Children of the Ganga: the boatmen of Varanasi

Varanasi's ghats, the stone stairways that run down to the Ganga, are among the most visited waterfronts in India. A long-form report by Al Jazeera English, published on 21 April 2024, spent time with the mallah community, the boatmen who have worked this river for generations. The report puts their number at about 8,000, and says they call themselves the sons of the Ganga.

The reporter describes an income that depends on seasons and on a changing riverfront. Between August and October the ghats flood and boating is banned, so families live on savings. The boatmen told the reporter that private cruise ships, first permitted in 2018, with more licences following, have cut into their earnings, and that they would have liked to be consulted on changes to the riverfront.

Many boatmen supplement their work by carrying firewood to the cremation ghats, a day's labour that the report says pays around 300 rupees for loads of up to 100 kilograms. A coin diver, known as a gotakhor, retrieves offerings from the river bed with a magnet or by diving, for a similar sum and at some risk. The report names boatmen including Vishwakarma Sahni, aged 29, and Santosh Sahni, aged 50, who says he hopes his children find a different path, and Pramod Majhi, who speaks for the community in its dealings with authorities. It also notes the community's long history of social disadvantage.

For a visitor, the practical lesson is simple. Hire a boatman directly, agree on the price before you board, and think about hiring from the community that has always worked this river rather than a faceless booking platform. Go early in the day, when the river is quiet, and if you photograph the ghats, ask before pointing a lens at the people who work on them.