While the poor creatures of the weaker sex in the country, need to hunt down a washroom or a public paid "sauchalaya" or try and figure out the location of the nearest Mc Donald's or CCD, the men of our country, well many of them can be seen relieving themselves in full public view. I had grown up to believe that it was due to lesser number of cleaner and usable toilets in the country, which is more or less a fact. As if it was the most coveted of birth rights they were bestowed with. Sadly, the licence to commit such a crime, was born out of the fact that in a country where more than half of the population doesn't have proper toilet facilities at home, this carte blanche freedom is just fuel to that fire. And mind you, one will never see women urinating in the public, it is just the men who were given these exclusive rights. Look it is easy, just unzip, bare your privies and unload the bladder.
The first and the foremost reason for this menace is the cultural conditioning which allows the man to do anything in public. Men can get away with anything while a woman is a private being. She would never dare to even think of it in her wildest dreams. That is why we women either run to find a Mc Donalds or CCD and its cleaner restroom or in the worst possible scenario, hold our breath and use one of the paid "sulabh sauchalaya" most of which isn't properly maintained and cleaned. Many Indian women dread to have water, if they are out on long road trips. The reason: patriarchal apathy, which doesn't allow us to walk out of the boundaries of our modesty, while for men these rules don't make a difference.
The country with its human race counting up to a whooping 1.2 billion still lack basic facilities like public toilets. The "Indian mentality" doesn't believe in keeping the environment clean, but most of their homes will tell you a different story. The Indian hasn't got used to the "pay and use" system and since most of these utilities aren't clean, men prefer trees, pavements, and subways any day to these stinking public toilets.
Also, merely building toilets is just the first step. People need to be taught about proper ways and means of using it. The toilets at the malls and airports are cleaner because of the awareness that the affluent class has, and also the staff employed to keep them in shape.
Cleanliness is a really big issue, and many people atleast the educated Indian may go a step further and use these, only if they were maintained and kept clean.
Last but not the least, we must nip the evil in the bud and encourage the young children to use restrooms. Although child-friendly toilets is still an alien concept in our country.
A paid public toilet is a western imported idea. The payment of even a single rupee deters an average Indian from using it, for why should our dearest shameless peeing uncle miss the free lunch in the offering?
Without imposing heavy fines and constant vigilance on the offenders, which may still be a far cry in our part of the planet, our beloved Uncle Pee is out on the prowl. The stink and the unhygienic conditions that are a result of this impunity aren't the best bet to dissuade him.
The first and the foremost reason for this menace is the cultural conditioning which allows the man to do anything in public. Men can get away with anything while a woman is a private being. She would never dare to even think of it in her wildest dreams. That is why we women either run to find a Mc Donalds or CCD and its cleaner restroom or in the worst possible scenario, hold our breath and use one of the paid "sulabh sauchalaya" most of which isn't properly maintained and cleaned. Many Indian women dread to have water, if they are out on long road trips. The reason: patriarchal apathy, which doesn't allow us to walk out of the boundaries of our modesty, while for men these rules don't make a difference.
The country with its human race counting up to a whooping 1.2 billion still lack basic facilities like public toilets. The "Indian mentality" doesn't believe in keeping the environment clean, but most of their homes will tell you a different story. The Indian hasn't got used to the "pay and use" system and since most of these utilities aren't clean, men prefer trees, pavements, and subways any day to these stinking public toilets.
Also, merely building toilets is just the first step. People need to be taught about proper ways and means of using it. The toilets at the malls and airports are cleaner because of the awareness that the affluent class has, and also the staff employed to keep them in shape.
Cleanliness is a really big issue, and many people atleast the educated Indian may go a step further and use these, only if they were maintained and kept clean.
Last but not the least, we must nip the evil in the bud and encourage the young children to use restrooms. Although child-friendly toilets is still an alien concept in our country.
A paid public toilet is a western imported idea. The payment of even a single rupee deters an average Indian from using it, for why should our dearest shameless peeing uncle miss the free lunch in the offering?
Without imposing heavy fines and constant vigilance on the offenders, which may still be a far cry in our part of the planet, our beloved Uncle Pee is out on the prowl. The stink and the unhygienic conditions that are a result of this impunity aren't the best bet to dissuade him.
4 comments:
Great choice of words....I loved your emphatic way of writing among all other writers who had quoted on this public urinating topic.
A wonderful post on the subject. But I think there's a limit to awareness programmes and its impact because the men who do this is deaf to such things. Build more public toilets and such but when the time comes to relieve, they forget all of this and find the nearest 'perfect' spot.
Yes it is their Right..WHO are you to stop them ...
They have seen their elders do it..they continue to do it and will also encourage their children ,well BOY children of course !
"Uncle Pee on the prowl!!" :D Jokes apart, you have raised so many good points regarding the cause and solution to this national shame. What you said about not merely building good toilets but teaching people the proper means to use them is also very true.
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