Aspirations Changes Perception

Our society is helped by a class of people who are the sanitary workers. Earlier they used to be known in a more demeaning term by way of scavengers. Due to their untiring efforts and the sometimes thankless job they have helped our surroundings to become more liveable. What compensation they receive is paltry in comparison to the dangers they face up to, in their personal levels. Our protagonist, Bilwa was the son of a sanitary working couple.

Biwa's family was a three-generation or more of sanitary workers. Earlier they being known as scavengers used to live as social outcasts and untouchables on the periphery of villages and towns. Biwa's grandparents and their parents used to clean the manual toilets by their bare hands and carry the night soil in vats on their heads. During those times there was no luxury of private attached toilets and septic tanks. Now in these modern times of vastly improved living conditions, their status has become more inclusive. They are now employed by the municipalities with good emoluments and retirement benefits. The government has done a lot for the betterment of their lives although still, a lot remains to be done. Even then there was some ostracism attached to their progeny. People's minds sometimes carry forward the toxicity of the earlier generations.

Biwa's parents though being school dropouts ensured that Bilwa got his quota of education. Now there were government-aided schools which were free till class eight. The schools had various extracurricular activities like sports, music, dance, and theatre. A student had the choice of following any other activity along with his or her studies. Bilwa liked sports and played football and sometimes volleyball after school.

Bilwa also liked to help his parents in their daily work. He along with his parents collected the garbage from the city roads and neighborhoods in municipality-provided wheelbarrows. These barrows they unloaded at the various mechanized crushers installed around the city under the solid waste management program of the municipality. Bilwa used to like doing this job and helping his parents who both were employed by the municipality. Thanks to the ongoing government program on cleanliness these sanitary workers or ' safai karamcharis' importance in society had increased manifold. They were now part of a "Swach Bharat Abhiyan" or Clean India Movement. So now their standing in the society had improved hugely.

Although his parents liked being helped by Bilwa but they wished that their son should grow up to take up a decent job and not manual scavenging. Because the facilities now which Bilwa and others got like education and sports were unthinkable in their parent's growing up times.

After the morning work was over Bilwa came home with his parents and got ready to go to the school. Because municipal workers' work was over as the day got older. Bilwa liked going to school because there he got to eat khichdi and other stuff provided by the school. The government now provided food for school students to induce them to continue their education.

After school, he played football with his friends.

Soon he came to know that the school was appointing a football coach to train the students. A football team would be built for the boys and one for the girls. Bilwa liked playing football. After football was over the players were provided with snacks and soft drinks.

As the training became intense Bilwa started showing qualities of a good footballer. His coach became his mentor and motivator. Soon there were competitions where Bilwa participated. Bilwa slowly became the icon of his town. He was selected to play in the district championships. These competitions proved to be his nursery for a great football career ahead.

The local administration got to notice Bilwa's growing talent. He was sent to train in the football academy of the seniors in the nearby metro. This was the first time anybody from Bilwa's family had gone out to another town. He went by train at government paid expenses. This was a big event in the sanitary worker's colony where Bilwa lived. Bilwa was now a hero in his neighborhood. Younger kids now idolized him. The elders in the colony constantly kept talking about Bilwa's achievements. Because they had never could think of a life other than scavenging, other than carrying night soil on their heads. They felt very motivated and happy that their lives were slowly changing at last and for the better. The society 's mindset was changing and the lucky beneficiaries were these sanitary workers.

At the training academy, Bilwa battled it out on the football ground with big professional players. For some people " Fortune favors the bold" becomes applicable. Bilwa was the lucky few to whom the above adage worked. Success showered its blessings on Bilwa. Although he had to train hard and play even harder Bilwa was fully committed. He did not feel any tension or pressure that could wear him off.

The time was ripe for professional football in the country.

A countrywide Super Soccer league was started with many corporate sponsors with big prize money. A good player was now made to participate in an auction where he was given a price according to his merit and potential. The price went up to seven figures and club owners and the sponsors were not reluctant to loosen the purse strings.

Our Bilwa was a beneficiary of one lucrative deal worth few crores of rupees. This was big news for Bilwa's family and friends and all the residents of his humble colony. His parents had to wait for the good feeling to sink in. After all their family was treated as social outcasts even a few decades ago. Due to untouchability, they had been confined to live in the margins of the city. Even though through their tireless efforts the city and town were rid of garbage and filth. But still, they had been marginalized for centuries. Now all this marginalisation and ostracism had ended with the glowing success of Bilwa. Also, the phenomenal amount of money Bilwa would be earning, the family could dream to live a life free of scavenging and pity of others. How aspirations can change human mindset and perception. The descendant of night soil carriers would now live life king size personified. Goodbye scavenging and welcome to good times.