The Story of Classism in Modern Nagpur – Through Toilets

It is 2023 and yet the social evils haunt our society. Racism and casteism are the two most debated social evils and are always under heavy criticism.

However, another social evil, of the same destructive proportion, has been often neglected i.e. CLASSISM. It is the oppression or discrimination towards a person based on their social or economic class. The phenomenon of classism is always lingering in our so-called modern Nagpur. It has been normalized within our society in a way that it is no longer seen as a problem but as a way of life.

Divided by Toilets

It is normal in the residential societies of Nagpur to have a common toilet for the administrative and security staff. These toilets are also supposed to be used by the house helps, or as they are lovingly called, the Bai. The house help sweeps and mops the houses of the residents, clean their dirty dishes, and wash their muddy clothes. There is normally more than one Bai working in multiple houses in a residential society.

However, when it comes to relieving themselves, some residents insist that the house helps use the common toilets and not the toilet at their home. It is a classic example of classism when a Bai is asked to use the common toilet because she is considered not as hygienic as the residents of the society due to her social status. She is considered lower class and it is largely assumed that because some lower class people live in slums, personal hygiene is something they do not pay heed to.

Such assumptions are rarely questioned by other family members or fellow residents. It is not even questioned by the house help as such behavior is deeply ingrained in our society.

Most of these common toilets are no better than public toilets. There is always a stench of piss emanating from them and they are rarely cleaned, always moist, and a potpourri of bacterial infections. For the upper class who use hygiene to justify classism, this act of hypocrisy is always ignored.

Classism is different from racism or casteism. While racism and casteism are mostly spread due to ignorance and illiteracy, classism is prevalent among the educated who are under the false pretense that class is a tool for discrimination.

Discrimination based on salary, type of work, and cheap clothes is some of the common examples, which are unfortunately tolerated by the ones against whom it is done. Acceptance of such acts only propagates it deeper into our social fabric.

Tolerance is a feature of our culture, but intolerance to classism is the need of the hour. Like racism and casteism, classism creates a deep divide in society. However, it is even more dangerous as it goes unchecked.

Until basic classist structures such as toilets, workplaces, education institutes, etc. are not rid of the feeling of superiority complex among the elite and inferiority complex among the victims, this social evil will spread and deteriorate our society.