Manav goes to school very early. Do you know why? It has nothing to do with studying or teachers. It’s about the toilet.
He gets up and waits till it’s 9 o’clock. Because that’s the time the main gate of the school opens. And that lets him access the toilet which has the following things:
1. A functioning door to ensure privacy.
2. A tap with water.
3. A pit which is lets him sit.
4. A soap which he can use to clean his hands.
5. Cleanliness, which makes him wait in spite of the pain.
Why are we yet struggling to fulfil the aspiration of others like Manav? Why are we compelling several mothers to accompany their young girls when they go to the toilet, only to provide security from the ‘two-legged wolves’? Why are we compelling our mothers and sisters to urinate in the open? Why are we compelling women and men of our nation to wait for the sunset to be able to defecate?
‘Swachh Bharat’ is not just a mission to stop open defecation or to promote beautification of public places. It has a direct impact on our mindset too. It will not be an exaggeration if we say that it is a mission to get rid of the dirt in our own minds. This statement may appear sweeping but let me ask you a question. Why do you feel like going to McDonald’s rather than the average dhaba which may be dirty?
Another question: Why do we feel satisfied after wearing a clean and neatly-ironed dress? Why do we feel calm being in a clean and soft bed?
The answer is because these are situations our body aspires to be in. In these moments, we feel proud of being human. These moments make us feel empowered.
There are several people in our nation who die without getting a single opportunity to feel that they live in a prosperous nation and are fellow citizens of millionaires.
One must make striving for a better lifestyle into a habit.
In our society, people, who wish to have a toilet in their home often get robbed by some elements of the system and go through painful moments daily. Yet, they have humanity, nationalism and pity left in themselves. They are trying hard to make the dream of open defecation-free India come true.
In the coming future, if the youth come forward with a greater ownership of community development, we may achieve a more prestigious status in the eyes of the world