Tag: plastic ban

The Dog-Shit In Our Brains

SEVERAL FRIENDS REACTED to my last blog — which was not by me (perhaps the reason it was liked) but by Srividya Srinivasan.

As I i mentioned at the outset’ I did not know her as the piece was mailed to me by a freind and I liked it so much I published it with no changes. Everyone who read it ( strangely it does not apear in the list of my blogs) as the link I sent led to it and agreed with all he said .

One reader even pointed out what she forgot: dog shit left on our footpaths to the disgust of morning walkers. In the US all residents in a colony who walk their dogs are asked to carry a bag and a pair ofvtongs to pick up the shit, put it in the oad and drop it in the trash.

The dog shit on footpaths can be picked up and put in trash bins. But what about the shit filling the brains of many who throw all trash on public roads and any place outside their homes? In India we pride ourselve in keeping our houses clean by throwing all trash out – even in the neighbour’s premises.

As the neighbour also does the same. we all live in trash dumps. The dog shit in our brains of those ridiculing the Swacch Bharat drive of Narendra Modi has to be cleared first. Why was keeping clean not thought of by those who ruled for decades? Because you don’t get votes from it?

That reminded me of a cartoon by R K Laxman decades ago. The ubiquitous ‘common man’ of his cartoons is seen telling a political worker at a booth surrounded by trash from the campaign: “You said you will sweep the polls. Go sweep them.”

It is time we all did some did some sweeping. And cleaning up, starting with our brains.

Modi Must Be Wrong, So Oppose Plastic Ban

By Someswar

Whole nation is a garbage dump

A social media posting vehemently opposed Maharashtra plastic ban.

It declared that a ‘notion’ that plastic is hazardous and should not be used was wrong. it felt plastic ban meant using more of paper for which trees will have to be cut, resulting in global warming.

In a reply someone pointed out that some oppose anything done by Prime Minister Modi or his party. Another said similar liberals wrote articles ridiculing his Swacch Bharat (Clean India) drive too.

It is argued that lacs of people get employment and livelihood due to plastic which also yeilds considerable revenue to government. Does it mean consumption of cigarettes and liquor, or even crime, should be promoted for the same reason?

Suddenly they want to save trees to stop global warming and have not heard of old newspapers being used for paper bags and packing.

Plastic waste is blamed on failure of municipal waste management and people not using dustbins. Change of habits instead of banning plastic is suggested by those who had never complained about lack cleanliness and environmental pollution.

Politicians, they feel, are playing with common man’s life for political mileage. They have no problem with decades of dynasty rule which did nothing about cleanliness and the habit of not throwing waste outside.

Banning plastic for them, meant going back to 18th century. They tink it is same as banning all gadgets and cars.

Obviously these people don’t take a walk daily. Walking 5 km in rural areas daily, I see huge dumps of plastic waste. It is appalling.

Almost all plastic bag users throw carry bags and plastic wrappers outside, often into gutters which get clogged by it & overflow onto roads

A plan to mix plastic waste in tar for black topping of roads is being talked of for decades but it is not implimented as cement companies can bribe political leaders. Rag pickers can‘t.

Cement roads prevent percolation of water into subsoil and reflect heat, but are preferred even if they make cities hotter. Politicians go in AC cars and don’t feel the heat.Their homes, offices and even toilets are airconditioned.

A whale was washed ashore recently with thousands of plastic bags inside. Cows, abandoned and uncared for, eat carrybags – to die.

‘Liberal’ plastic ban opponents are happy that a symbol of communal Hinduism is dead. Symbolism is all that matters.

The plastic ban will remain just a symbol, unless people believe in it and administration enforces it sincerely.

Law and ban cannot achieve what sincere belief can.