Short Story: "Block"

Despite India's Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act of 2013 (and with a 2020 Amendment awaiting approval), it is likely that at least one million people work as manual removers of human waste, helping the 60% or more of Indians who do not have access to f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of international women's studies Vol. 22; no. 10; pp. 135 - 143
Main Authors Vinodini, M.M, Purushotham, K, Zare, Bonnie
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bridgewater Bridgewater State College 01.10.2021
Subjects
Activities of daily living
Defecation
Deprivation
Economic deprivation
Empathy
Employment
Everyday life
Hair
Houses
Human dignity
Plumbing fixtures
Prohibition
Rain
Rehabilitation
Short stories
Stigma
Toilet facilities
India
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Summary:Despite India's Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act of 2013 (and with a 2020 Amendment awaiting approval), it is likely that at least one million people work as manual removers of human waste, helping the 60% or more of Indians who do not have access to flush toilets. The story "Block" puts us inside a manual scavenger's mind as we accompany Jilakaramma on her rounds in Andhra Pradesh. M. M. Vinodini writes about this labor with true empathy. Entering the daily life of someone who carries out this very stigmatized job creates new understanding of the intense unfairness suffered by these workers. Readers are spared nothing as the story--and human waste itself--wraps around their five senses. As Jilakaramma seeks a solution in the midst of dead ends, the tale exposes casteism, governmental neglect, and economic deprivation, making us keenly aware of every worker's dignity, no matter the task.
ISSN:1539-8706
1539-8706