rgurus
Active member
Hygiene and health education:
It is true that we as Indians irrespective of the level of our literacy show scant regard for public hygiene, be it solid waste disposal, spitting, pissing or defecating in public. IF ONLY THERE IS A LONG DISTANCE SPITTING COMPETITION IN OLYMPICS, I AM SURE WE WILL SWEEP ALL THE THREE MEDALS--GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE leaving very little scope for others. A few years ba
ck we saw a union minister spitting nonchalantly on the railway platform unmindful of the presence of media persons and public, which act was promptly telecast throughout the country! What an image it would have created in the eyes of the world about us?
The condition of bathrooms and toilets in college hostels, why even in trains and planes is something very deplorable. The same is true with most of the toilets in government offices and buildings too. Our maintenance record is generally very poor and particularly so when it is a question of public utility. We attach lot of significance to personal hygiene but care the least when it comes to public hygiene. Even in the case of garbage and other such solid wastes, we generally feel that once we throw the waste in the street, not necessarily in the street bin, we think our job is done! Thus the LITERATES are also equally responsible for the present deplorable situation.
A major problem seems to be that in cities like Chennai, 30 percent of the population live in platforms with no roof over their head and it is highly uncharitable on our part to criticise them for not having latrines. Food, water and shelter are their priorities and latrines and hygiene are of least interest to them. Hence they do not volunteer to opt for latrines. It is the bounden duty of the local bodies and the governments, both State and Centre to provide enough public conveniences for these unfortunately placed people and also to impart proper education to them on how to maintain these sanitary facilities. Our political parties vie with each other in offering TVs and other electrical gadgets as freebees before every election as a part of their vote bank politics and latrines do not form part of their scheme of things.
To imbibe hygienic sense in the individuals, general education will help to some extent, but that alone is not adequate. HEALTH EDUCATION should be imparted not only to the slum and platform dwellers but also to the EDUCATED AND THE WELL INFORMED. EDUCATE THE EDUCATED, then TEACH the mothers and the TEACHERS particularly at the elementary school level so that they can catch the children young and train them. This should also form part of the general education. There is a saying in Tamil that AS IS THE TEACHER, SO ARE THE STUDENTS. So the teachers play an important role in moulding the hygienic habits of children. Once the children get used to living hygienically , they will demand such facilities and will be able to convince their parents to switch over to better living conditions. We all know this, but that is not enough. WE HAVE TO ACT.
It is true that we as Indians irrespective of the level of our literacy show scant regard for public hygiene, be it solid waste disposal, spitting, pissing or defecating in public. IF ONLY THERE IS A LONG DISTANCE SPITTING COMPETITION IN OLYMPICS, I AM SURE WE WILL SWEEP ALL THE THREE MEDALS--GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE leaving very little scope for others. A few years ba
ck we saw a union minister spitting nonchalantly on the railway platform unmindful of the presence of media persons and public, which act was promptly telecast throughout the country! What an image it would have created in the eyes of the world about us?
The condition of bathrooms and toilets in college hostels, why even in trains and planes is something very deplorable. The same is true with most of the toilets in government offices and buildings too. Our maintenance record is generally very poor and particularly so when it is a question of public utility. We attach lot of significance to personal hygiene but care the least when it comes to public hygiene. Even in the case of garbage and other such solid wastes, we generally feel that once we throw the waste in the street, not necessarily in the street bin, we think our job is done! Thus the LITERATES are also equally responsible for the present deplorable situation.
A major problem seems to be that in cities like Chennai, 30 percent of the population live in platforms with no roof over their head and it is highly uncharitable on our part to criticise them for not having latrines. Food, water and shelter are their priorities and latrines and hygiene are of least interest to them. Hence they do not volunteer to opt for latrines. It is the bounden duty of the local bodies and the governments, both State and Centre to provide enough public conveniences for these unfortunately placed people and also to impart proper education to them on how to maintain these sanitary facilities. Our political parties vie with each other in offering TVs and other electrical gadgets as freebees before every election as a part of their vote bank politics and latrines do not form part of their scheme of things.
To imbibe hygienic sense in the individuals, general education will help to some extent, but that alone is not adequate. HEALTH EDUCATION should be imparted not only to the slum and platform dwellers but also to the EDUCATED AND THE WELL INFORMED. EDUCATE THE EDUCATED, then TEACH the mothers and the TEACHERS particularly at the elementary school level so that they can catch the children young and train them. This should also form part of the general education. There is a saying in Tamil that AS IS THE TEACHER, SO ARE THE STUDENTS. So the teachers play an important role in moulding the hygienic habits of children. Once the children get used to living hygienically , they will demand such facilities and will be able to convince their parents to switch over to better living conditions. We all know this, but that is not enough. WE HAVE TO ACT.
