India's Soft Power and Cleanliness of Public Places

Soft power is important for any country. Political scientist Joseph Nye defines soft power as "the ability to produce outcomes through attraction rather than coercion or payment". The leading countries of the world have a lot of soft power to complement the hard kind. Soft power is all about perception and image. Soft power has to be carefully cultivated over time. It has benefits that are sometimes obvious and at other times quite intangible. A positive perception of a country often results in economic benefits that are direct. Increased tourism from abroad and investment are tangible benefits and will benefit the economy, thereby bolstering hard power. A positive perception engenders respect, that in turn might prevent an enemy country from taking us lightly and thereby enhancing security, which again is a hard power benefit. More subtle benefits involve diplomacy and external influence. Countries and people who look at us favourably, will be inclined to be supportive of us and be willing to be influenced by us. We can therefore enhance our national interests without using coercive force. It will be a peaceful, non-violent and civilized avenue for exerting our influence on other countries for our national benefit.

India has an abundance of factors that enhance its soft power. Our civilization and history of being one the oldest civilized societies in the world is generally favourably looked upon by others. Our colourful cultures, traditions, costumes, music and classical and folk dances all contribute to a vibrant and vivid picture of our country. Our architecture is unique. People travel the world to see our monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras and magnificent edifices of religious and cultural significance. From Ibn Batuta to Marco Polo to Mark Twain innumerable travellers over the ages have been enthralled by our culture and civilization. Mark Twain, the great American writer called India the cradle of the human race. From Alexander to the British, foreign invaders have sought to conquer and control this land and benefit from its riches. Throughout history this land has invoked a special kind of emotion in the hearts and minds of people.

India has lent spice to to the global culture and civilization. Our spices have been sought after for centuries. They have spurred voyages of discovery, trade and and conquest. Our culinary traditions have enhanced the global palate and fed its appetite. Indian food is popular around the world. Indian cuisine is an aromatic experience that titillates the nasal senses.

India also has contributed the fragrance of the world with ancient attars, incense and the floral essences. The smell of jasmine and sandalwood is all pervasive. The scents of India are captivating and pleasant.

From ancient times to the modern India has had a reputation of being a knowledge power. Our contributions to the sciences and mathematics have been remarkable. The zero is widely believed to be an Indian invention. In contemporary times the prowess of Indian software engineers is widely acknowledged in the emerging field of information technology. Recent advances in space exploration and satellite technology have kept abreast with the the most advanced countries of the world.

Indian spirituality is one of India's soft assets. India has been the birthplace of many of the worlds great religions. Not only Hinduism, India's dominant religion, but Buddhism and Sikhism have originated here. Other religions have coexisted here in harmony for centuries. Islam and Christianity have found a home here. Zoroastrianism has found a haven here. Sufi saints have thrived here. At its higher levels Hindu philosophy has encouraged the exploration of the limits of metaphysics with little dogma. India is known for its mysticism and asceticism. It is the source of yoga and many modern meditation disciplines. Some of the world's leading Islamic scholars come from India.  Hindu mythology has influenced the cultures of many countries.These are all positive aspects of India.

Barring the occasional aberrant bout of irrational violence, communities belonging to different communities divided by religion and language have peacefully coexisted for ages. In spite of what others would have us believe, we have been a tolerant society. Modern India has managed to preserve a secular form of government that is more detached from religion than most Western ones. Although extremists from all sides have tried to make secularism a bad word, India can be rightly proud of its secular tradition.

Chaotic as it may look at times Indian democracy is alive and vibrant. It is a functioning democracy where governments are periodically changed according to the will of the people. It does have its faults and is certainly not perfect. Nevertheless it is a form of government many newly independent nations of the twentieth century were not able adopt or foster.

India has a rich journalistic tradition. Newspapers abound and are fiercely independent and do not fear to express their opinion freely. The press is free and critical as it should be in any society. Media platforms of all kinds abound in this country that likes to argue endlessly. Social discourse is boundless and unrestrained.

One of the legacies of a hated colonial past has been the English language. India has managed to retain the language and it has thrived here. Millions speak, read and write it well. As English is the language of business and international discourse, a large English speaking population is an asset to India.

One of India's soft power assets is its pop culture. Bollywood competes with Hollywood as a different cinematic experience that people in many countries around the world enjoy and find captivating. The Indian movie industry is colourful and entertaining. Many contemporary musicians such as A.R Rahman, Ilayaraja and Lata Mangeshkar are known internationally.

Although India is not a sporting power, in certain sports India does do well. Cricket, the  sport legacy of the English colonial past is almost a religion in India. Indian cricketers do very well in the game and thanks to increased revenues from a cricket hungry population and experimentation with commercialization such as the Indian Premier League, India is emerging as a cricketing superpower. Some Indian players are beginning to do well in sports such as tennis and badminton and they are great ambassadors for our country abroad. Though not a physical sport, chess is a sport in which India is fast becoming a powerhouse.

India is blessed with a variety of natural geographical features. From the towering snow capped and glacier bound Himalayas to the North, home to the tallest mountains in the world to the tip of India at Kanyakumari India is beautiful country with amazing landscapes. Deserts in Rajasthan, tropical jungles teeming with biodiversity in the Western Ghats, beautiful beaches in Goa, verdant Kerala, the list goes on and on. Although under great pressure due to to a growing population and increasing urbanization beautiful natural spaces manage to survive in India.

India is also home to the Bengal tiger and the Indian rhino. Winter refuge to many northern bird species and home to a variety of tropical birds, India is a birders' paradise. Its wildlife, though endangered  is rich and exciting.

The above description of India paints a picture of a civilized, benevolent, culturally rich, naturally beautiful, democratic, free, tolerant, spiritual nation of smart people, which is indeed true. Despite this we have for the most part failed to parlay these positive aspects into viable soft power. This is partly due to some serious negative attributes of this nation which drag us down. Those who would want to drag our reputation into the mud would accuse us of being an intolerant, violent, corrupt, unsafe and unclean country. Widespread and pervasive corruption, and sporadic, isolated but unspeakable acts of violence especially of the sexual kind directed at women have soiled our reputation. However the one thing that has dogged us forever and is totally inexcusable is the squalor of our public spaces. So much so, the mention of India conjures visions of garbage strewn streets, open defecation, open sewers and nauseating, suffocating stench in some minds. This is a liability for our country and needs to be addressed.

If we could only clean up our public places and spaces, we would enhance our soft power manifold. As our economy grows and our military power grows, this soft power would complement our hard power and influence in the world. Let us build an India that is looked up to by other nations and people around the world. Let us be a powerhouse of good and goodwill in the world.

The Role of the Celebrity in Fostering Civic Consciousness in India

The lack of civic sense or consciousness is often blamed for the unclean state of our public spaces in India. There are many reasons for civic indifference. One of the primary reasons is a lack of awareness among the general population. To overcome this apathy widespread awareness and education is needed. There is no better way to encourage adults to change their ways than for role models to exemplify the change.

Celebrities are looked up to in any society. In India we treat our celebrities with near reverence. Many of us passionately follow celebrities of our choice. The fanatic zeal that some celebrities instil in some people is a uniquely Indian phenomenon. This idolization of the celebrity, gives these uniquely talented men and women a special influence over people.  Some have have capitalized on this intense popularity and their charisma to enter politics and successfully hold political office.

Indian celebrities come from many different fields, but are primarily from the film industry and sports. Most sports stars are cricketers. These individuals lead privileged lives in a country where millions barely eke out a living. They are well paid and have a unique viewpoint on their country. They have travelled and have seen the world. Their wealth, richly deserved, derives from the adoration and adulation that the general population bestows on them. Although they deserve this fame and fortune as they are talented people, they do owe a debt to the country which so loves them.

Their position gives them great influence over the common folk. If they speak, people will listen and follow them. They have a duty to try and change civic behaviour in our country. They have to be role models and ambassadors of change.  Even those who do not have political leanings, can lend their influence for this worthy cause. It costs nothing and has no political risks.  It will only enhance their image and aura.

Many celebrities have done great things for the country. They should turn their attention to the cleanliness of our public spaces. Others should join them. Together we can make the new India a truly shining one.

Cleaning Up Public Spaces in India

The benefits of clean public spaces are clear and widely accepted by the government and the public in India. Yet cleaning up public spaces in India remains a challenge. Many city corporations spend crores of rupees on initiatives that just do not seem to make a difference.  There are are hundreds of grassroots organizations that regularly mobilize the general public to engage in clean up events that manage to get places clean for a short period of time, but the cleanliness does not seem to last long. The apparent futility of these efforts are frustrating to all.

For sustainable cleanliness we need a coming together of multiple factors. Proactive, concerted government action together with public cooperation and behavioural change has to take place simultaneously. To bring about this in a systematic manner we have to devise a plan that will facilitate the convergence of these factors. One is not going to succeed without the other. We need do devise a plan that will set in motion a sequence of change that will result in a clean public space that will remain so forever. We need a coordinated effort.

To ensure that this coordination and co-operation takes place in a predictable manner, it is  best to approach this in phases that will facilitate this transition.The first phase should be a commitment phase, followed by an awareness phase, an induction phase and a maintenance phase.

The commitment phase is when, like-minded segments of society come together and realize the importance of the need for maintaining clean public spaces. This will involve governments at various levels, but most importantly the local civic body. Others will include, grassroots organizations, clubs, societies, religious organizations, businesses and members of the public. At this stage as wide a  participation and consensus as possible should be encouraged. Leadership and vision are crucial. Some communities will have natural  and visionary leaders, while others will not. Where there is no leadership it has to be nurtured. The basic infrastructure needed, the ongoing funds for maintenance, the mechanisms to be put in place, the source of funding and its sustainability as well as a timeline for implementation have to be decided upon.

This has to followed by an awareness phase where the general public gets involved and supports and demands cleaner public spaces. There will be segments of society which will never want to change. What is needed is not necessarily a majority even, but a critical mass of people that is inclusive, committed  and reasonably vocal and visible. Clean up events, public campaigns, advertisements, door to door awareness campaigns, education at schools can all help in this phase. Community clean up days are part of this awareness phase. Well meaning groups of individuals cannot maintain clean public spaces without the co-operation of the administration and the general public.

The next phase should be an induction phase, where all the resources available to the community should brought to bear to get the place clean and proper maintenance mechanisms are put in place. This could  follow a sustained ad campaign and a clean up event. The induction phase should be intense and can be costly. The funding resources for this phase should be adequately mobilized. More manpower than usually needed would be required. It would be wise to use more manpower than is actually needed. Although expensive the added expenditure for this phase would be short lived. It is crucial to get this phase right. If not successful the previous two phases will come to naught.

Following the induction phase a maintenance phase will follow which should be permanent and well thought out. Optimal manpower, infrastructure and mechanisms should be put in place and funding for these should be sustainable. Sustainability should be the key factor. A regular maintenance schedule for the infrastructure (from bins to drains) should be devised and implemented. Downstream processing and disposal of waste should be thought out in advance and adequate mechanisms with excess capacity should be built with longevity in mind. At the same time behavioural change has to be engineered and sustained. Gentle coaxing with advertisements and exemplary conduct by committed individuals and groups to punishments and penalties should be imposed. This is the time that punitive measures will be most effective. When the majority errs punitive actions would not have much effect. If fines and punishments are instituted prematurely they will only lead to resentment and hostility and will not contribute to mass behavioural change.

The barriers are many for this sequence of events to happen. Public apathy is a major hurdle that has to be overcome by awareness and education.  Bureaucratic apathy is difficult to beat can be defeated by good political and administrative leadership. This needs courage and commitment on the part of the political leadership. Funding is  always a barrier that has to effectively managed by mobilizing resources appropriately. Appropriate taxation and utilization of tax revenues have to be implemented. Corruption has to be minimized and eliminated. Public private partnership has to explored. If private entities are involved in the longterm upkeep, they need proper oversight and standards. Their effectiveness has to systematically audited and their workers rights protected. The tax paying public has to get value for its money.

The timeframe should be reasonable. Six months to a year is adequate fro most projects. If dragged out the campaign will lose its effectiveness and appeal.

Well thought out and and effectively implemented plans will result in clean public spaces which will benefit us all. They will result in better health, wealth and well being for the whole population.  It is a goal we are all responsible for as citizens of this great country.

Tackling Open Defecation in India

Like it or not we have to accept the fact that open defecation is widespread in our country. Except for a couple of states, it is practised widely in a number of Indian states. It is present both in rural and urban settings. It is a problem.

Open defecation is insanitary and unhygienic and leads to a number of health and economic problems. Thanks to open defecation, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illnesses are common and lead to increased childhood mortality. Intestinal parasitic infestation is common and may lead to stunting in children according to a recent study. Moreover it is unsightly and revolting to outsiders and taints the reputation of the country leading to economic and other losses.

Some will make the case that toilets are alien to India and open defecation has always been the norm. They will assert that toilets are a Western invention and habit. This is colonial thinking at its worst. There is plenty of evidence that toilets existed in houses and urban sanitation was widely practised in the cities of India long before anywhere else. The many Harappan sites including the ruins of Dolavira in Gujarat give ample testimony that urban sanitation was present in India 4000 years ago.Yet we do have to admit that in rural settings open defecation has been present in India for a long time perhaps forever.

When the population was sparse, open defecation in a tropical country may not have caused many problems. Organic matter does decay very fast in a tropical climate. But today, ours is country of a billion people. The sheer amount of fecal waste generated cannot decay naturally in a safe manner. Human waste will flow into our rivers and lakes and contaminate them.  It will contaminate the ground water. It will spread disease and death and lead to economic ruin for the country.

Our cities as well as our villages are becoming crowded and congested. Vast numbers of rural folk are moving to cities in search of better opportunities and will continue to do so for many more years. Many move into urban slums. If they practised open defecation in the villages they will continue to do so in the cities, where it becomes a more acute problem.

To solve the problem of open defecation, we have to concentrate on both the urban and rural landscape at the same time. One cannot work without the other.

In urban settings public toilets have to built and maintained. Access to public conveniences should be regarded as a fundamental right and legislated. Local governments have to be held accountable. Businesses have to be forced to provide toilets for their customers. Cities should have by-laws regulating the construction of toilets in homes and businesses. Underground sewage systems have to be designed intelligently, properly built and connected to sewage treatment plants. Sewage treatment plants with excess capacity should be built and maintained. These facilities should be fiscally viable so that their maintenance is guaranteed. We cannot ban open defecation without giving people an alternative.

In rural areas, people have to be encouraged to build toilets in their homes. Loans and grants have to be made available to them. They have to be given the know how to build and maintain toilets. Where appropriate, community toilet facilities have to be built and maintained.

Funding for ending open defecation is widely available. Vast sums of money are being spent by the government through the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, the total sanitation scheme in rural areas as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission in urban areas to improve sanitation. Many NGOs are also involved in this effort.

Although there have been successes, there have also been many barriers. The biggest barrier has not been a lack of funding or resources but a reluctance on the part of the population to adopt good sanitation practices. The reasons for this resistance has to be explored to find a rapid and lasting solution to this vexing problem.

When people think of populations that practice open defecation, they tend to think that these people have no sense of hygiene or cleanliness. This is not true in the Indian context. These people do have an acute sense of toilet hygiene. How they practise it is cultural and learned through many generations. For them, defecating in a place away from places where they eat and sleep is hygienic. They are usually appalled when they learn that in some places people defecate inside houses. They would actually find this amusing and disgusting. In some rural cultures defecating inside the house is taboo.

To make people, who have defecated in the open for generations, use sanitary toilet facilities is a huge social change which will face a lot of resistance. The human act of defecation or the bowel habit is a highly personal affair. People learn this habit over a lifetime and there is a whole psychological structure around it. Just as it is difficult for someone who has used a toilet, to suddenly start defecating in the open, it is equally hard for someone who has been defecating in the open to start using a toilet. That is why toilets built with government and NGO money in rural areas are often used as granaries and tool sheds.

For adults above a certain age, it will be a difficult if not impossible transition. They will continue to defecate in the open until they die, no matter how beautiful a latrine you build for them in their houses. For them the act of defecating in their houses will be an unclean habit. They would not know or care that open defecation leads to disease and pollution. To eradicate open defecation we have to target the young before they too become entrenched in the habit and cannot break it. For this to happen a concerted campaign has to start now, if we are going to succeed in the next ten to twenty years.

Education is key. To make the young adopt sanitation, it has to be taught in schools from a young age. It might be the most important lesson they learn and might be lifesaving for many. We have to maintain clean toilets in schools. If they do not learn at school they might not get an opportunity anywhere else. We have to break the transmission of the open defecation habit to yet another generation.

It is often said that more people in India have cell phones than access to toilets. If this is true, the reasons have to be explored. Although cell phones are relatively expensive, they are affordable to many and they buy them to better their lives. They do so because a cell phone adds value to their lives and makes it easier. On the other hand toilets are affordable yet people are slow to adopt them. The reason has to be that they do not see the value in them. People have to be convinced that toilets will add value to their lives.

People in any society value health. The connection between good health and sanitation has to be taught. It is not always clear to rural, illiterate folk. In a recent campaign the ubiquitous house fly was used to establish this connection. Flies will sit on open feces as well as exposed food. These are common sights in many villages. People often do not realize that the same flies with their feet and tentacles coated with feces will alight on food and leave some for people to eat. Such graphic demonstration often drives home the point. Certain villagers who would not let some other villagers from certain castes or communities into their houses for fear of "contamination", are shocked to learn that they have been consuming their shit all along. This usually leads to adoption of sanitation by all villagers.

For people who are resistant to defecate in their homes, community toilets are an option. This gives them the opportunity to defecate away from their homes, yet in a safe and hygienic manner. Local governments, panchayats, district administrators, NGOs, rural community leaders all have to cooperate to establish these. They have to be built in a culturally sensitive manner according to local customs and traditions. However building community toilets are not as challenging as maintaing them. The question as to who will maintain them is a barrier. This issue is relevant to the urban scene too. Traditionally in Indian societies certain "castes" were and are assigned the work of sanitation. They were/are the "scavenger" castes and treated as "untouchables".  This is a gross human rights violation and cannot be allowed to continue. As these communities progress economically they refuse to do these jobs that other communities shun. Who then will clean our public toilets in urban or rural India? For many Indians coming into contact with the body fluids or excreta of others is an absolute taboo.  Sanitary work is considered a low and unclean job entrenched in the caste system. Yet we will walk around in bare feet with raw sewage streaming over our public spaces in the rainy season. We will eat at roadside eateries where flies abound and unconsciously and blissfully consume food tainted by other's feces.

The only way around this problem is to remove the stigma from sanitary work. Sanitary workers have to be respected, given proper equipment, training and paid well. If the wages are decent, respect will follow. People from any community should be able to do these jobs without shame or discrimination. It is a tough challenge in the Indian context, but not impossible to overcome. The example that comes to mind is the medical profession. There was a time in many Indian cultures the healer or physician was thought to be unclean and impure. The reason was that medical practitioners regularly come into contact with the body fluids of others. Although they were respected for their knowledge and skill they were usually from a downtrodden community. It is hard to believe this today, but is true. Today the job of a doctor is sought after by all sections of Indian society. It is prestigious and lucrative.  The change has come about because the profession has been sanitized and remunerated well.  Doctors work in clean environments and use protective aids such as gloves and masks when doing a rectal examination or a colonoscopy. Although the sanitary worker's job is never going to be elevated to that of a doctor, much can be done to make it respectable and acceptable to many without stigma.

The other reason for unsuccessful implementation of toilet programs is the lack of skilled manpower to maintain and repair toilet and sewage systems. In most Western societies the plumber is the best paid tradesperson. They are often quite rich. In the Indian context there is a vacuum in this industry that has to be filled. Anything that is built is bound to breakdown at some point. Vocational schools have to design programs that train people in the repair and maintenance of toilet facilities.

Grandstanding statements such as those made by the central minister Jairam Ramesh recently are useful in creating awareness, but do not further the cause of ending open defecation by themselves. High profile celebrities such as the Bollywood actress Vidya Balan getting involved in this cause is welcome as it does create awareness and lends credibility to the effort. At the end of the day, hard work by social workers, community leaders and NGOs will be needed to make this a reality.

Despite all the gloom brought about by the recent statistics, there is cause for a lot of hope. More and more more communities are adopting sanitary practices. The Eco-San dry toilet promoted by many NGOs is gaining popularity around the country. Sulabh International has done amazing work in many areas. Slowly but steadily toilets are becoming the norm among rural people and the urban poor. The day is not far off when we can take a deep breath and heave a sigh of relief without the smell of shit in our nostrils.

The Economics of Clean Public Spaces in India

When we see unclean public spaces in India the immediate explanation seems to be the widespread poverty and the fact that we are a poor developing country. It is true that wealthy countries in general are able to maintain clean public spaces. Is there a connection between clean public spaces and prosperity?

Maintaining clean public spaces requires money. The infrastructure to collect refuse and the mechanisms to dispose of them need an initial outlay of funds and ongoing maintenance funds. Garbage bins have to be bought and installed. Sanitary workers have to be paid wages.There are transportation costs. Landfills, garbage processing plants, recycling plants, waste to energy facilities etc. have to built and and maintained. Public toilets have to be built and serviced. All this costs money. The funds usually come out of public agencies who depend on tax revenues. There is always a shortage of money in public administrative structures. This is true in any part of the world, but more so in democracies.

India is a developing country with a large and diverse population. With recent economic progress it is becoming a middle income country with larger reserves of public money with more robust tax revenues. Although it still does not have the kind of money that more developed countries have, it can afford to spend more money on public services now, than it could, say a decade ago. It is often noted that countries that are at a similar level of development as India seem to be cleaner.

Now, poverty is endemic in India. Rural as well as urban poverty is widespread. The many impoverished villages and plethora of urban slums that dot our country stand testament to this fact. The vast majority of India's population still makes do with very meagre resources despite the country's rapid economic progress. The media, especially of the Western kind, seems to take great pleasure in highlighting this fact from time to time. Moreover India seems to lag behind in every Human Development Index measure evaluated by the United Nations.

It is indeed difficult to make poor people pay attention to cleanliness of public spaces, when their thoughts and activities are centred around survival. When theirs is a daily struggle for survival, the aesthetics of public spaces is far removed from their list of priorities. They fail to take ownership of public spaces because they own so little of their own.

To create clean public spaces in India, we need to spend more money to build and maintain the infrastructure and to put in place regular mechanisms for cleaning. The funds are there and need to be utilized. They also have to be used wisely. Fiscal responsibility and accountability is part and parcel of good governance. Clean public spaces are a reflection good governance.There are many barriers to good fiscal governance in India.

Bureaucratic apathy, ineptitude, corruption, political interference, nepotism and populism are rife in India's governance. It is indeed a difficult place to govern. These have to be overcome.

Also, poor people need not be unclean. There are many communities around the world and in India itself which are poor yet clean. At least part of the reason for unclean public spaces in India is cultural and not economic alone.

If we can get our public spaces cleaned up, there are definite economic benefits. Tourism and new investments will flow in. This will bring in money into the community and new employment. A proud and confident population will be happier and more productive. Clean public spaces will lead to less disease and a healthier population. It will decrease absenteeism and premature death. These will bring economic stability to families and the country. Preventing spitting in public places might bring down the incidence of TB, which does take a toll on our population

Local governments have to use public money efficiently to improve the collection and disposal waste. Well thought out plans and stringent rules in implementing them will prevent wasting scarce resources on frivolous schemes that are not practical. Private public partnerships ( PPPs) can be used to mobilize much needed funds. Corruption and political interference have to be eradicated. Private entities can manage the collection and disposal of waste, if they have good government oversight. This will ensure that these systems are efficient and effective.

Workers involved in the collection, transport and disposal of waste have to be paid well and given due respect. Their work has to valued by society and the stigma around these jobs has to be removed. Their vocations have to be made economically viable for them and their families. Their incomes should reflect the value society places on clean public spaces.

If we get this balance right, we will create a prosperous and clean country that will be the envy of the world. India would have come full circle to reassert its pride as one the greatest civilizations to evolve on earth. It would regain its place in the comity of nations with a splendour never seen before in its glorious history.

The Aesthetics of Waste Disposal in India

All societies generate waste. Waste is not unique to any nation. The amount of waste generated of course varies according to the culture, population and population density. However, how this waste is disposed of does vary quite widely. Improper disposal leads to accumulation of waste in public spaces leading to squalor and disease. It destroys waterways and pristine landscapes. It makes urban spaces ugly and unsightly; it causes stench and nausea, and worse. It sullies a nations reputation.

In India we have a garbage problem. Our cities are a mess. Our villages are no better. Our rivers and lakes stink. Visitors to our country hold their noses in disgust and we hang our heads in shame. Why is it so? Why should it be so?

Is it because we generate more garbage than other countries? Actually urban Indians at 600 gms per person per day produce less garbage than the average American at 2 kg per person per day according to a recent news report. Is it population density the cause? There are cities in the world that compare with our cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in population density, but are not as dirty.  New York City is a fairly densely populated city but is reasonably clean. Is it economics? True, most Western industrialized cities are richer and have more financial resources to take care of their waste. But we cannot cry poor forever. Look at poor countries in our neighbourhood who have a better record in urban sanitation. Sri Lanka,  a small country in our part of the world, with a political system that is no better than ours, is doing a better job in maintaing clean public spaces.

When we speak of solutions, we often speak of the efficiency, efficacy and sustainability of waste disposal systems. We do need efficient collection systems with source segregation being one of the most important changes. We do not speak much about the transport or transfer of garbage. We worry about the actual disposition of the garbage. Landfills and the space needed for them and the need for waste processing plants are always in the news. But these are universal issues and are not unique to India. Source segregation is a relatively new phenomenon even in the industrialized "developed" West. Even there, except for the Scandinavian countries it is not practised well. Most studies show that segregation and recycling only account for a small proportion of the total waste disposal. Source segregation is a very important activity and we are in no way belittling it. It would definitely lead to better waste management. Our point is that the cause of our unclean public spaces is not the lack of proper waste disposal systems alone. In many countries public spaces became clean long before these waste disposal systems were even thought about.

It all boils down to attitude and culture. We do not have a culture that appreciates the beauty of clean public spaces. This lack of appreciation for beauty in the public space manifests as poor civic sense among our citizenry and poor civic governance from our administrators.

The housewife or maid who throws household waste out the window onto the street or the householder or business owner who dumps his garbage on the roadside lack this appreciation of beauty. Men who urinate on public walls and spit everywhere have no sense of the beauty of clean public spaces. The sanitary worker or garbage collector who spills garbage as he collects them, leaving the street still dirty after it has been "cleaned" has no sense of aesthetics. Administrations that provide open lorries as opposed to covered dump trucks to transport garbage across cities are doing the same. The system of open garbage collection points or transfer points to transfer garbage from local tricycles etc. to larger vehicles is unnecessary and again shows a lack appreciation for cleanliness.  If the garbage has to be thus transferred, it has to be done in such a way that it is invisible. That is how most other countries do it. It should not be collected in public spaces creating greater piles of garbage before being hauled away. This is how it is done in many Indian cities. It not only increases the work, it is also a messy way of doing things. The process of waste collection need not be messy. It has to be done in the cleanest way possible.

We also do not see the ugliness that unwanted posters on public walls create. Political leaders should stop their followers from defacing walls around the city with political posters. It is a simple directive, but one that most politicians in India do not have the courage to make.

It is wrong to argue that Indians do not have a sense of beauty. We do. We have the most exquisitely beautiful dance, music and other art forms. We make beautiful movies. Our country is endowed with natural beauty. We have beautiful architecture both ancient and modern. We have beautiful people and beautiful literature. What we lack is the ability to appreciate the beauty in our public spaces and the ability to create that beauty. It is indeed an Indian weakness. We, the descendants of one the most ancient and accomplished cultures in the world, have lost the ability to create and maintain beautiful public spaces. We have lost the ability to see beauty in cleanliness. We have become a messy culture that we have to acknowledge and improve. We have to start seeing the beauty in our beaches, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains, cities, towns, villages, roadsides, parks and public buildings. We have to clean them, stop dirtying them, maintain them and create beauty where there is none. We have to cherish our public spaces and take ownership of them. We have to be proud. We owe it to our children and their descendants. We owe it ourselves.

Governance and Cleanliness of Public Spaces in India

For public spaces to be clean, we need good civic governance. The lack of adequate waste collection and disposal systems, absence of public toilet facilities and ineffectual sewerage systems all show how badly India is governed from a civic point of view.

We have to be cautious when we criticize Indian governance, because it is wrong to say India has poor governance overall. On the contrary, in some ways India is governed well. It is not easy to govern a country the size of India with its complex and multitude of problems. In many ways the people who govern our country are doing a fairly reasonable job under difficult conditions and should be congratulated. The deficiency in governance however, is quite clear when it comes to civic governance.

The large population and its density, illiteracy, poverty, communal strife and religious sensitivities all make India a difficult place to govern. Yet civilized populations should be easier to govern and India boasts one of the oldest civilizations anywhere and quite complex and advanced cultures. It is difficult to come up with simple answers to explain the deficiencies in civic government in India. Let us explore possible reasons.

1. Population
It is true India is a very populous country. It also has a high population density in its urban centres. The large population indeed places a heavy burden on the infrastructure of crowded cities. Large populations need efficient, adequate sewerage systems and effective garbage collection and disposal systems. It is also a challenge to keep up with the rapidly growing population of cities. For the infrastructure and systems to grow and sustain we need effective and exceptional governance. Unfortunately in this aspect the governance is sadly lacking in most parts of India.

2. Lack of citizen cooperation
No country can be governed well without the cooperation of the population. The Indian Freedom Movement taught us that a nation cannot be governed if the population chose not to cooperate at all. This is more evident in a democratic society such as India. In modern India we see a sad lack of civic pride amongst the general masses when it comes to cleanliness of public places.

3. Apathy and lack of motivation.
Although it is wrong to say that all Indian administrators have a lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness in the communities they serve, it is safe to say that the vast majority of administrators do.They either do not appreciate the importance of this vital element of a society or they are incapable of implementing their duties. In other words, they are simply incompetent.

4. Corruption
Corruption, especially of the petty kind is endemic in India. It is an ugly fact of modern India. Corruption exists all over the world and is not unique to India. What is unique about Indian corruption is that the corrupt are also very incompetent. It is said that Chinese government officials will take bribes, divert government funds but still get the job done. In India our officials will take the money but will not accomplish the task. The recent revelation about the vast sums of money spent on cleaning the Ganga and Yamuna over a thirty year period without any tangible benefit to society is a case in point.

5. Lack of vision
Governments need vision. Many nations have been blessed with visionary leaders in government  who set their nations on a certain course of betterment over long periods of time.  Good political leaders define how their countries should develop, envision the end result and set in motion a series of actions that will propel their nations towards the desired goal. Gandhi had a vision for a free India and it was achieved. Nehru had a vision for modern India and although some of us may not agree with all that he envisioned, you have to credit the man with a clear and credible vision for the nation. Lee Kuan Yew had a vision for a modern Singapore that included a clean country. Unfortunately, contemporary India seems to lack leaders with vision when it comes to urban development. They have clear visions when it comes to developing the economy which is important. However when it comes to civic governance that drive is sorely inadequate. The only exception, like him or not, seems to be Narendra Modi in Gujarat where the streets are certainly getting cleaner compared to the rest of India.

6. Poverty
For much of its existence as an independent, modern country India has been viewed as a poor country. However this is changing fast. As the economy grows rapidly, as surely it will after the current global slow down is over, the various levels of government will have ever increasing spending ability. Sure we have a lot of poor people and will do so for a considerable time in the future, but we are not a poor country. Our governments have to spend money to improve civic infrastructure.

We hope the civic governance of this country will improve over the next few years and coupled with a better sense of civic pride in the general population, Indian cities, towns and villages will become great places to live in and visit.