Ganga and Gandagi: Interpretations of Pollution and Waste in Benaras

摘要: This essay examines interpretations of city waste by variously located Hindu residents Benaras, a pilgrimage place and urban center in north-central India. The focus draws out views about the impact on river Ganga addresses tensions played community as government agencies develop category environmental pollution official policy. Treating both power struggle processes that shape each other (Haynes Prakash 1991:13), this article shows how theories purity figure management debates public uses Ganga. Very few anthropological accounts have treated social construct or problem, these most examined risks industrial (Douglas Wildavsky 1982; Fitchen 1987,1989; Shkilnyk 1985). Waste disposal systems drawn even less interest from development, ecological, anthropologists. disregard inattention may be attributed to unpleasant nature (it is smelly, menacing, culturally neutral) possibility communities anthropologists who study them not perceived valued accumulation 1985; Curtis 1992). But ideologies formulated national global politics innovations infrastructure currently prompt responses which warrant analytical attention. aim here document residents' its vis-a-vis historical transformation policies projects management. method ensures problems defined can understood within context changing infrastructure. Positions taken informants reflect different reworkings tradition policy practice they are against (Hobsbawm Ranger 1983; Rudolph 1967). Some expressions, while revealing political alienation, constitute nonconfrontational forms contestation state (Adas 1992; Haynes 1991; Scott By approaching efforts define contain struggles linked sacred purity, it possible distinguish sources knowledge explanations for relationship between waste, more appropriately, gandagi. These distinctions help sort conflicts posed debates. THE SETTING, INFORMANTS, AND CONCEPTUAL AXES Benaras historically curing; temples, shrines, wells possess capacity cure, protect, assuage human suffering (Arnold 1989:259). Called Varanasi discourse, holds resident population over 2 million absorbs approximately 40,000 visitors every day. oldest part situated western bank Flights steps give people access flows glacial formations Himalayas. assists those come her spiritual nourishment, permanent residence, passage next world. Together an important complex Hindus (see Eck MotiChandra Saraswati 1975; Vidyarthi et al. 1979). ghats, flights line riverbank at were primary setting research; settings included homes offices informants. An arena some acclaim travelogues, colonial reports, ethnography (cf. Hakluyt 1903 [1599]; Havell 1905; Parry 1980; 1979), ghats serve occupational locale many work closely with A space congregation economic livelihood, also where witness form opinions sewage On across India various nation-states gather, perform their respective practices, interact strangers. …