Pedanna on his experience cleaning latrines and sewers for 20 years

On average, one or two sewer cleaners die each week on the job

Manual scavenging outlawed in India, but thousands are still stuck on the job

Few police complaints are ever filed when a sewer cleaner dies at work

Munisamy on how he copes with the disgust and humiliation

Invisible Asia Ep 5: ‘What’s worse than the job is the humiliation we face’

11:56 min

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.

The Straits Times' India correspondent Rohini Mohan shines the spotlight on India's sewer cleaners. As many as a million Dalits - the lowest of the low in India's caste-ridden society - still ply the dangerous trade despite it having been outlawed for years. And they are powerless to escape it.

In a country plagued with millions of choked toilets and drains, these indispensable workers go about their jobs daily without professional equipment, risking death from toxic fumes or drowning in liquid human waste, all to eke a living. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning: 
Pedanna speaks of clearing out human waste in the streets, homes and offices, and of the abuse he faces daily for being a sewer cleaner (0:55)
The Indian government’s efforts to outlaw the dehumanising practice of manual scavenging has served only to force these workers underground (3:24)
Few police complaints are ever filed when a sewer cleaner dies at work, and the workers are often powerless to fight for compensation (5:54)
Senior sewer cleaner Munisamy shares how he copes with the daily disgust and humiliation he faces on the job (9:03)
Munisamy's 17-year-old granddaughter Chandana is among a new generation of Dalits who refuse to be silenced (9:50)

Read the full story by Rohini Mohan: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/whats-worse-than-the-job-is-the-humiliation-we-face

Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Sazali Abdul Aziz, Rohit Brijnath, Penelope Lee, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Discover Invisible Asia Podcast playlist: https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia

Discover Invisible Asia Video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b

Discover ST & BT podcasts:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP

Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt

Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts

https://bt.sg/moneyhacks

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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Discover more niche podcast series by ST and BT below:

Follow BT Money Hacks Podcast on: http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

Follow BT Mark To Market Podcast on: http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt

Follow Health Check Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWaN

Follow Green Pulse Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWaf

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWa7

Follow Lunch With Sumiko Podcast on: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Follow #PopVultures Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWad

Follow Life Weekend Picks Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWa2

Follow #GameOfTwoHalves Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWRE

Follow Bookmark This! Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWas

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#InvisibleAsia

Invisible Asia Ep 5: &lsquo;What&rsquo;s worse than the job is the humiliation we face&rsquo;
11:56 min
Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.
The Straits Times' India correspondent Rohini Mohan shines the spotlight on India's sewer cleaners. As many as a million Dalits - the lowest of the low in India's caste-ridden society - still ply the dangerous trade despite it having been outlawed for years. And they are powerless to escape it.
In a country plagued with millions of choked toilets and drains, these indispensable workers go about their jobs daily without professional equipment, risking death from toxic fumes or drowning in liquid human waste, all to eke a living. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Pedanna speaks of clearing out human waste in the streets, homes and offices, and of the abuse he faces daily for being a sewer cleaner (0:55)</li>
<li>The Indian government&rsquo;s efforts to outlaw the dehumanising practice of manual scavenging has served only to force these workers underground (3:24)</li>
<li>Few police complaints are ever filed when a sewer cleaner dies at work, and the workers are often powerless to fight for compensation (5:54)</li>
<li>Senior sewer cleaner Munisamy shares how he copes with the daily disgust and humiliation he faces on the job (9:03)</li>
<li>Munisamy's 17-year-old granddaughter Chandana is among a new generation of Dalits who refuse to be silenced (9:50)</li>
</ol>
Read the full story by Rohini Mohan: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/whats-worse-than-the-job-is-the-humiliation-we-face">https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/whats-worse-than-the-job-is-the-humiliation-we-face</a>
Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Sazali Abdul Aziz, Rohit Brijnath, Penelope Lee, Ernest Luis &amp; Adam Azlee
Edited by: Adam Azlee
Discover Invisible Asia Podcast playlist: <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia">https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia</a>
Discover Invisible Asia Video playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b</a>
Discover ST &amp; BT podcasts:
Channel:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWVR">https://str.sg/JWVR</a>
Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE3goVnd7kXZdhGUBsv0tilzvQc5w">https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU</a>
Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHg25gDkJn167Fbf-I-qRhDKrKZrQ">https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP</a>
Google podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="http://str.sg/googlestbt" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/googlestbt&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHTAwJU9ckaX5r4SRWmuRkGgVVFBQ">http://str.sg/googlestbt</a>
Websites:&nbsp;<a href="http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFkQuuxOSaTGtQa1ULD9LO6eFiotA">http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts</a>
<a href="https://bt.sg/moneyhacks" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bt.sg/moneyhacks&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHD4ovEIO6tmRhNV15Q4x9YzyJcmA">https://bt.sg/moneyhacks</a>
Feedback to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>&nbsp;
---
Discover more niche podcast series by ST and BT below:
Follow BT Money Hacks Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks">http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks</a>
Follow BT Mark To Market Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt">http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt</a>
Follow Health Check Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Follow Green Pulse Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Follow Lunch With Sumiko Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/J6hQ" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/J6hQ&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1604121592032000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG83H6KB4Ijg1sND-Ork6G7d7pJQQ">https://str.sg/J6hQ</a>
Follow #PopVultures Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Follow Life Weekend Picks Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWa2">https://str.sg/JWa2</a>
Follow #GameOfTwoHalves Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
Follow Bookmark This! Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWas">https://str.sg/JWas</a>
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#InvisibleAsia

Synopsis: Our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases our discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, money, career, sports, pop culture and music. 

Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases our discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, money, career, sports, pop culture and music. 
Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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