Cleanliness is life, it denotes development. The Prime Minister, by the launch of cleanliness drive, has added to the array of firsts attributable singularly to him. This maverick statesman envisioned what none else did. However, his obsequious and ostentatious colleagues have pathetically disparaged this drive by their ingenuous ploys. The camera-centric broom holders are a menace; they block traffic, cause momentary chaos and leave the venues more unclean. Glaringly and revealingly, hundreds of bottles were left by the attendees of the P.M.’s speech at India Gate on 2nd October. The message is missing from the midst of the moves, mockery is apparent. Those holding positions should clean their own offices, if the seeking is to preach by practice. Indeed they are not responsible to clean roads manually, so there is no underlying representation of performance when they perform the plays on streets; to clean the roads and community areas, there are civic bodies whom we fund through taxes. There is an army of personnel whom we pay to maintain cleanliness. Those at the helm should ensure that all do what they are paid to do and punish the non-doers sternly. The desired state does not depend on peoples’ obligations that they are woefully trying to evoke. The thought of the government is a relief to some extent, nevertheless it is conspicuous by inadequacy of desire and measures to a great extent. None has the courage to bring to fore the causes of the problem and the eradication thereof. The unclean surroundings across the length and breadth of this nation are broadly caused by 1. Poor and dilapidated infrastructure 2. Callousness of the people responsible for cleanliness 3. Encroachment of footpaths and pavements 4. Illegal parking on Public spaces including roads If there is sincerity, then these causes shall preeminently occupy the efforts, but that requires courage of conviction and the will to face the wrath, the cure would entail. Even those, wielding the brooms dutifully, shall be at the receiving end of such measures. The makers of infrastructures, contractors of the ghost sanitation workers in whose names fake bills are raised, perpetrators of encroachments who pay hafta and constitute a vote count; and illegally parked commercial vehicles and building materials on public roads- they all owe their existence to the corridors of power. The power-bearers should, instead of wielding the disinfected brooms, wield their authority to disinfect the system which is biting the dust. Purging the system from the ill of commission is an essential prerequisite. Deceptive events should give way to strong actions even at the cost of malicious gains and popularity, if reform is indeed intended. Redemption in full measure shall beget what is propagated. Only then cleanliness will transcend the pages of newspapers and T.V. screens to become a ground reality. Let them not have the luxury of shifting the blame to people. People, however uncouth, do not dirty a place, a facility which soothes their own senses; malls and metro rail present a fine example. Dirt begets dirt; piles of garbage attract further garbage and spit. Broken roads, its dusty sides, rundown pavements, heaps of abandoned construction materials, unfinished and ugly bases of flyovers are scary, if they are corrected and beautified- people will naturally adapt. Instead of fearing the infrastructure when people will fear spoiling it, this dream shall be realized. Thus alone cleanliness will become an inherent way of life.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 23:37:09 +0000
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