
When I came across this wonderful initiative by HUL's Domex and delved into the information that was provided pertaining to the malady of open defecation and its repercussions, I was truly appalled by the current state of affairs and decided to do my bit by providing you all a quick exposition as to why you should share this initiative with at least 10 of your friends.
1. There are more than 597 million people defecating in the open
This
fact truly belies all our claims that we and our leaders make from all sorts of
platforms that we are truly moving in the direction of being an ultimate
superpower. Truth is, our claims are just as vacuous as our attempts and
determination to remove disparity. While on one hand we talk of people putting
up exclusive fittings in the bathrooms like Jacuzzi, there are more
people than present in United States and a few more countries combined, who are
forced to abjure their basic self respect and excrete in the open. Children who
grow up in these circumstances, literally begin to repudiate all notions of
equity and soon become mired in the connotations of the gloom that their future
shall bring upon them. In this sense, open defecation is truly a blot and a
slap on all those boisterous claims and dreams of becoming a utopic country.
2. An
anathema for sound health
This
stigma brings with it a host of health problems. As the the crowded
sections become filthier by the day as there are no proper disposal mechanisms,
disease spreading bacteria simply keep piling up and the area becomes a deadly
breeding ground for all sorts of infections and diseases. In country a majority
of whose population it proudly vaunts as being young, what promises of a
stellar future can we make when we can't even provide them what is apparently
the bare minimum? Not only do these diseases take a toil on their health and
growth, they also ensnare them in despondency regarding their own view for
their future. We may be indolent and apathetic towards this but that one single
act of defecating in the open is much more bad and execrable than we can think.
3. A
clarion for protecting women's dignity
And the
very fact that women, the protection of whose dignity and self respect is one
of the foremost responsibilities of a nation, too are subject to the egregious
and blatant compulsion of not even having a basic facility to defecate in,
truly renders our current claims as specious. All our claims of being a
progressive nation are no more than a ruse and gambit if we can't even ensure
this one basic right that the women rightfully possess. Not only does this
leave them bereft of any respect for their position as an individual, it also
brings with it a host of malicious diseases which can be really dreadful given
that women are to be provided extra care.
There
are many more issues that don't meet the eye but I guess even with the
seriousness of the problem notwithstanding, an initiative like this can truly
bring light and can truly set the tumbrels for a revolution which is long
awaited. Together we can root out this evil which remains a very nasty deterrent
for true and equitable human progress, without which even hopes of moving ahead
as a country stand fatuous and whimsical. So, do your bit and spread the
word.
About The Domex Toilet Academy
Domex, HUL’s flagship sanitation brand, currently runs the Domex
Toilet Academy (DTA) programme. Domex Toilet Academy was launched on 19th
November 2013. It aims to become a sustainable and long-term solution to
provide sanitation that benefits the local community and helps stimulate the
local economy. The Toilet Academy makes toilets accessible and affordable,
while promoting the benefits of clean toilets & good hygiene. Our effort
has resulted in bringing the change in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa
and we aim to build 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas faced with the problem
of open defecation.
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