Aiding the society as a janitor (bhangi)

Since times immemorial, humans and other animals have produced and discharged a variety of unwanted materials (garbage, excrement etc.) as an essential part of their existence. Improper handling of these substances has often resulted in the pollution of their surroundings and environment. Human activity and resource consumption have increased enormously with the increase in population resulting in greater amounts of refuse being dumped everywhere. Problems of garbage disposal and waste management are becoming quite serious all over the world.

In the past, a society or a community would face fewer difficulties in the disposal of garbage including human waste. Job of cleaning a place or getting rid of unwanted materials was undertaken by the local people. Sometimes such task would also be assigned to a migrant (shudra and transient) who would be paid in goods or money to fulfil this very important need. This was recognized as an essential service for the benefit of both the individual (providing the service) and the society (being served). It was totally in agreement with Hinduism, which recommends the importance of internal and external cleansing (e.g. indicated in the Gita: Ch. 13, V. 7). Hindu scriptures (including the Vedas) also advise people to earn their own livelihood through honest means, and not become idlers or parasites on others. Ancient stories, such as of the noble king Harish Chandra, describe that even the once high and mighty (the kshatriyas or brahmins by profession originally) could fall victims to unfavorable circumstances resulting in the loss of their privileged positions, and had to undertake menial jobs (cleaning the crematoriums etc.). This shows that a vocation (caste, varna) or job is basically just a means to make a living.

Note also that the important activity (vocation), known as bhangi (janitor), has the local origins everywhere (including among the Hindus) because of its very fundamental and universal nature. Cleanliness (including the domestic and residential) was recognized in all cultures since the very beginning without any significant help or input from outside. From time to time, though, a person belonging to certain community might seek the assistance of a needy outsider (shudra). For the newcomer this was a good and honest way to start vocationally in a society, and earn an honest living while providing an essential service to others the same time. Such work not only fulfilled the community's need, but also enhanced it aesthetically through cleaning a home, place or area.

In terms of the four ancient Vedic vocations (brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra) also the janitorial (bhangi's) work signifies important needs and choices. This vocation represents either the vaishya (if a janitor operates as an independent business) or the shudra (if the janitor provides services as a wage employee or laborer). Note here, the amount of remuneration paid to a janitor for the work performed does not determine his / her vocational class (vaishya or shudra, for example). It is the manner in which he / she provides the service to the client that points to his / her role in a certain vocation (caste). Similarly, the janitorial (bhangi's) work does not signify any hypothetical fifth Vedic vocation (caste or varna) such as dalit (meaning literally the 'down-trodden', which has nothing to do with the type, need and choice of any particular vocation or job) and supposedly comprising of bhangies etc.

The janitorial work or cleaning (performed by anyone) is needed and appreciated everywhere. It is an extremely valuable social service (e.g. provided also by the janitors in the western countries) that should be properly recognized and compensated. Note that its idea or concept did not originate from any particular ancient personality or philosophy. It was important to people of all beliefs and cultures. Fundamentally, this work represents a timeless human and social need. Even today Hindus (such as the children of brahmin, kshatriya or vaishya parents in India) go to America or Europe as immigrants (or shudra), and work there sometimes as janitors (bhangi or cleaner) to earn money to live on. They rightly ought to be proud of making an honest living that way. Moreover, by doing this work they fulfil a very important need (for cleaners) in their new adopted land (society) while beautifying (cleaning) the place at the same time. No one can really say that all these newcomers to the western countries are motivated into working as janitors by some particular personality from the distant past (e.g. Ezekiel). To the contrary, all their activity (as bhangi or janitor) is purely for personal gain. The same thing is true about the bhangies in India, and they do not represent or belong to any janitorial tradition or lineage emanating outside India long ago.