Dear Editor,
People, in general, keep their homes clean, but are callous about the area outside. The government aims to build 11 crore toilets in five years. But has it thought of open defecation by 60 million stray cattle, 30 millions stray dogs and 10 million pet dogs on the roads and streets? Busy roads are devoid of urinals and dustbins. The youngsters could well become the harbingers of the change in our attitude towards cleanliness. The couplet “Safai ko rakho hamesha aziz, ke gande ko kehte hain sab batameez. Kisi ka makula ye kya khoob hai, safai khuda ko bhi margoob hai” (Keep cleanliness close to heart as dirt is always labelled as mannerless. Somebody has beautifully said that cleanliness is even liked by God) was often recited by our teacher in primary school 70 years back. It is still fresh in my mind.
Dr Soshil Rattan
via-e-mail
