Before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, New Delhi launched a civic pride campaign featuring two characters: ‘Susu Kumar’, and ‘Thuthu Kumar’. The intention was to try and admonish Delhiites against two public national pastimes… urinating in public, and spitting in public. This kind of behaviour is of course in no way limited to Delhi, and it is a common sight in ANY Indian city to see men lined up along the side of the road relieving themselves in public, or to see walls with red stains all over them due to Paan spit. But what to say, its just the ‘Indian’ way of doing things, and to suggest that the ‘Indian’ way of doing things is incorrect would be anti-national…
I recently had to make a trip to an Indian Courthouse to deal with some paperwork. I had drank a lot of water along the way, so as soon as I got to the Courthouse, I needed to go to the bathroom. I asked a gentleman working on the second floor where the facilities were, and he pointed to the far corner of the room. He gave me a funny look, as it seemed as if I was the first person who had ever bothered to ask him the question. I walked into the bathroom, and hastily staggered out. The stench was absolutely unbearable, and it seemed as if no one had bothered to clean the toilet or urinal in weeks. Same story on the first floor… now what to do? My bladder was about to explode…
I walked outside hoping that there might be a clean toilet somewhere, and of course I found one. Of the open air variety. Public urination is the great Indian equalizer. Judges, advocates and peons alike were lined up along the side of the courthouse doing their business. And of course, Sudip joined in… I really didn’t have a choice. I never in a thousand years could imagine the same scene going on in Vancouver. I just can’t see myself standing alongside a Provincial Judge on Howe Street in front of a Government building taking a wizz…
58% of the worlds public performing public defecation lives in India. To compare against other countries, 54% of Indias population performs public defecation vs 4% for China. 60% of Ethiopias population performs public defecation. So while India strives to compete alongside China, it follows hygienic practises at par with a famine stricken African nation… no doubt India will one day be a superpower, but at this rate, it will have the dubious honor of being the worlds filthiest superpower.
Certainly, one can rightly argue that part of the reason for the unacceptably high rates is due to a lack of facilities, especially in rural areas. A nations true progress can be judged based on the provision of basic facilities being made easily available to all levels of society. However, what the public also needs to realise is that is responsible for changing its attitudes at the same time. Where facilities are available, they should be used, and they should be properly maintained so that they remain useable. No one wants to use a toilet where the previous user didn't bother to flush. Its a question of self-respect, civic pride, and public health. Its time for the 'Susu' Kumars to become 'Swasthya' Kumars, India!
