Asha Iyer Kumar :
I am writing this piece nestled in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in North East India. I have always been wary of travelling to remote areas of the country, where the cleanliness factor is appalling and sanitation facilities are nearly nil, and my apprehensions have only increased with each outing here.
So when we chose this extreme reaches of the country for a holiday, I was unsure of what unpleasant experiences and forgettable memories I might return with, for no matter how exotic the locations were previously, travelling to those places have been less than a happy experience. But I was in for a mammoth surprise this time.
A state that we Indians know so little of owing to its remoteness has turned out to be the most scintillating spots I have been to in India. A people almost alienated owing to their distance from mainstream have become unfailing beacons for this planet. It isn’t the breathtaking views of nature alone that struck me in the week that I have been here, but also the steadfast nature of the people who believe in keeping their state clean and green. Green has been part of God’s bounty to them, but the clean part is something that they have strived to achieve by sheer will and dedication to sustain that which has been endowed by nature.
Plastic bags are nonexistent here, littering and spitting are punishable by law and many public places are non-smoking areas. I was astonished to see a market place where vehicles are not allowed and there are display boards warning people against littering and spitting put up everywhere. Such boards are seen not only in the capital city, Gangtok, but also in the interiors. There are garbage bins placed everywhere and there are no piles of trash in street corners waiting to be disposed.
No one litters or spits on the road, not just because it is an offence, but because they staunchly believe that this place is theirs and keeping it immaculate is their responsibility. They are jointly aware of the need to keep their domicile unprofaned, and so they have imbibed a culture of cleanliness. As we ventured to higher altitudes of the Himalayas in North Sikkim, it only got better. Would you believe if I said there were pay and use toilets even at a height of 12,000 feet? So what if it got a bit pricey as we went up? There was at least a designated place to relieve ourselves. For the first time ever, we were not presented with the unpleasant sight of men doing it unabashedly facing the wall or the bushes on the roadside.
Walking through the main MG Market, I wondered if roads and markets in Dubai are this clean. Barely so. How many times have I seen a well-dressed, sophisticated looking man or woman nonchalantly toss paper, cigarette stubs, soda cans and other trash on the road! How many times have I seen people go up to the municipality bins and leave their garbage outside instead of heaving it in! And let’s not even get started about the abominable habit of spitting in public. Dubai or India, the stories aren’t different.
I am not sure if there are stringent rules against littering, spitting and open urination in our cities. Imagining that there are, are we committed enough to stick to them? Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched a nationwide cleanliness and sanitation programme in India. It’s a laudable and inspiring initiative, and I hope that his intent prevails over the lackadaisical attitude of our people. Strict laws and responsible citizens are mutually inclusive factors in keeping a city or country clean. However, in most places, either of them is found lacking severely. Like a sign board somewhere in Sikkim read, “We are living as if we had another planet to go.”
Those are pertinent words for me to take as a keepsake from this small, spotless state.
(Asha Iyer Kumar is a freelance journalist based in Dubai)
I am writing this piece nestled in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in North East India. I have always been wary of travelling to remote areas of the country, where the cleanliness factor is appalling and sanitation facilities are nearly nil, and my apprehensions have only increased with each outing here.
So when we chose this extreme reaches of the country for a holiday, I was unsure of what unpleasant experiences and forgettable memories I might return with, for no matter how exotic the locations were previously, travelling to those places have been less than a happy experience. But I was in for a mammoth surprise this time.
A state that we Indians know so little of owing to its remoteness has turned out to be the most scintillating spots I have been to in India. A people almost alienated owing to their distance from mainstream have become unfailing beacons for this planet. It isn’t the breathtaking views of nature alone that struck me in the week that I have been here, but also the steadfast nature of the people who believe in keeping their state clean and green. Green has been part of God’s bounty to them, but the clean part is something that they have strived to achieve by sheer will and dedication to sustain that which has been endowed by nature.
Plastic bags are nonexistent here, littering and spitting are punishable by law and many public places are non-smoking areas. I was astonished to see a market place where vehicles are not allowed and there are display boards warning people against littering and spitting put up everywhere. Such boards are seen not only in the capital city, Gangtok, but also in the interiors. There are garbage bins placed everywhere and there are no piles of trash in street corners waiting to be disposed.
No one litters or spits on the road, not just because it is an offence, but because they staunchly believe that this place is theirs and keeping it immaculate is their responsibility. They are jointly aware of the need to keep their domicile unprofaned, and so they have imbibed a culture of cleanliness. As we ventured to higher altitudes of the Himalayas in North Sikkim, it only got better. Would you believe if I said there were pay and use toilets even at a height of 12,000 feet? So what if it got a bit pricey as we went up? There was at least a designated place to relieve ourselves. For the first time ever, we were not presented with the unpleasant sight of men doing it unabashedly facing the wall or the bushes on the roadside.
Walking through the main MG Market, I wondered if roads and markets in Dubai are this clean. Barely so. How many times have I seen a well-dressed, sophisticated looking man or woman nonchalantly toss paper, cigarette stubs, soda cans and other trash on the road! How many times have I seen people go up to the municipality bins and leave their garbage outside instead of heaving it in! And let’s not even get started about the abominable habit of spitting in public. Dubai or India, the stories aren’t different.
I am not sure if there are stringent rules against littering, spitting and open urination in our cities. Imagining that there are, are we committed enough to stick to them? Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched a nationwide cleanliness and sanitation programme in India. It’s a laudable and inspiring initiative, and I hope that his intent prevails over the lackadaisical attitude of our people. Strict laws and responsible citizens are mutually inclusive factors in keeping a city or country clean. However, in most places, either of them is found lacking severely. Like a sign board somewhere in Sikkim read, “We are living as if we had another planet to go.”
Those are pertinent words for me to take as a keepsake from this small, spotless state.
(Asha Iyer Kumar is a freelance journalist based in Dubai)
