!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Watch this movie (has English subtitles)!!!!!!!!!! URL ----> Kakkoos
"Kakkoos" (meaning, toilet) is a gut-wrenching documentary film directed by Divya Bharathi, which sheds light on the most inhumane practice** of manual scavenging (a euphemism!). The inspiration for this film comes from a book called "Unseen" by Bhasha Singh. Although this film has been shot in various districts of Tamilnadu, this practice is still being continued in many other states in India.
The film covers the following aspects related to manual scavenging:
"Kakkoos" (meaning, toilet) is a gut-wrenching documentary film directed by Divya Bharathi, which sheds light on the most inhumane practice** of manual scavenging (a euphemism!). The inspiration for this film comes from a book called "Unseen" by Bhasha Singh. Although this film has been shot in various districts of Tamilnadu, this practice is still being continued in many other states in India.
The film covers the following aspects related to manual scavenging:
- What is manual scavenging by definition? Is this definition comprehensive?
- Who is a manual scavenger according to law?
- Entrenched caste-based discrimination as a root cause (or one of the main root causes) of manual scavenging.
- Gender-bias involved
- Associated financial insecurity (another euphemism)
- The stigma associated with this practice, burying any avenues for rehabilitation of families involved in this practice for centuries. This includes ostracizing these families and continuing practice of untouchability in civilized ways.
- How society* enables next generation of manual scavengers (including faults with the "reservation" system and hurdles involved in provision of caste certificate)
- Review of laws that were passed but not enforced
- Loopholes in data collection (census) related to manual scavenging
- About the farce that is swachh bharath
- Medical issues and barbaric deaths associated with manual scavenging which is being reported in a disgustingly inaccurate manner by media
- Path forward in "eradicating" this issue with collective efforts (from society*(?))....
*society = us
** Confident that the use of practice vs. practise is messed up in all/ most instances above.
I had the opportunity to watch a one-hour edited version of this film as part of AID Bay Area's free movie screening event in Milpitas, prompting me to watch the full version. Calling this film gut-wrenching is an understatement. It's a must-watch movie for all of us who take all facilities for granted, including cleaning of septic tanks, public/ private toilets (offices and schools too). Have we ever stopped and given this a moment's worth of thought like how it's been raised in the movie? Personally, it's extremely demoralizing to think that this is an ongoing practice and leaves me paralyzed to think were to even start acting upon this issue as an individual? One of the AID organizers mentioned that they work with a group of manual scavengers in Karnataka, helping their children with rehabilitation by undertaking vocational training. This could be a place to start. The other option that they mentioned is to provide monetary support for their education. But the most striking of all options is to enable them to strengthen their voice in the fight for eradicating this practice as a whole, including breaking down the caste divisions (which will take a long time).
Witness the ongoing atrocities by watching this movie and pass this information on.
Attaching a flyer from the event:
The documentary film Kakoos inflicted a guilty consciousness to me when I saw this movie. We have a new generation of urban people who do not know anything about it. I saw this practice in Ramnad and Madurai when I was young. As it was rightly summarized here, the complication associated with this is much more than what we think. A few months back I was witnessing the speech by Mr. Jakkaiayan, a Leader from the community of people who are practicing manual scavenging. He was telling that the discrimination against us started from the schools. When our children are starting to go to school and while answering the second question they get identified. The Second question being “What’s your father?”, besides first question “What is your name?” The pain they are undergoing is tremendous. No civilized society can have such a class of people whose livelihood depends on this profession. It is good that this film is screened in SF, USA and many of those who migrated to the US from India are talking about this nation, and dreaming of it to be a Vallarasu, the Global Power and they should first see this film to understand where we are at and then think about the global power. Your reflection on this film is good.
ReplyDeleteA good review indeed.. shame on everyone.. are we going to proclaim we are civilized?
ReplyDeleteஇந்த ஆவணப்படம் அமெரிக்காவில் திரையிடப்பட்டு அதை நீ பார்த்து விமர்சித்திருப்பது , சமுதாயப்பிரச்சனைகள் அமெரிக்க வாழ் இந்திய இளைய தலைமுறையின் மீது நம்பிக்கையை ஏற்படுத்துகிறது.
ReplyDeleteஅம்பேத்கர் study circle America விற்கு என் மனமார்ந்த வாழ்த்துக்கள்.
சமுதாய கண்ணோட்டமுள்ள யாரையும் இந்தப்படம் நெகிழ்த்திவிடும்.
இந்திய சமுதாய கட்டமைப்பில் குறிப்பிட்ட சாதியைச்சேர்ந்த மக்கள் மட்டும் மலம் அள்ளும் வேலையை தலைமுறையாக குலத்தொழிலாக செய்தாக வேண்டிய சூழலை இதர மக்கள் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டுள்ள சகஜ மனோபாவம்,
இதைத்தடுக்க போடப்பட்டுள்ள சட்டங்கள் நடைமுறைப்படுத்தபடாமல் உள்ள நிலையில்
சட்டத்தை கறாராக அமல்படுத்தக்கோரும் சமூக ஆர்வலர்கள் மீது தவறான குற்றம் சுமத்தி
சட்டத்தை தங்கள் கையிலெடுத்து ஒடுக்கக்கூடிய ஆட்சியாளர்கள்..
பேய் ஆட்சி செய்தால் பிணம் தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள்...
ஆனால் " யாமார்க்குமல்லோம் நமனையஞ்சோம்" என்ற பாரதியின் கனவுகளை நனவாக்கிய
நம்மிடையே திவ்ய பாரதி....
வாழ்த்துக்கள் என் ப்ரியத்துக்குரிய திவ்யா!!
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