Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak (1943–2023) was an Indian sociologist. He is known throughout India and the world as the founder of Sulabh International, Sulabh Sanitation Movement and Sulabh Toilets. In 2023, he died due to cardiac arrest at AIIMS, New Delhi.
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Wiki/Biography
He was born on Friday, 2 April 1943 (age at the time of death was 80 years) in village Rampur Baghel, Distt. Vaishali, Bihar. His zodiac sign is Aries. He studied in a government school in Rampur, Bihar. He studied at RDS College in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, National College in Patna and Patna University. In 1964, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from BN College, Patna. He obtained an MA in Sociology in 1980 and an MA in English in 1986. In 1985 he completed his PhD degree and in 1994 he completed his D.Litt.
family and caste
He was born in a Hindu Brahmin family.
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Dr. Rama Kant Pathak, who was an Ayurvedic doctor and his mother’s name is Yogamaya Devi. He was the second among his six siblings. He married Amola in July 1965; She is a resident of Mehnar in Vaishali district of Bihar. He has three children – a son and two daughters.
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak with his wife
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak’s family
livelihood
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak worked hard to solve the problem of open defecation and manual scavenging. To solve this problem he started ‘Sulabh International’ in 1973. Sulabh International is a non-profit organization; Working in the field of ending manual scavenging and spreading cleanliness and hygiene in India. The organization has helped build more than 15 lakh household accessible toilets across India and every day, around 20 million people are using the facility. Toilets at Sulabh Toilets earn more than Rs. 500 crores annually. His trust employs over 50,000 people who manage over 8,500 toilets across India.
An old photo of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak’s sanitation project
In the early stages he faced many obstacles, especially from his family. In an interview he said,
I was about 5 or 6 years old. A woman, who was a Dalit, used to come to our village to sell some household items. One day, I touched her to say something… the whole situation went haywire. My grandmother not only scolded me, but also fed me cow dung, made me drink cow urine and even poured Ganga water on me to ‘purify’ me. The incident left a wound. I began to wonder why Dalits were treated inhumanely, even though their flesh and bones were just like us. I vowed to do something for them when I grow up.
Initially he was hesitant in working with the people of Bhangi-Mukti Cell; Citing his Brahmin family background. Earlier, manual scavenging work in India was mostly done by Dalits. He was inspired by Gandhian principles, so he continued working with that group instead of thinking about casteism. When asked about this group he revealed,
I was initially reluctant to live with people considered ‘untouchable’ by the society because I was a Brahmin, but it was my job so I agreed. However, I was soon impressed by the condition of the manual scavengers… cleaning human waste from pit latrines and carrying it for disposal.”
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak works as a manual scavenger.
On 5 March 1970 he took a loan of Rs. 50,000 and established Sulabh Sanitation Toilet Institute. His first project in this scheme was a 200 square feet office in Patna. Later, to support the scheme, they availed CSR fund assistance from corporates like State Bank of India, ONGC, Maruti, HDFC, Bharti Foundation and others. Its name was changed to Sulabh International in 1980. Everything went well in the beginning, but at one point a crisis situation arose. In an interview he said,
The non-profit needed money to run but there were no orders for toilets. Things got so bad that I had to sell my mother and wife’s jewelery to make ends meet. I was almost bankrupt and had lost all hope.”
The situation became stable in 1973 when he got an order to build two toilets in Arrah district of Bihar and received Rs. 500 rupees from this. Soon, it became one of the profitable businesses in India with lump sum investment. In 1973, Bindeshwar Pathak sought the assistance of MLA Bhagdev Singh ‘Yogi’ to write a letter to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi highlighting the plight of manual scavengers. In response, Gandhi said she would contact the Chief Minister and ask him to address the issue personally.
Awards and Honors
- 2003: Named to the Global 500 Roll of Honor by UNEP; The same year, he received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor Award
- 2004: Dubai International Award for Best Practices in Improving Living Environments
- 2005: Received Good Corporate Citizen Award from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
- 2009: Stockholm Water Prize
- 2015: CNN News-18 Indian of the Year
- 2016: WHO Public Health Champion Award, the same year, he received the Humanitarian Award by the New York Global Leaders Dialogue
- 2017: Golden Peacock Lifetime Achievement Award, the same year, he received the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management.
- 2018: 23rd Nikkei Asia Awards
- 2019: Gandhi Peace Prize
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak receiving the award
- 2024: Padma Vibhushan (second highest civilian award)
Address
Sulabh Bhawan, Mahavir Enclave Palam Dabri Road, New Delhi 110045
Death
Bindeshwar Pathak died of cardiac arrest on 15 August 2023 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He fainted after hoisting the national flag in Independence Day celebrations. He was immediately taken to the hospital; However, he was declared dead at around 1:42 pm.
fact
- He was born in a family that was highly conservative and strongly believed in casteism.
- According to the official website of Sulabh International Social Service Organization, Pathak took inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, their actions and values significantly align with and contribute to the ideals and purposes of the United Nations.
- His grandfather was a well-known astrologer of that time. Dr. Bindeshwar said,
When I was just two years old, my grandfather predicted that I would earn a lot of name and fame in life.
- Being from a Brahmin family, he faced opposition from his family and relatives due to his choice of work. He revealed in an interview
My parents and in-laws, along with society, were angry with me because they found it humiliating for a Brahmin to work for a lower caste, but I set out to achieve Gandhiji’s dreams.
- Sharing an experience from his college days, he said,
I was very shy and introverted in those days. I still remember standing in the queue to enter the college and whenever I reached the gate I would walk out and then stand in the queue again… eventually the gatekeeper caught hold of me and forcefully took me to the principal “Took me inside the office!”
- Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak scored 54 percent marks in the first year of graduation and was awarded a scholarship of Rs 500. 14 per month. Sharing another experience from his college days, he said,
My father used to send money. Rs 25 per month for additional expenses,” I used to stay at my uncle’s house in Patna who took care of my food and accommodation. My friends were nice and took me to movies.”
- After completing his graduation, he joined Gandhi High School as a temporary teacher at a monthly salary of Rs. 80 in his village.
- After his marriage, he left his job as a teacher and joined a thermal power station in Patratu, Ranchi (now in Jharkhand) as an accounts assistant. After that job, he joined his father’s pharmacy business in Muzaffarpur. Later he left that job also.
- When he joined the Bhangi-Mukti (liberation of manual scavengers) cell of Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebration Committee in Patna, he started learning and understanding the real meaning of Gandhian principles. He said,
The committee was mainly involved in spreading Gandhiji’s ideas and freeing manual scavengers from the practice,” explains Pathak. “I gradually started getting attracted towards the ideals of Gandhiji. My whole life changed.”
- Due to his noble works and contribution to the society, he received many honors and achievements. Declared “DR” on 14 April 2016. Bindeshwar Reader’s Day” by Mr. Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City.
- To educate people more about the importance of toilets, his organization runs a toilet museum in New Delhi.
- He appeared in Sony TV’s game show Kaun Banega Crorepati aired on 2 October 2019 (on the special occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi).
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak in KBC
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn