It is highly disconcerting that many NGOs, researchers, and reporters have made a habit of visually documenting the prevalence of manual cleaning of dry toilets in many parts of this country and then leaving with their “hard-hitting” images, videos, and interviews, without doing anything to pull those people out of their misery. While reporting on such matters with hard data is important, it cannot be the end of the road. In this day and age, this abhorrent practice should not continue. Here is one way to do something about it. All such paths should be explored.

NGOs, journalists, and researchers have ample data on how many dry toilet cleaners there are and where they are. Far too many.

All these people need a monthly allowance to immediately cease doing this “work”.

Enough NGOs exist that are working in this field, many with FCRA certification. Their bank accounts can be used to raise funds to help every last dry toilet cleaner exit this feudal profession.

Crowdsourcing platforms can also be used to get money directly into the accounts of beneficiaries. Where beneficiaries don’t have bank accounts, they need to be helped to open them.

However, crowdsourcing platforms by themselves do not provide enough exposure to such campaigns. Most, if not all, the people engaged in doing this work do not have social media accounts with a large following. They would need support from large accounts and networks to get their individual fundraising campaigns enough attention.

Of course, collaborative community fundraising campaigns would be preferable since they would lift larger numbers of people out of this situation faster.

With the help of Sulabh and other such organisations, toilets and sewage systems for settlements plagued with this problem can be built. Dry septic tanks MUST be ended.

It is necessary to give the manual scavengers a monthly allowance so that they can immediately cease doing this “work”. Ideally, there should be legal provisions to grant a monthly salary to anybody who is engaged in manual scavenging. The income should be just so they can quit. With this money and through other programs, they should be helped to build other lives over a 5 to 10 year period so that there is no question of having to return to such dehumanising jobs.

Will the government dare stop money from flowing into this campaign and cancel the FCRA certification of NGOs who mobilise funds for this?

Indians and others working on Dalit Rights in the First World should be exhorted to raise funds. Currency conversion would go a long way in raising sufficient funds fast enough.

It is imperative that no one involved in such efforts should embezzle any funds. Transparency and accountability should be maintained down to the last penny.

In really poor villages this might cause bitterness in other castes that they are not getting any money. They should be assured that this is good even for them as they will get better infrastructure for their settlement.

Crucially, the amount has to be livable, not mere tokenism.

Sadly there is no movement for universal basic income in India. But this issue is one of the strongest arguments in favour of UBI. And a very good place to start.

The Change Project is just a fledgling initiative that does not have any resources or staff. Hopefully, like-minded groups, individuals, and political parties can be brought together to precipitate a campaign like this. We will keep working on this issue till manual cleaning of dry toilets has been eradicated.