Sulabh International founder and social activist Bindeshwar Pathak died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Tuesday. The 80-year-old social reformer passed away due to cardiac arrest. His work has been hailed as a social reform pioneer, particularly in the areas of sanitation and hygiene. He has also received various national and international awards for his work with this organization.
'Toilet Man of India'
A pioneer of public toilets in India, Bindeshwar Pathak came to be known as the "Toilet Man of India" long before the Swachch Bharat Mission made toilets a part of public discourse, even as he was often ridiculed, including by his father-in-law, for the work he was doing. Even though he was frequently made fun of for his efforts, even by his father-in-law, Bindeshwar Pathak, a pioneer of public toilets in India, earned the sobriquet "Toilet Man of India" much before the Swachch Bharat Mission made toilets a part of public discourse.
Know about Sulabh International
He founded Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in 1970 and it became synonymous with public toilets and activism against open defecation in no time. The organisation works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. Sulabh toilet transformed sanitation practices and gave millions of people access to hygienic and dignified restrooms. His aim included a broader goal of removing the stigma attached to manual scavenging and improving the lives of those who had long been marginalised by society. His vision went beyond technology.
Sulabh is synonymous with public restrooms
Pathak successfully raised awareness of the need for good sanitation and hygiene through his tenacious advocacy and creative initiatives, making a substantial contribution to disease prevention and improved public health. In India, the name Sulabh is synonymous with public restrooms. Pathak also started the Sulabh initiative for widows which was meant to emancipate them from all kinds of deprivations, restrictions and humiliations. Pathak has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 1991, Stockholm Water Prize for his contributions towards his work in 2009, and Sulabh International awarded Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2016 jointly with Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Who was Bindeshwar Pathak?
Bindeshwar Pathak was originally from Vaishali district of Bihar. His native village was Rampur Baghel. He made so much effort to end the practice of manual scavenging. He first came to understand the plight of scavengers in 1968 when he joined the Bhangi-Mukti (scavengers’ liberation) Cell of the Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebrations Committee. According to the information received, Sulabh International has about 8500 toilets and bathrooms across the country. From setting up an English medium School in Delhi for children of manual scavengers to providing financial assistance to the abandoned widows in Vrindavan or establish a museum of toilets in the national capital, Pathak and his Sulabh have always worked towards the upliftment of the marginalised.
(With inputs from PTI)
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