As a Gandhian, environmentalist and civic activist I am
enthused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swach Bharat (Clean India) campaign.
Even Modi’s harshest critics (count me in) must graciously concede that this
time Namo has struck a chord that appeals to every concerned citizen of this
great country.
Almost
a century ago Katherine Mayo, an American traveler, had in her book “Mother
India”, expressed her travails with the filth that she encountered in India.
Fierce nationalists had then termed her tirade a “drain inspector’s report”. I
too am a nationalist, but I would agree with Mayo that our country is not just
dirty, but filthy.
There
is an apocryphal story that when then Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev
visited India he was appalled by the rampant open defecation that he saw. He
told Nehru that he would never see that in his country. On a return visit to
the USSR Nehru did see some guy doing just that, and triumphantly pointed it
out to Khrushchev. On investigation it was found that he was a staffer from the
Indian Embassy in Moscow!
Some
years ago, when greenhorn Rajive Gandhi first visited Kanpur, my hometown, he
made a poignant observation, that people sweep their courtyards clean, but dump
the garbage on the roads. Birhana Road is the jewelry market where
multimillionaires live. It is not uncommon to see household trash thrown on the
road from the upper storeys, regardless of who may be passing below. So why
blame the poor? Infact tribal communities in Chotanagpur and the Northeast have
a far better sense of hygiene than the average Indian.
Spitting
is another bane. My city reportedly has 1250 units producing paan masala/
gutka, a rip roaring business; most of which is tax evasive! On the eve of
Gandhi Jayanti some fellow activists had organized a “Say No to Tobacco”
campaign. Addressing them I said that we should strive to make our city “thook
mukt” (spit free). We cannot roko (stop) but we can toko
(reprimand) anybody eating gutka and spitting on roads, walls and even in
moving traffic. If we do it respectfully (a la Munnabhai’s Gandhigiri) we may
even win hearts. We should tell the gutka users that if they want to kill
themselves with that slow poison, they are welcome to do so, and swallow their
spittle; but they should not kill others with their hazardous red sprinklers.
From
spitting to shitting. We welcome tourists to our ancient civilization. Those
coming by train to Agra Fort station are greeted by a multi-bum salute. It is
nauseating. What impression are we giving? Are these the “soft skills” that we
boast of? Those who have visited the “decadent West” will know that even if
one’s pet dog does its business on the pavement, it is the owner’s
responsibility to clean up. So what ancient culture are we talking about?
Ancient yes, cultured no.
It
is good that Modi has literally taken up the broom, and we must support this
effort wholeheartedly. Yes the Govt and the Municipal Corporations must play
their role in solid waste management (what a lofty term). What of us citizens?
What can/ should we do? A lot, if only we care to look around.
Over
twenty years ago I had started Kanpur’s first organized retail store. To
discourage the use of plastic I gave out thousands of jute/ canvass bags to my customers.
Very few came back with them. I then offered an incentive – a 2% cash discount
to those who took their purchases in their own shopping bags. Viola, 20% were
converted. Whenever I go vegetable shopping I carry my own shopping bag, and toko
those who don’t.
In
my house I have two huge pits for biodegradable garbage, which in turn gives me
excellent organic manure for my garden. A win-win situation. For public
functions I assiduously eschew the use of “disposable” plastic/ thermocole
glasses/ plates etc.
Every
one of us can look for innovative ways of reducing environmental pollution and
making the vision of a clean and green India a reality. We should look through
Gandhiji’s chashma, the Swach Bharat symbol. After the glitter of Modi’s
photo-op we saw the litter left behind by the sarkari babus. Such
hypocrisy infuriates me. Let us now not
fritter away the glittering opportunity to say no to litter. We may need to
swallow a bitter pill today, for a better tomorrow. JAI HIND.
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