Bhangi is a Hindu caste. Bhangis are traditionally restricted to the two job functions of cleaning latrines and handling dead bodies (both human and animal). "Toilet Cleaner" are also called as manual scavengers and they have to carry it away in a bucket on their head. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Efforts have been made to improve sanitation systems in India, including laws that ban the construction of dry toilets. However Bhangis continue to work in their traditional roles and they continue to face considerable social barriers.

Relations to other Hindu castes

Other caste such as Hindu dhobi (washer-men) and Hindu chamar (leather workers), while fellow Hindu castes are nonethelss considered social above the Bhangi. While nearly universally impoverished, the Bhangis' degraded status is not based on economic standing but rather on long-standing social norms which have delineated relations in Hindu society from Vedic times. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A dhobi is a washerman in India. ... Chamar ( from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent Dalit caste in India. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In recent years as Bhangis have gained political power, some have been able to escape their traditional job constraints to find other types of menial work. This has forced employers to raise pay rates for sanitation work, which in turn has drawn non-Bhangi into these fields.

Brahmins as Bhangis

Even people from caste Brahmin are working as toilet cleaners i.e. traditionally a Hindu Bhangis work. ^[1]. Presently there are around 50 sulabh shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi; all of them are cleaned and looked after by caste Brahmins. It appears the tide of modernism will continue to erode the traditional social hierarchy which has defined Hindu for well over two millenia. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A Brahmin (anglicised from the Sanskrit word IAST ; Devanagari ), also known as Vipra, Dvija, Dvijottama (best of the Dvijas), (god on Earth) is a member of an upper caste within Hindu society. ... Delhi   (Hindi: , Urdu: ‎, Punjabi: ) is a metropolis in northern India. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

• Lesser Humans — Review of a documentary film on the Bhangis

References

1. ^ http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/may/23franc.htm