Bhangi
Encyclopedia
Bhangi is an India
n caste
or jāti
traditionally treated as untouchable
, and was historically restricted to three occupations: cleaning latrines, sweeping, and scavenging (which sometimes involves handling dead bodies). They prefer to be known as Balmiki. Pejoratively called "Toilet Cleaners", as it was their traditional profession, Bhangis had to carry human waste away in buckets on their heads. In the traditional Indian caste system, professions were passed on from parents to children, thus a child born in Bhangi family was forced into this profession mostly for economic reasons.
Efforts have been made to improve sanitation systems in India, including laws that ban the construction of dry toilets, and the manual removal of human waste. However Bhangis, who are numerous throughout India, continue to work in their traditional roles and they continue to face severe social barriers, discrimination
, and hate crimes. The Bhangi community includes a number of sub-division such as the Hela
.
caste such as Dhobi
(washer-men) and Chamar
(leather workers), are considered socially above the Bhangi. These upper sub-castes among Dalits would not interact with lower-order Bhangis, who have been described as "outcasts even among outcasts". Even though most Bhangis are devout Hindus, some Bhangis have converted to Christianity in an attempt to escape the social stigma.
In Gujarat, Makarand Paranjape
, A.M., PhD when he was researching the Bhangi of the Swadhyaya tradition, a Bhangi member said to him, "I am a Bhangi, but I also do the work of a Brahmin. A Brahmin is one who spreads knowledge, sanskars; so I too am a Brahmin. I go on Bhakti pheris to spread the liberating message of Svadhyaya. So I am a Bhangi-Brahmin."
Sanjeev Khudshah is a Bhangi motivational speaker, writer & sociologist. He wrote a book about scavenger community from India named "SAFAI KAMGAR SAMUDAY" This book has been included in Washington University of America for study of scavenger community from India.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
or jāti
Jati
Jāti is the term used to denote clans, tribes, communities and sub-communities in India. It is a term used across religions. In Indian society each jāti typically has an association with a traditional job function or tribe, although religious beliefs Jāti (in Devanagari: जाति Tamil:சாதி) (the...
traditionally treated as untouchable
Untouchability
Untouchability is the social practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers...
, and was historically restricted to three occupations: cleaning latrines, sweeping, and scavenging (which sometimes involves handling dead bodies). They prefer to be known as Balmiki. Pejoratively called "Toilet Cleaners", as it was their traditional profession, Bhangis had to carry human waste away in buckets on their heads. In the traditional Indian caste system, professions were passed on from parents to children, thus a child born in Bhangi family was forced into this profession mostly for economic reasons.
Efforts have been made to improve sanitation systems in India, including laws that ban the construction of dry toilets, and the manual removal of human waste. However Bhangis, who are numerous throughout India, continue to work in their traditional roles and they continue to face severe social barriers, discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, and hate crimes. The Bhangi community includes a number of sub-division such as the Hela
Hela
Hela can stand for:* Hela, an ancient name for Sri Lanka* Hela , a name for the Sinhala people of Sri Lanka* Hela a Hindu caste found in North India* HeLa cells derived from Henrietta Lacks...
.
Relations to other castes
Fellow Indian sub-castes even within the lowest DalitDalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
caste such as Dhobi
Dhobi
The Dhobi are a caste group found in Pakistan and India who specialize in washing clothes. The word Dhobi is derived from Hindi word dhona, which means to wash. They are found throughout North India, Gujarat, Maharashtra as well as the Punjab province of Pakistan, where they are known as Gazar...
(washer-men) and Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
(leather workers), are considered socially above the Bhangi. These upper sub-castes among Dalits would not interact with lower-order Bhangis, who have been described as "outcasts even among outcasts". Even though most Bhangis are devout Hindus, some Bhangis have converted to Christianity in an attempt to escape the social stigma.
Achievements
Although the Bhangis traditionally have a lower status, there have been Bhangis that are recognized as Hindu saints. For example, Maharshi Naval Ram and his successors Daya Ram Maharaj (his son), Ram Baksh Maharaj and the present-day Badri Ram Maharaj are important Hindu figures. Saint Umaid Ram Maharaj and his successors Sukaram Maharaj, Deepa Ram Maharaj and the present-day Mangeshwar Ram Maharaj are important Hindu figures as well.In Gujarat, Makarand Paranjape
Makarand Paranjape
Makarand Paranjape is an Indian poet and professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.-Early life and education:...
, A.M., PhD when he was researching the Bhangi of the Swadhyaya tradition, a Bhangi member said to him, "I am a Bhangi, but I also do the work of a Brahmin. A Brahmin is one who spreads knowledge, sanskars; so I too am a Brahmin. I go on Bhakti pheris to spread the liberating message of Svadhyaya. So I am a Bhangi-Brahmin."
Sanjeev Khudshah is a Bhangi motivational speaker, writer & sociologist. He wrote a book about scavenger community from India named "SAFAI KAMGAR SAMUDAY" This book has been included in Washington University of America for study of scavenger community from India.
External links
- Lesser Humans — Review of a documentary film on the Bhangis