Let me start this post with a question. Those of you who
travel abroad do you get a disgusted feeling as you exit from the Indian
airports on your way back home? I am sure you do. Just after airport premises
you are greeted with filth and garbage on road, dust, ridiculous honking,
people spitting out of their vehicles and what not! Yes that exactly is the
situation in the country behind all make believe curtain of glamour, progress,
IT etc etc. You take any top city in the country you will get the same picture everywhere.
Now think what a shock it would give to an expat or to a tourist. It should
give the same amount of shock to us as well. We should be ashamed that even in this
age we are just about okay with all the filth and garbage lying around us on
the streets or spitting in public or defecting in open.
It’s time we stand up, clear our throats and speak up - #AbMontuBolega. Things don’t change overnight, one doesn’t
wake up one morning to find all clean roads and no dirt, dust, filth anywhere
around you. It is we who litter places so it is we who should make it better.
In fact we need to bring a change in the mindset of Indians that – You just can’t
litter the roads or public places.
When you catch someone doing so and you
go up and confront the person he is most likely to say “Yeh tere baap ka road hai kya?” [Is this road your father’s?] These
are the times you feel like giving it back to these mindless people.
When I was travelling to Mumbai for work
I was quite excited about the trip. Our office guest house is on the 11th
floor just next to the beach. But all the excitement of the sea view room went
up in the air just as I opened the curtains of the window. That beach was
nothing like a beach instead I could only see a stretch of decomposed black garbage.
It was so repulsive that I had to draw back the curtains. The feeling was very
similar when I went to Juhu beach one evening. Thousands of people on beach
having fun is okay – but the amount of used water bottles, plastic wrappers,
food plates lying around will make you think – how uncultured and insensitive
have we become?
Yes we have had enough. It’s high time
that all Indians join and work towards a Swach Bharat. It is only us who can
make the difference. Just picking up a broom is not enough. We need to facilitate
to change the mindset of the people.
Strepsils have come up with this interesting
campaign - #AbMontuBolega where they are encouraging people to speak up against
all the vices that we see around us – including female infanticide, social
taboos and many more. Visit their webpage, FaceBook Page or TwitterHandle to
know more about the campaign or participate yourself in the change - Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega #AbMontuBolega.