Swachh Bharat Mission - Experience 1

I was pleasantly surprised by the clean look of Kashmere Gate ISBT in Delhi. I felt that may be some of us have got the message and are working for it. As I walked into the facility I saw a crew continually cleaning around and crew was dressed in uniforms unlike “sarkari” cleaners. A few empty chips wrappers were still lying around some chairs which were acting as reminders of our immediate past. I was tempted to go pick them and up and drop them in dustbin, as I moved towards one of the wrappers another uniform picked it.

I was on bus stand to pick up my parents. While I was waiting for their bus to arrive I walked around as if inspecting the cleanliness of the place. I saw a middle aged man having coffee on one of those waiting chairs and my 6^th sense said that he was going to place the empty cup strategically under his chair just as to avoid any contact with his dangling feet. After a few minutes as I kept an eye on him , it happened. Victorious in my heart that my sixth sense was right I walked towards him and made an eye contact. After a few second of connect I pointed my finger toward the cup. He quickly caught my point and took the empty cup to its destination. #AbMontuBolega is one initiative which talks about being more vocal about our desire for a clean India. It will not happen until we do our part. Here is a short introduction of the initiative –

The Power of Voice to Clean India

There are places that need cleaning, people who deserve your attention & authorities who need to hear your opinions! Don’t be a silent spectator. Raise your voice and make a difference.

We know that raising our voices against all that is dirty in our country is a power that we all have. Let’s exercise the power of our voice & work towards a Swachch Bharat.

Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega #AbMontuBolega.

Get to know about this campaign from  http://www.abmontubolega.com/.  Find them on facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/StrepsilsIndia

On Twitter here - https://twitter.com/StrepsilsIndia

My wait was still not over. I waited for my parents, I found a bus conductor having tea from a plastic cup and carrying some tea in a plastic bag. I did not go over the harmful effects of plastic with him but I stood guard until he was finished and had thrown all the plastic into dustbin. Old people will not change their habits. We will have to force them. We will have to talk them out of their bad habit of throwing garbage around.

It still was not the most difficult experience of the day. Most difficult one came when one of the shopkeepers on bus stand decided to have some snacks with his tea. He tore off a “namkeen” packet and threw on floor next to a dustbin which was 3 feet away from his shop. I walked up to him and asked him to pick it up. He did not obey neither did he deny to pick it up. He kept smiling at me as if that would hypnotize me to pick it. There was stubbornness in his smile which is difficult to explain. But it was as if he felt it was his birth right to throw around garbage and someone else’s duty to clean it. It was frustrating but my persistence worked I stood there pointing his mistake and finally he picked it and threw into garbage bin.

I am not sure if he would continue to be a good citizen and not create a mess around his work place and home. People like us would have to keep reminding him until it becomes his habit. A habit, for all such people.