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This book attempts to delineate certain facets of the practice of manual scavenging in India by understanding how the concept and need for ´cleanliness´ can be historically traced from its functionality within the caste system, to its consumption in the modern political economy. This book also probes into the relation between work and democracy, by including the ´rational´ choice of work within the premise of political participation. As a focus of ethical activism, this book also addresses issues of pathology evident from the inability of different state regimes to put an end to this practice despite continual efforts and periodical investments for rehabilitation of manual scavengers. This book shall be of particular interest to students of industrial sociology, urban studies, political science and consumption theories.

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Chandan Bose is currently a research scholar at the Asian Heritage Foundation, New Delhi. His interests include traditional knowledge systems of India, itinerant cultures and identity formation.

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