Two terms that we must bury for good
India crop up: 'rat mining', and 'manual scavengers/scavenging'. On the face of it, what they are called doesn't matter. But they do colour every aspect of both professions — and the professionals.
Let's take 'rat mining', or (as if to make it a bit better) 'rat-hole mining'. Sure, it's a 'technical' term that those engaging in it — such as the 12 manual diggers who, in the end, rescued the 41 workers trapped under the collapsed section of the Silkyara tunnel for 17 days — don't care either way about. But associating manual boring with rats tunnelling into the earth has its own rank, verminous connotations.
And, remember, caste still has its own 'creature classifications'. Until rats gain a better status in the animal metaphor hierarchy, 'rat mining' will have its demeaning overtones.
Then there is 'manual scavenger'. While 'scavenging' may be quite the right word to describe 'searching for and collecting anything usable from discarded waste', 'scavengers' take on a hyenic, vulturine hue.
The term entrenches the dehumanising practice of cleaning drains without machinery that should be banned de facto, not just de jure. Our demand? Call 'rat-mining' professionals 'manual diggers'. And do away with both the job and term of the other one.
