Sanitation Guru: Dr Bindeshwar Pathak and His Sulabh Movement

Though Dr Bindeshwar Pathak is referred by different names as Toilet Man of India, World Leader of Sanitation, Sanitation Soldier, Social Entrepreneur, Liberator of Manual Scavengers, Social Reformer, Great Humanist, Thinker, Sociologist, Author, Founder of Sulabh International, Sanitation Santa Claus, Sanitation King and Toilet Guru, the title ‘Sanitation Guru’ fits him very well. Dr Pathak’s pioneering work has revolutionized the concept of sanitation in India. His commitment to work and his core ability as a leader is legendary, resulting in him being referred to as ‘Sanitation Guru’. Dr Pathak worked among the untouchables nay human scavengers and to liberate them invented a new toilet technology known as Sulabh toilets which are low-cost, two-pit, pour-flush needing little water and turns waste into a resource. The gas produced can be used for heating, lighting, cooking and electricity generation. By making public toilets ‘pay-and-use’, he made them self-sustaining. After the manual scavengers were relieved from this subhuman occupation, he also rehabilitated them by giving general and vocational education in different occupations. He also built an English medium school for their children. Basically, Sulabh is a sanitation movement in the entire country. Sanitation contributes to gender equality, access to education and dignity of labour nay dignity of life. Because of his efforts, sociology of sanitation is now taught in 22 universities and several colleges in India.…