The True(st) Heroes of Society We Actually Barely Acknowledge

They deserve as much respect and honor as our soldiers, firefighters, and frontline health workers

The True(st) Heroes of Society We Actually Barely Acknowledge
“Group of breaker boys” by Hine, Lewis on RawPixel

As the acid fumes stung my lungs, I fled, holding my breath.

But alternating between coughs and heavy breaths, he continued. Sensing our discomfort, he shut himself inside and soldiered on. After three hours of diligent labor, he left the toilet bowls and wash basins sparkling like a toothpaste model’s smile.

Only after another hour of Lysol-flushing, re-rinsing, moist-wiping, and hot-showering did it strike me — this bi-monthly “ordeal” of ours was his daily living reality.

Scrubbing bathrooms for 9–10 hours a day, amidst harsh chemical fumes, he makes around $500 a month. Given the median Indian income of $422, it’s not paltry.

But at what cost? Years, if not decades, shaved off his lifespan. The “menial worker” social stamp. Amplified risk of skin and lung diseases, especially cancer. Condescending looks and treatment from the so-called “upper classes”.

The habitual Paan aka Betel-quid chewing — promoted by the money-hungry celebs he idolizes — only worsens the health risks. Did I mention he didn’t even use a mask until we offered him one?

The bathroom-cleaning professional diligently working away — and the post-cleaning results.
Even the harshest of stains couldn’t withstand the acid and his perseverance (Collage by the author)

As love and compassion for him arose, so did an epiphany — revealing the true glory of a whole stratum of society we normally look down upon. 

Deeper still, I realized why this stratum deserves just as much honor and respect as the “celebrated” class — soldiers, firefighters, fighter pilots, and frontline medical workers.

Finally, I’ll close with 5 practical shifts this POV reversal translates to — for me, you, and eventually, society as a whole. Because, as Mahatma Gandhi said

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

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