Cleanliness is next to godliness. Cleanliness is the absence of dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and clutter. Purposes of cleanliness include health, beauty, absence of offensive odor, avoidance of shame, and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others.

Looking at India today, I am really pained to see the sense of cleanliness  many Indian brothers and sisters possess. Many Indians are clean – no doubt about it. But when it comes to public places like roads, streets, railway stations,trains, parks, beach  etc,  few feel sensitive about cleanilness. Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi said, “The one thing which we can and must learn from the West is the science of municipal sanitation. The peoples of the West have evolved a science of corporate sanitation and hygiene from which we have much to learn. We must modify western methods of sanitation to suit our requirements”.

We hear of chikungunya, dengue and malaria in India, but little action has been taken by the Municipalities and individuals. You can really see stagnant sewage water near houses where educated people live and we have got used to these things that no one cares about it. Are we so blinded that we are not able to keep our country clean?

I was in Muscat for 4 years and cleanliness is the objective of the government of Oman. People who visit western countries can feel the difference in cleanliness. The first comment of any foreign visitor to India is “India is dirty”. Are we so proud about it? It is a common scene in India – an adult urinating on the sides of the streets, spitting in common places, using the roads as open toilet for children. We are so concerned to keep our houses clean. Why are we so insensitive to our country’s hygiene and sanitation?

Indians have to wake up. Our country possesses unparalleled natural beauty and historically renowned monuments. Why don’t we take an oath today to keep our country clean? I request the government authorities to bring strict laws to enforce sanitation in our country. Social welfare groups can launch cleaning campaigns in public places to create awareness among the public. It is our India. Let’s us keep it clean.