low lighted tribe of Bihar in the 20th century. Purpose was to document the rich and unique social organization and culture of the Tharus. "Documentation of various facets of tribal society is very much essential before they are totally eclipsed by the rapid process of globalization." The association with Champaran from my birth itself , & with the Tharus and Tharuhat started in the seventies of the last century is still continuing even today.
The Nation is celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year as we are all aware that he was born on 2nd October 1869. The nation celebrated Centenary Year of Gandhi's Satyagraha in Champaran in 2017. The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the historic land of Champaran in 1917 was a historic event .He came to Champaran to assess the real condition of Indigo-planters and accordingly made an effort to assuage their pain and sufferings. Mahatma Gandhi fought for the cause of Indigo-planters who were tremendously tortured and hugely exploited by the Britishers.
In the process of his struggle against the Britishers for the genuine demands of Indigo-planters he started knowing and understanding the people of Champaran and experiencing the real problem of the region. As he started experiencing he came to realize that if one wanted to work sincerely in Champaran, education should spread in all the villages.
Though it is true that Gandhi's experiments with education started from Africa with his association and engagement in various activities in Tolstoy farm, and also his working together with his friend Mr Kallenbach but the seed of Basic Education was sown when he came to Champaran.
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| Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha |
Mahatma Gandhi always dreamt that children should not be left at the mercy of simple teachers. May be little bit less educated but the teachers must possess strong character. Gandhiji was very clear as far as education is concerned. He wished all-round development of a person through education. It includes mental, physical, intellectual, and spiritual development apart from bookish knowledge.
Before opening such schools, Gandhiji decided the qualities of teachers. He looked for all such volunteers who can prove their utility in all the spheres of social life. They should be capable enough in working efficiently in the field such as health, sanitation, dignity, social harmony.
"We want volunteers who are young, dependable & reliable, sincere and laborious, those who do not hesitate even in lifting spade for making new roads in the village."
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Gandhiji envisaged a different role for the new teacher. A teacher, according to him, should not simply be a professional constrained by curricula and abstract standards but rather be a person relating directly to the student in the form of a dialogue. " A teacher who establishes rapport with the taught, becomes one with them, learns more from them than he teaches them. He who learns nothing from his disciples is, in my opinion, worthless. Whenever I talk with someone I learn from him.I take from him more than I give him. In this way, a true teacher regards himself as a student of his students. If you will teach your pupils with this attitude, you will benefit much from them."
Vinoba Bhave, the disciple of Gandhi, developed the idea further as a means of transformation, " The crux lay in overcoming distinctions between learning and teaching, and knowledge and work. " He discusses the need to redefine the relationship between teacher and student, " they must each regard the other as a fellow worker... Instead the 'teacher' is to be skilled in kala or hunar and to derive sustenance from this and not a teaching salary. The student should live, work and grow with the teacher and his or her family. In this process he or she would learn the kala or hunar - the skill as part of a way of life, code of ethics, web of relationship."
Gandhiji placed central emphasis in his pedagogy on the role of handicrafts such as spinning as they symbolized the values of self-sufficiency. His aim was to bring about a radical restructuring of the sociology of school knowledge in India in which 'literacies' such as spinning, leatherwork, pottery, weaving, metal-work, basket-making and book-binding would be made central. The other aim of this use of handicrafts was to make schools financially and socially independent of the state.
In one of his article on education in Harijan he opined" By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man - body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education nor even the beginning. It is only one of the means by which man and woman can be educated. Literacy in itself is no education. I would therefore begin the child's education by teaching it a useful handicraft and enabling it to produce from the moment it begins its training. Thus every school can be made self-supporting."
" The principal idea is to impart the whole education of the body, mind and soul through handicraft that is taught to children. An education which does not teach us to discriminate between good and bad, to assimilate the one and eschew the other, is a misnomer."
" The real difficulty is that people have no idea of what true education is. We assess the value of education in the same manner as we assess the value of land or of shares in the stock-exchange market. We want to provide only such education as would enable the student to earn more. We hardly give any thought to the improvement of the character of the educated. The girls, we say, do not have to earn, so why should they be educated? As long as such ideas persist there is no hope of our ever knowing the true value of education."
Basic education of Gandhi was an embodiment of his perception of an ideal society. The society which will consist of small, self-reliant communities with his ideal citizen being an industrious, self-respecting and generous individual living in a small cooperative community.
First such school, which was based on the idea of Basic Education of Gandhiji, was opened in Barharwa Lakhansen village situated around 32 Km east of Motihari on 14th November 1917.This school had the privilege of having teachers like Mumbai-based Shri Baban Gokhale, an engineer trained in Europe and his wife Smt Avantikabai Gokhale.
Mahatma Gandhi was of the view that education should instill moral values in the children and make them cultured. Knowledge from books are only means for achieving this end.In addition, children should be given industrial training so that such training offer them opportunities for livelihood.
Another such school was opened in Bhitiharwa village, almost 55Km north of Bettiah on 20th November 1917 by Gandhiji. Kasturba Gandhi herself worked as teacher in this school for months together. On the centenary year of Gandhi's Satyagraha Government of Bihar has rebuilt the school and assured the supply of electricity. Kasturba Gandhi Aavasiya Vidyalaya is also being run in the campus.
Third school was opened in Madhuban on 17th January 1918. This school was run by Shri Narhari Dwarika Das Parikh and Shri Mahadev Haribhai Desai at that time. Professor Kriplani and Shri Vishnu Sitaram Randive (Appaji) also worked here for some time.
Based on these experiences related to education in Champaran, Gandhiji laid the foundation of Basic Education ( Buniyaadi Shiksha). He mapped out the basic pedagogy, " I hold that the highest development of the mind and the soul is possible under such system of education. Only every handicraft has to be taught not merely mechanically as is done today, but scientifically i.e. the child should know the why and wherefore of every process...... I have myself taught sandal-making and even spinning on these lines with good results. This method does not exclude a knowledge of history and geography.But I find that this is best taught by transmitting such general information by word of mouth.One imparts ten times as much in this manner as by reading and writing.The signs of the alphabet may be taught later.... Of course, the pupil learns mathematics through his handicraft." (Harijan, 31st July 1937)
Gandhiji presented outlines of this scheme on education in Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shiksha Sammelan organized in Vardha in October 1937. Consequently "Vardha Shiksha Yojana Samiti" was formed under the Chairmanship of Dr Zakir Hussain. This policy of Education System of Gandhiji is popularly known as Basic Education, Buniyaadi Shiksha or Nai Taalim.
Basic Education is basically democratic and socialistic in nature as in it class and caste distinctions get dissolved. It trains the child in democratic way of living and develops the path for equalization of educational opportunity. Basic Education bulldozes the barriers between educated and the non-educated, between manual work and intellectual work, between the village and town, between the poor and the rich.
Basic Education is activity-oriented education. Here the child is not a passive recipient of knowledge but active participant in the leaning process. It encourages learning by doing. The child is the centre of activity in this scheme of education.
Basic Education is based on the cultural heritage and social values of the country. All educational activities and lessons are correlated to a basic craft. Correlation takes place among social environment, physical environment and craftwork.
Basic Education also aims at rural reconstruction, and latent industrial and agricultural revolution and thus proposes to solve the problem of unemployment. It recognizes the dignity of labour and helps to develop total personality of the child.
There are twenty nine Basic Schools (Buniyaadi Vidyalayas) in Champaran out of three hundred twenty one in whole of Bihar. But these schools founded on the principles of Basic Education founded by Mahatma Gandhi is in bad shape. Failure of Basic Schools to preach students Gandhian principles is a sad commentary on the state of affairs. The Basic Schools have been opened with the primary objective of creating awareness among the villagers, for instilling courage and confidence among the people and also for generating employment. But the successive governments have payed little attention to Basic Education. There is acute shortage of able and qualified teachers due to defective education system. Instances of encroachment by few powerful people in the campus of such schools have become order of the day. The temples of education have fallen prey to anti-social elements due to the absence of proper boundary. Set up by Gandhiji to provide education along with training in spinning, carpentry, farming and weaving , the Basic Schools have failed miserably.
Scenario in the Tharuhat of West Champaran is even more pathetic. Tharuhat is land from East to West all along the Indo-Nepal border inhabited by Tharu tribe. The land alongwith the tribe has been totally neglected but mostly exploited. Bhitiharwa, a place in Gaunaha Block near Indo-Nepal border, where Gandhi and Kasturba set up an ashram in 1917 situation is far from satisfactory.
The Tharus have been looked down upon, grossly misunderstood and crowned with title such as 'Bagad", 'Junglee' i.e fool and uncivilized. They have been living in utmost inhospitable condition in the densely forested region where ray of development is also scared to dawn.
It can be convincingly and forcefully said that the Thraus are not 'Bagad' or fool devoid of any culture of their own. They are till today very simple, innocent and hospitable community. Even after lack of proper education facilities they are not uncultured or uncivilized but they have their own unique and matchless culture with peculiar kind of tenacity and vitality not to be found among other tribes. They are the original inhabitants of the Tarai and living their since time immemorial.
Though the main occupation of the Tharus has been agriculture as they own vast stretches of land, mostly afforested near Someswar hills. There was no dearth of labour as it was easily available in the joint family. But now the situation has changed . Self-sufficient Tharu family has been disintegrated due to various reasons and their dependence on agriculture has been eroded. Members of the most of the Tharu families are turning into landless labourers. This is really a disturbing trend as their economy is in shambles.They have been alienated from their land and there is no alternative source of employment. Bajis or non-Tharus , in the form of big farms, have devoured much of their land. Forest based industries would have been very advantageous for them but due to apathy from the government and policy makers no initiative appears to have been taken so far. Tharus still shirk from establishing any business because of technical and procedural complexities associated with it. There are a few educated youths but there are no employment opportunities available in the Tharuhat. In this kind of a situation presence of Basic Schools with all the basic qualities as propounded by Mahatma Gandhi would have made these simple tribes self-reliant.
Non-inclusion of the Tharus of West Champaran in the Schedule of Constitution for over more than five decades has substantially contributed their backwardness. Due to the cheap politics lives of lakhs of Thaus have become hell. Most of them have become homeless, shelter-less and landless on their own land Tharuhat. But their fight and struggle for being given Schedule Tribe status continued in a peaceful manner perhaps taking example of Mahatma Gandhi who fought for the just causes of Indigo Planters on the same land against the unjust and barbaric rule of the British with his weapon of Satyagraha and non-violence. Unjust and barbaric rules still continues but this time rulers are not the foreigners but the people from their own country, own state, own district, nay own locality. The Land of Tharus has remained neglected and ignored for decades.
The Tharuhat - land of the great Tharus has not seen the ray of development in the 20th century even after almost five decades of India's Independence - what to speak of education specially Basic Education of Mahatma Gandhi. In some of the Basic Schools children even do not know Mahatma Gandhi.
The State of Bihar was again divided and a new state Jharkhand was born on 15th November 2000. Thus major tribes of erstwhile Bihar have now become Jharkhandi. In the meantime one another important event took place. After continuous and peaceful struggle the Tharus of West Champaran, who were earlier OBC, became Schedule Tribe in January 2003 and consequently major Schedule Tribe of Bihar.
These two significant developments in the beginning of 21st century have led to the large scale changes in the Tharuhat. Apart from developing other infrastructural facilities, a number of schools started coming-up in the land of the Tharu tribe. The Tharuhat witnesses opening of residential schools also specially for girls as we do find "Kasturba Balika Uchch Vidyalaya" in Bakhari Baazar village in the Ramnagar block.
But even today, hardly do we find any Basic School in West Champaran carrying the objectives of Basic Education as propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. The relevance of Basic Education has not outlived its utility. In fact its mission and objective appear to be all the more important in the present situation where youths are becoming disoriented and disorganized, becoming job seekers rather than job givers, busy collecting certificates rather than developing their skills, becoming immoral and arrogant rather than disciplined and cultured, drifting away from virtues towards vices, getting alienated from oneself and swayed away by suicidogenic impulses. It is just because the primary education is defective, just because it emphasizes literacy, just because it focuses on abstract and text-based knowledge.
Let us hope something concrete and positive will be done in this direction on the lines of pedagogy of Gandhi, specially in the land of the Tharus -Tharuhat which is not only fertile in terms of land but also in terms of human resources and culture including handicrafts such as basket-making, pottery, metal-work, weaving.
Education sans sanitation is always incomplete. Mahatma Gandhi had realized early in his life that the prevalent poor state of sanitation required much attention apart from Education. He was concerned about the lack of adequate toilets particularly in rural India.He said that unless we "rid ourselves of our dirty habits and have improved latrines, Swaraj can have no value". He led a continuous struggle for sanitation, cleanliness and efficient management of all categories of wastes throughout his public life alongwith the struggle for Independence of India - in South Africa and then in India. Mahatma Gandhi dealt with nearly all aspects of sanitation - social,technical and economic. And also its various aspects - personal, domestic and corporate.
The concept of sanitation is a comprehensive one. It includes effective management of human waste, solid waste, waste water, sewage effluents, industrial wastes, and hazardous wastes.
It would not be out of place to mention here that the standards of sanitation in a society are closely inter-related to the levels of public health and hygiene in it and, therefore, to the attainable standards of longevity and extent of diseases, and thus to the productive levels of the society. These also decide the levels of avoidable wastage of available resources, and to what extent the so-called wastes are being recovered, reused, recycled as valuable resources. Lack of sanitation including lack of cleanliness and causing filth,dirt and pollution, has not only vital economic consequences but also serious social effect.
Gandhi had developed a passion to destroy the twin evils of 'untouchability' and insanitation. He took to scavenging himself. Gandhi stressed the need for "sanitation and hygiene as part of our being". During the Champaran Satyagraha Mahatma Gandhi found the villages insanitary with filthy lanes, stink around wells and skin diseases being common. He took up the sanitation work on priority, with a set of volunteers, tried to make one village ideally clean, swept the roads and courtyards, cleaned out wells and ponds and encouraged the villagers towards sanitation. He saw how extreme poverty too led to personal insanitation - women could not take bath as they had only one sari. He saw the filth in the villages as sign of both ignorance and sloth.
Mahatma Gandhi said that 'every spot on earth is sacred as God exists everywhere'. Therefore our bodies, homes, lavatories and environment should be clean, both internally and externally. He would even amend the saying "cleanliness is next to godliness" to "cleanliness is godliness". He said, " Anyone who fouls the air by spitting about carelessly, throwing refuse or rubbish or otherwise dirtying the ground, sins against man and nature. Man's body is the temple of God".
After Independence , the issue of sanitation has received little or scant attention of the government. Prime Minister's speech on Independence day in 2014 brought fresh hopes for the nation. Here is the excerpts " How do we celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi? ... Mahatma Gandhi had cleanliness and sanitation closest to his heart. Whether we resolve not to leave a speck of dirt in our village, city, street, area, school, temple, hospital, and what have you , by 2019 when we celebrate 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi ? This happens not just with the Government but with public participation. That is why we have to do it together."
This resolve was concretized on 2nd October 2014 . On this date the Prime Minister launched a nationwide sanitation campaign 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' that is 'Clean India Mission'. The objective of this mission is to provide sanitation facilities to every Indian, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village sanitation, and safe and adequate drinking water supply by 2019. Thus the Gandhian movement for sanitation becomes a reference point for the attainment of Swachh Bharat targets by 2019 and in this the Government has been very successful.
Swachhagrahis or 'foot soldiers' and motivators help the centre and states to implement the community approaches to sanitation at the village level. Swachh Bharat Mission has two sub-missions , the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Together they aim to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019 as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.
There is no doubt that after the implementation, the Swachh Bharat mission has become mass movement and its impact visible. The number of open defecation has considerably decreased. Building of toilets has also led to remarkable change in the thinking and behaviour of the people. Every one started experiencing the benefits of swachhata or sanitation. People have started using toilets after aggressive campaign even through adds, spots, short films & social media including "Sher Sher of Amitabh Bachchan". It has been reported by different agencies that use of toilets built in rural India has touched even beyond 95%.
People on their own have also come forward for Swachh Bharat Mission by taking innovative initiatives on their own. Locals in West Champaran district of Bihar upcycle plastic waste to construct urinals. Every year hundreds of plastic bottles crossed the Nepal border and entered the Indian territory in the town of Valmiki Nagar through Gandak river. Plastic waste from Nepal coupled with plastic trash discarded by the tourists that visit Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve(VTR) has gradually become an environmental hazard for the locals as it either remains in the river or gets burnt causing water and air pollution. An NGO (Goonj) addressed this issue and came up with an idea to reuse plastic bottles to make urinals - thus killing two birds with one stone, tackling waste problem and providing safe sanitation as well.
1250 plastic bottles and tonnes of other plastic waste like wrappers, polythenes etc. were collected. The plastic litter was torn down into pieces and styffed into the bottles alongwith sand. Bamboo sticks were used to join the bottles.The bottles were used in place of bricks to construct the urinal. The urinal is not only cost-effective but also more durable , and stronger than bricks. The entire project was implemented with zero costs since the locals were themselves involved , and all the raw materials were scrap items.
It has also been reported that a 10-year-old boy has single-handedly dug two four-feet pits in a village of East Champaran to save his ageing grandmother from stigma of Open Defecation. The boy Heera Kumar has virtually become the role model of Swachhta Abhiyan in Champaran. A resident of Jamuniya village Heera had come to his maternal grandmother's house in Ghiwadhar village. He came to know that his Grandmaa had given up the idea of constructing a toilet owing to its cost. Like many other villagers, she too wanted to avoid embarrassment caused by Open Defecation. It took Heera two days to dig the pits. Such story inspires others to gravitate towards the cleanliness drive. Champaran (East Champaran+ West Champaran) also is also coming close to becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The new dry toilets has made things very easy in Bishambharpur village in the Gandak riverfloodplains of West Champaran district of Bihar. It is a revolutionary urine-diverting dry toilets popularly called 'Ecosan' that is 'Ecological Sanitation'. The Ecosan is a dry toilet built on a raised platform, listed in the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines as suitable for dry areas with scarce water supply, coastal and flood-prone areas with high water tables, and rocky areas. Excreta are not flushed out but stored in sealed chambers to be used as farm manure later. Ecosan toilets return the nutrients to soil , preventing pollution and reducing expenditure on farm chemicals. Due to the Swachh Bharat Missions's focus on pit toilets, it has very few takers. Many families of Bishambharpur village have opted for Ecosan toilets, though spending some more money than what they received under SBM.
Now let us move to Kairi, a small Tharu tribe village in Gaunaha Block of West Champaran, nourished by the Pandai river. Kairi has 84.6 % Schedule Tribe population. Cost of Ecosan toilets gets reduced by using local building material such as sand and stones from the mountains of Nepal, brought down by Pandai river, instead of bricks brought from distant places. This slashed by 45% cost of an Ecosan toilet. Besides the Swachh Bharat Mission incentive of Rs 12,000, people are spending Rs 8000 . " One has to pay Rs 1,000 to get a soak pit cleaned up after flash floods. It is better to spend once on a functional toilet than go for cheaper ones that do not work well in this region. It is also cleaner because water is used only for washing."
Thus we see that people of Champaran (East & West) including Tharuhat - the land of great Schedule Tribe Tharu have become very conscious and aware of the importance of sanitation and getting pit toilets or Ecosan toilets constructed as per the guidelines of Swachh Bharat Mission. Champaran has almost become 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF). From "public awareness" to "public participation" to "public welfare"- swachh & swasth Champaran.
Prime Minister has also declared in the "Howdy Modi" historic event in USA on 22nd September 2019 that India has achieved 99% target in rural sanitation which was 38% in 2014. Till now around 11 crore toilets have been built throughout India, and India will give farewell to Open Defecation in 2019 for the welfare of the people, when India is celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi for whom "Cleanliness is Godliness". Nation is making another pledge from 2nd October 2019 - "single use plastic ban" for clean & healthy Bharat.
References :
1. CW : 'Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi' (1958-94), Vols 1-100 , Publication Division, New Delhi
2. Harijan: Mohandas Gandhi's Publication:1933-48
3. Kumar, Ajay. 2002. " A Tribe Unscheduled".ANALYSIS: Monthly News Magazine, New Delhi: November, 18-19
4. Kumar, Ajay. 2006. " Tharus of West Champaran": A Tribe Unhighlighted". YOJANA: A Development Monthly. August, 88-90
5. Kumar, Ajay. 2010 : "Pattern of Social Change among the Tharus of West Champaran in Bihar " PhD Thesis (2010) , JNU , New Delhi Available on net shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in › handle
6. https://doordarshan.gov.in/ddnational/2019-pm-narendra-modis-independence-day-speech
7. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/narendra-modi-independence-day-speech-full-text-red-fort-204216-2014-08-15
8. https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/cleanliness-sanitation-gandhian-movement-swachh-bharat-abhiyan.html
9. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy- policy/how-swachh-bharat-mission-s-pit-toilets-failed- to-help-flood-prone-areas-119021900085_1.html
10. Pathak, Bindeshwar.2015 : 'Sociology of Sanitation' Kalpaz Publications: Delhi
11. Pfeffer, G & D.K.Behra. 2002. Contemporary Society Tribal Studies.Concept Publishing Company: New Delhi
Paper Presented at National Discussion Meet on "Relevance of Gandhian Educational Ideas" - 'Implications for Policies and Practices' Organized by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti , New Delhi on October 4-5, 2019 in NIEPA , New Delhi
Education sans sanitation is always incomplete. Mahatma Gandhi had realized early in his life that the prevalent poor state of sanitation required much attention apart from Education. He was concerned about the lack of adequate toilets particularly in rural India.He said that unless we "rid ourselves of our dirty habits and have improved latrines, Swaraj can have no value". He led a continuous struggle for sanitation, cleanliness and efficient management of all categories of wastes throughout his public life alongwith the struggle for Independence of India - in South Africa and then in India. Mahatma Gandhi dealt with nearly all aspects of sanitation - social,technical and economic. And also its various aspects - personal, domestic and corporate.
The concept of sanitation is a comprehensive one. It includes effective management of human waste, solid waste, waste water, sewage effluents, industrial wastes, and hazardous wastes.
It would not be out of place to mention here that the standards of sanitation in a society are closely inter-related to the levels of public health and hygiene in it and, therefore, to the attainable standards of longevity and extent of diseases, and thus to the productive levels of the society. These also decide the levels of avoidable wastage of available resources, and to what extent the so-called wastes are being recovered, reused, recycled as valuable resources. Lack of sanitation including lack of cleanliness and causing filth,dirt and pollution, has not only vital economic consequences but also serious social effect.
Gandhi had developed a passion to destroy the twin evils of 'untouchability' and insanitation. He took to scavenging himself. Gandhi stressed the need for "sanitation and hygiene as part of our being". During the Champaran Satyagraha Mahatma Gandhi found the villages insanitary with filthy lanes, stink around wells and skin diseases being common. He took up the sanitation work on priority, with a set of volunteers, tried to make one village ideally clean, swept the roads and courtyards, cleaned out wells and ponds and encouraged the villagers towards sanitation. He saw how extreme poverty too led to personal insanitation - women could not take bath as they had only one sari. He saw the filth in the villages as sign of both ignorance and sloth.
Mahatma Gandhi said that 'every spot on earth is sacred as God exists everywhere'. Therefore our bodies, homes, lavatories and environment should be clean, both internally and externally. He would even amend the saying "cleanliness is next to godliness" to "cleanliness is godliness". He said, " Anyone who fouls the air by spitting about carelessly, throwing refuse or rubbish or otherwise dirtying the ground, sins against man and nature. Man's body is the temple of God".
After Independence , the issue of sanitation has received little or scant attention of the government. Prime Minister's speech on Independence day in 2014 brought fresh hopes for the nation. Here is the excerpts " How do we celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi? ... Mahatma Gandhi had cleanliness and sanitation closest to his heart. Whether we resolve not to leave a speck of dirt in our village, city, street, area, school, temple, hospital, and what have you , by 2019 when we celebrate 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi ? This happens not just with the Government but with public participation. That is why we have to do it together."
This resolve was concretized on 2nd October 2014 . On this date the Prime Minister launched a nationwide sanitation campaign 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' that is 'Clean India Mission'. The objective of this mission is to provide sanitation facilities to every Indian, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village sanitation, and safe and adequate drinking water supply by 2019. Thus the Gandhian movement for sanitation becomes a reference point for the attainment of Swachh Bharat targets by 2019 and in this the Government has been very successful.
Swachhagrahis or 'foot soldiers' and motivators help the centre and states to implement the community approaches to sanitation at the village level. Swachh Bharat Mission has two sub-missions , the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Together they aim to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019 as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.
There is no doubt that after the implementation, the Swachh Bharat mission has become mass movement and its impact visible. The number of open defecation has considerably decreased. Building of toilets has also led to remarkable change in the thinking and behaviour of the people. Every one started experiencing the benefits of swachhata or sanitation. People have started using toilets after aggressive campaign even through adds, spots, short films & social media including "Sher Sher of Amitabh Bachchan". It has been reported by different agencies that use of toilets built in rural India has touched even beyond 95%.
People on their own have also come forward for Swachh Bharat Mission by taking innovative initiatives on their own. Locals in West Champaran district of Bihar upcycle plastic waste to construct urinals. Every year hundreds of plastic bottles crossed the Nepal border and entered the Indian territory in the town of Valmiki Nagar through Gandak river. Plastic waste from Nepal coupled with plastic trash discarded by the tourists that visit Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve(VTR) has gradually become an environmental hazard for the locals as it either remains in the river or gets burnt causing water and air pollution. An NGO (Goonj) addressed this issue and came up with an idea to reuse plastic bottles to make urinals - thus killing two birds with one stone, tackling waste problem and providing safe sanitation as well.
1250 plastic bottles and tonnes of other plastic waste like wrappers, polythenes etc. were collected. The plastic litter was torn down into pieces and styffed into the bottles alongwith sand. Bamboo sticks were used to join the bottles.The bottles were used in place of bricks to construct the urinal. The urinal is not only cost-effective but also more durable , and stronger than bricks. The entire project was implemented with zero costs since the locals were themselves involved , and all the raw materials were scrap items.
It has also been reported that a 10-year-old boy has single-handedly dug two four-feet pits in a village of East Champaran to save his ageing grandmother from stigma of Open Defecation. The boy Heera Kumar has virtually become the role model of Swachhta Abhiyan in Champaran. A resident of Jamuniya village Heera had come to his maternal grandmother's house in Ghiwadhar village. He came to know that his Grandmaa had given up the idea of constructing a toilet owing to its cost. Like many other villagers, she too wanted to avoid embarrassment caused by Open Defecation. It took Heera two days to dig the pits. Such story inspires others to gravitate towards the cleanliness drive. Champaran (East Champaran+ West Champaran) also is also coming close to becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The new dry toilets has made things very easy in Bishambharpur village in the Gandak riverfloodplains of West Champaran district of Bihar. It is a revolutionary urine-diverting dry toilets popularly called 'Ecosan' that is 'Ecological Sanitation'. The Ecosan is a dry toilet built on a raised platform, listed in the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines as suitable for dry areas with scarce water supply, coastal and flood-prone areas with high water tables, and rocky areas. Excreta are not flushed out but stored in sealed chambers to be used as farm manure later. Ecosan toilets return the nutrients to soil , preventing pollution and reducing expenditure on farm chemicals. Due to the Swachh Bharat Missions's focus on pit toilets, it has very few takers. Many families of Bishambharpur village have opted for Ecosan toilets, though spending some more money than what they received under SBM.
Now let us move to Kairi, a small Tharu tribe village in Gaunaha Block of West Champaran, nourished by the Pandai river. Kairi has 84.6 % Schedule Tribe population. Cost of Ecosan toilets gets reduced by using local building material such as sand and stones from the mountains of Nepal, brought down by Pandai river, instead of bricks brought from distant places. This slashed by 45% cost of an Ecosan toilet. Besides the Swachh Bharat Mission incentive of Rs 12,000, people are spending Rs 8000 . " One has to pay Rs 1,000 to get a soak pit cleaned up after flash floods. It is better to spend once on a functional toilet than go for cheaper ones that do not work well in this region. It is also cleaner because water is used only for washing."
Thus we see that people of Champaran (East & West) including Tharuhat - the land of great Schedule Tribe Tharu have become very conscious and aware of the importance of sanitation and getting pit toilets or Ecosan toilets constructed as per the guidelines of Swachh Bharat Mission. Champaran has almost become 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF). From "public awareness" to "public participation" to "public welfare"- swachh & swasth Champaran.
Prime Minister has also declared in the "Howdy Modi" historic event in USA on 22nd September 2019 that India has achieved 99% target in rural sanitation which was 38% in 2014. Till now around 11 crore toilets have been built throughout India, and India will give farewell to Open Defecation in 2019 for the welfare of the people, when India is celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi for whom "Cleanliness is Godliness". Nation is making another pledge from 2nd October 2019 - "single use plastic ban" for clean & healthy Bharat.
References :
1. CW : 'Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi' (1958-94), Vols 1-100 , Publication Division, New Delhi
2. Harijan: Mohandas Gandhi's Publication:1933-48
3. Kumar, Ajay. 2002. " A Tribe Unscheduled".ANALYSIS: Monthly News Magazine, New Delhi: November, 18-19
4. Kumar, Ajay. 2006. " Tharus of West Champaran": A Tribe Unhighlighted". YOJANA: A Development Monthly. August, 88-90
5. Kumar, Ajay. 2010 : "Pattern of Social Change among the Tharus of West Champaran in Bihar " PhD Thesis (2010) , JNU , New Delhi Available on net shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in › handle
6. https://doordarshan.gov.in/ddnational/2019-pm-narendra-modis-independence-day-speech
8. https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/cleanliness-sanitation-gandhian-movement-swachh-bharat-abhiyan.html
9. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy- policy/how-swachh-bharat-mission-s-pit-toilets-failed- to-help-flood-prone-areas-119021900085_1.html
10. Pathak, Bindeshwar.2015 : 'Sociology of Sanitation' Kalpaz Publications: Delhi
11. Pfeffer, G & D.K.Behra. 2002. Contemporary Society Tribal Studies.Concept Publishing Company: New Delhi
Paper Presented at National Discussion Meet on "Relevance of Gandhian Educational Ideas" - 'Implications for Policies and Practices' Organized by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti , New Delhi on October 4-5, 2019 in NIEPA , New Delhi
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