From childhood we have been taught cleanliness is next to Godliness. We were tutored since infancy to not only keep our body, mind, manners and books clean, but also our surroundings and entire eco-system clean too. We were given lectures and lessons on how to avoid spreading litter, cleaning them if any and the good and bad effects of cleanliness and the lack of it respectively.
To encourage us further on and to imbibe in us such healthy and good habits the means of rewards and punishment were used. We were given accolades and appreciation, little medals and candies whenever we made an effort at cleanliness; and whenever we were caught erring, we were made to stand dunce outside classrooms, and scolded before the gathering to ensure such acts would not be repeated.
But as we grew up and saw little and dwindling resemblance in public en-masse from the innocent lessons we were taught as kids, and also how little the affects were seen and even as to how little others cared, we thought "what the heck does it matter to continue doing the mundane task? Who cares? What difference does it make? and, how much can I alone change the world?"
And we too joined the crowd.
What we didn't realise is- WE ARE THE CHANGE. If we would do our bit, encourage our companion to do the same, and try to persuade our neighbours like-wise, it will make a difference. If we would care those who look up to us will care too. If we wouldn't join the crowd, our tiny bit of effort would join to contradict the harm!
*I have often been tagged teasingly by my friends and group-mates as "The environmentalist" for my efforts to ensure cleanliness by avoiding littering the grounds and ensure proper disposals in my presence. But it was all in good fun and it never hindered me from my commitment, for I knew I was right and I did it because I love my nation.*
To make our India really clean and beautiful, we need to clean our thought-process first and become a child at heart again. Do what we did as children to keep our surroundings clean, with the same diligence, zeal and belief.
Also, do use proper urinals and public hygeine,
Do not spit on the streets,
And follow the waste segregation technique propagated by the government. It very easy and effective way to channelise proper decomposition and recycle. We only need to discard the wastes separately according to their nature.
It is really strange if we think about it. The very bit of chocolate and chips wrappers or a rag of cloth which we cannot bear to keep few minutes longer till we can have access to proper garbage bins and so throw it off just then and there on the streets, it just doesn't bother us to walk through the same litter or drive past it.
But when the same litter gathers by our house-corners, OR is strewn in our court-yard by the winter breeze, OR when it clogs our drains and emits odour during summer, OR causes flooding of rain-water during monsoons, OR the corporation simply accumulates the same garbage at street corners and sets it on fire (because it is too messy and expensive to sort it out, recycle or properly decompose) AND the smoke suffocates us, OR the resulting pollution breeds air/water-borne diseases and food-infestations, we raise hell and blame all except ourselves not realising we were the root cause of all these evils.
We are being redeemed for our own mistakes! If we had not littered at the first place why would have any of these problems occured?
Do think it over and do the needful. It is for our nation and our own good.
Follow the swachh India campaign started in association with Dettol India at: http://swachhindia.ndtv.com/
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