Battle of Broom: Sweeping Mindsets

Vernica Goel

The foul smell of the drain is like rose petals; the dumping site with nothing but garbage piled is a sight for sore eyes; the sound of sweeping is music to my ears; the sharp thorns in the grass used to cover my body are as smooth as silk; the air filled with dust and dirt is fresh; Because sweeping and cleaning is my purpose, my destiny, my life.

—Broom (Jhadu)

The birth of a broom takes place in the narrow lanes of the rural areas in Rajasthan and the by-lanes of Jodhpur city. The life of a broom will evoke a new emotion at every step. Sadness will hit you when you discover the reality of the caste system prevalent amongst broom-makers, garbage collectors, and municipal sweepers of India. Rage will surround you when you know about the age-old tale of the gender, socio-economic, political, and cultural division in these industries. Curiosity will arise when you read about the stories of countless superstitions associated with the most humble and inconspicuous object of everyday life.

The struggles and resilience of the people who make brooms are very real. They work without a roof over their heads. They clean houses, offices, and roads without access to clean drinking water. They are called “untouchables.” Yet they do it every day because it is their livelihood. It is how they provide food for their families of ten or more. But this is not a livelihood they chose. This is a vicious circle of poverty they were born into and are forced to stay in. India became independent in 1947, but these Indian citizens, the most downtrodden caste groups, have never tasted that freedom.

The most disappointing part is what they experience daily—political apathy, untouchability, meager earnings, harassment, and humiliation by the hands of other Indian citizens who are supposed to be their brothers and sisters, per the National Pledge. The so-called upper and middle-class people are either blinded by their privilege or hiding behind the infamous line, “Yeh to kaafi saalo se hota aa raha h,” This has been happening for so many years that they forget the fact they are all humans at the end of the day. In communities like Jain, Aggarwal, Brahmin, Harijan, Akhateej Bhils, Bagaria, Bhatadia, and others, it is constitutionally unlawful to mistreat or discriminate against the untouchables, but the social norm is still prevalent in our society.

When people can’t justify their actions and behaviour on moral grounds, they hide behind a thick veil of prevalent superstition as if sanctified by their holy books, the authenticity of which is impossible to prove.

They have their reasons to believe in superstitions, however logical or illogical. Sweeping early morning to erase the footsteps of the devils that were out at night; not sweeping after sunset as it is supper time for God Bavasi and the dust might go onto His plate; neither sweeping for at least 24 hours after the wedding of a daughter because you don’t want to erase her footsteps nor giving her a broom as a gift as it brings Lakshmi (money) and you don’t wish to give it away; not stepping over a broom; not hitting it; keeping it at a height or in a sleeping position hidden inside the house; not hitting a child with a broom as in next life, you will be a slave to that child for as many years as there were twigs in the broom; not buying a broom on Tuesdays and Saturdays as those are inauspicious days, but buying a broom on Dhanteras as that is an auspicious day; offering a broom to Jharu Baba so that he fulfills your wishes. These are harmless superstitions that people believe because they want to. Our job is not to judge them for these superstitions but to respect their beliefs.

A broom made of peacock feathers is used for dusting the pictures of gods in a shrine and for curing illness with a tap on the head using tantra-mantra. A broom made of Vipuno, Buado, Heenyo, and Kheemp is for sweeping outside the house, while a broom made of Khejur, Alya, or Daab is for sweeping inside. Phool Jharu is used to clean concrete floors. All these are not only based on the different materiality and cost of the broom, but also the traditional knowledge and the superstitions associated with it.

It is said that a woman is uncultured if she scatters the broomsticks while sweeping. It is better to clean with a bent hand than a straight hand. If a daughter-in-law doesn’t sweep properly, she is sent back to her parent’s house, and a new wife is picked for the household. The men of the household do not even touch a broom, as sweeping the house is considered a woman’s job. It is hard work with no pay. On the other hand, making and selling a broom is hard work with low margins, and those margins are getting narrower as human labour is being replaced by machines. Their livelihood is being threatened.

The broom is considered an auspicious object and is worshipped in our country. Yet the people who make it and use it are considered untouchables. The people who clean our houses, offices, roads, schools, colleges, institutes, and our spaces are considered dirty and impure. The irony is not lost.

To say that broom-makers lead a difficult life would be a massive understatement. Unfortunately, they can’t turn the broom into a magic wand and fly away from poverty. Thus, each day they wake up and treat those brooms like swords to fight and live another day. Their battle with the broom would be a lot easier if we could sweep the caste system and the cobwebs of untouchability out of our mindsets.

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Vernica Goel, born in Ambala, Haryana, India, is an emerging writer and visual storyteller currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Design with a major in Industrial Arts and Design Practices at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology. A proud alumna of Army Public School, Ambala Cantt, where she studied for 12 years, Vernica combines her creative passions—painting, dancing, reading, and writing—to explore nuanced social realities. For her, writing is not just self-expression, but a personal dialogue—a way to bring clarity to chaotic thoughts. Her debut work, Battle of Broom: Sweeping Mindsets, reflects her deep empathy and bold voice, shedding light on caste, gender, and cultural inequalities in India through the symbolic and literal journey of the broom.