Toilet Man of India Passes Away

Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, passed away earlier today at the age of 80 due to cardiac arrest.

Bindeshwar Pathak, popularly known as the “Toilet Man of India” died on Tuesday after a cardiac arrest.

Pathak, 80, fell ill soon after unfurling the national flag on the occasion of India’s Independence Day on August 15. He was 80 years old. He was rushed to AIIMS. His mortal remains will be brought to the Sulabh International campus on 16/08/2023 and will be available for homage of the general public between 7:00 am and 9:30 am. The cremation is scheduled to take place at Lodhi Road Crematorium at 11:00 am, August 16, 2023. Bindeshwar Pathak is the founder of Sulabh International in 1970. The organisation made toilets in Indian villages. He was born in Vaishali district of the Indian state of Bihar. He was often ridiculed, including by his father-in-law, for the work he was doing. Pathak recalled once how his father-in-law felt that his daughter’s life had been ruined as he could not tell anyone what his son-in-law did for a living. 
Sulabh International is an organization dedicated to promoting human rights, environmental sanitation, and social reforms through education. Under Pathak's visionary leadership, the organization successfully constructed 1.3 million household toilets and 54 million government toilets using innovative designs. His organisation also actively opposed cleaning human waste by hand throughout India. Akshay Kumar’s movie Toilet was also based on his life. In recognition of his remarkable contributions, New York City declared April 14 as "Bindeshwar Pathak Day" in 2016. In 1991, he won India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan. He is survived by his wife Amola, and two daughters and a son. Pathak’s mother was a close friend and a major influence. “My mother always taught me to help people. She never refused anyone who requested assistance. She taught me to contribute without anticipating anything in return. A man is supposedly born for others, not for himself,” PM Modi also Tweeted condolences.

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