Inspiring story of the ‘Toilet Man Of India’: A Brahmin Who Built 1,000,000 Toilets for the Poor!

This is an inspiring story of the ‘Toilet Man Of India’: A Brahmin Who Built 1,000,000 Toilets for the Poor! In India, a Brahmin man building a toilet carries important social meaning. Brahmins are high in the caste system, known for roles like priests and scholars. Traditionally, they avoided manual labor, especially sanitation work. But now, a Brahmin man making a toilet shows changing views on equality, access to necessities, and cleanliness. This shift highlights how society is evolving, valuing fairness and hygiene for everyone.

Who was the Toilet Man of India?

India’s visionary and advocate for social change, Bindeshwar Pathak, known as the “Toilet Man”. Bindeshwar Pathak was born on 2nd April 1943 in Bihar. He devoted a large part of his life to providing toilet and sanitary facilities to numerous families in India. He focused on making our country practice cleanliness by building public toilets and helping the citizens practise cleanliness for a healthy living condition.

From an early age, he showed great sense of empathy for the marginalised section of the society. He observed that social phenomena like untouchability and caste discrimination was prevalent in Indian Society and talked about a comprehensive method to address this situation.

Bindeshwar Pathak was the Indian Sociologist who took initiative to build more than one million toilets in India. He left an incredible mark on the global community through his unwavering contribution to eradicating social disparities and promoting hygiene and sanitation. Bindeshwar Pathak passed away on 15th August 2023, at the age of 80.

Bindeshwar Pathak: Journey To The Transformation

Bindeshwar Pathak was born in a Brahmin family and therefore his actions for this innovation were not accepted by his family as something like a toilet was considered untouchable and dirty for his community. He set up public toilets and gave utmost importance to sanitation and eventually earned the title of ‘Toilet Man’. One of his biggest contributions apart from sanitation was abolishing untouchability completely from society.

Pathak observed a connection between not having proper sanitation and the ongoing caste discrimination among the people. In 1970, he founded the Sulabh International Movement, an NGO,  which aimed to provide affordable and accessible sanitation facilities to all, regardless of their social status. This not only improved public health but also challenged the deeply ingrained caste norms by involving members of all communities in the construction and maintenance of these facilities. 

Abolishing Untouchability

Bindeshwar Pathak saw the plight of the people who had the job of removing human waste from dry toilets. Over a period of time, he lived with these groups of people for his PhD studies during the 1960s. This community was forgotten and left out by the other elite people. He believed that this practice was not only unjust but also detrimental for the growth and progress of the society.

Moved by this, he took initiative to eradicate untouchability and bring proper sanitation to the country. He made this possible through building public toilets and toilets in homes. Through his leadership, Pathak convinced the members of the higher class to engage more in sanitation and hygiene activities and thereby abolishing the foundation of caste based hierarchy.

Three years after the establishment of Sulabh International, he built the first public toilet in Arrah of Bihar, his home state Sulabh Built more than 1.3 million household toilets and 10000 public toilets since then.

Impacts of the Movement

The initiative caused so many impacts on the society and slowly Pathak gained recognition around the country. His influence also helped in creating toilet complexes for the urban poor and those who reside in slum areas, providing them with bath and laundry areas. It is later seen that more than 2 million people use them everyday.

The innovative toilet designs that Bindeshwar Pathak pioneered  involve linking Sulabh’s sanitation facilities to fermentation setups for biogas production, and now it has become widely adopted in numerous underdeveloped countries. He was awarded with numerous awards including the Padma Bhushan and the Stockholm Water Prize for his exceptional contribution in the field.

He not only gained recognition in India but also internationally that it encouraged similar initiatives to take place in different countries. The Sulabh Sanitation Movement has not only improved the lives of countless individuals but also brought attention to the importance of sanitation and hygiene on a global scale. 

The Lasting Legacy

Bindeshwar Pathak’s demise will leave a lasting impression on the minds of the people whose life has been influenced by him.  His long lasting legacy will continue to influence change makers around the world. His approach to addressing social issues with innovation, determination, and empathy serves as a blueprint for how lasting change can be achieved.

Pathak’s legacy encourages us to confront the most challenging problems facing society and to strive for a more just and equitable world. Even though he left this world, we should be always aware that his mission does not end here with him. His works led to the creation of a foundation for a compassionate society and it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to carry on that legacy with them.

Bindeshwar Pathak’s life can be summarised as a testament to the power of one individual’s determination to bring about social changes and transformation which was looked up by the whole world. His journey reflects a story of hope, resilience, and the capacity of the human spirit to create a lasting impact on the world.