by MARK MAGNIER
Ganga Gohel, 80, works in Ahmadabad’s gold district. “You try bending and sweeping the streets like her,” one bullion seller says. “You’d feel the pain too.” Mark Magnier/LA Times
In Ahmadabad, a city famous for its jewelry, dhul dhoyas, or dust washers, eke out a living by collecting precious dirt outside gold shops.
Like her mother and grandmother before her, Ganga Gohel, 80, crouches in a narrow alley, carefully working an 8-inch brush over the cracked concrete with gnarled hands, her back permanently bent after a lifetime on the job.
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Adding to Gohel and Kasmeera’s burden is their status as Dalits, or members of the so-called untouchable caste. Pedestrians have insulted them, bruised them and knocked them over, particularly Gohel with her tiny frame. But Gohel has carried on for 65 years, carefully guiding every last speck of dirt into her dustbin with practiced efficiency.
The pair are among 200 or so dhul dhoyas working this part of the gold district. Many families have cleaned the same street for generations, jealously guarding their turf against interlopers.
Gohel makes about $135 a month, Kasmeera slightly less. It’s dreary work. But Gohel and her husband, who died six years ago — “a drunkard who battered me every day, but at least he helped a bit” — raised two daughters and a son on the dust.
It’s been a constant struggle. Her daughter-in-law died and Kasmeera’s husband abandoned the family, leaving Gohel with five grandchildren to help raise in a tiny two-room house.
Los Angeles Times for more
(Thanks to Asghar Vasanwala; his comment: “Only corrupt officials, unscrupulous businessmen, bootleggers etc. have made most money in so hyped swarm Gujarat. For ordinary citizens, life is very hard.”)