EVEN THE DUSTBIN SAYS, “USE ME!”

The say “Prevention is always better than cure”, which means that to be prudent and cautious, is always better than damage control. We all think about our homes and our personal environment when it comes to the matter of cleanliness. We sweep and broom our homes and throw the dust outside on the road, feeling relieved that we have done our duty towards hygiene and cleanliness, but what about the duty we have towards community? 

Sitting in our homes, as our kids eat chips or biscuits, we tell them to throw the wrapper in dustbin, we tell not to stick chewing gum to furniture, we tell them not to let any broken glass come in our way, under our feet. But when it comes to the lane we live in, no one cares. No one cares while emptying their dustbins in the lane, no one cares about throwing broken glass outside, no one cares if our kids stick their chewing gum to park benches. Why? Because we don’t consider it our Home or our personal environment, we get so narrow minded that we can’t think outside the premises of the four walls we live in. 

We have all accepted Kejriwal with open hearts when he made something like a Jhaadu as his party symbol, admiring him for his love for cleanliness, we have supported PM Narendra Modi, in his quest to clean India, his Swachh Bharat Abhyan has inspired us all to clean India, but has any of you thought, that before cleaning, we need to stop dirtying? Change begins at Home and everyone’s efforts counts, so when it comes to keeping your society clean, don’t think why me? Or what difference will my efforts make? Teach yourself and your kids to use dustbins when in parks or playgrounds, don’t dispose plastic wrappers in water bodies and pollute them, never allow or encourage anyone to pee against a wall or a corner, don’t just eat popcorn or peanuts and discard the crushed packet on the roadside, pocket that banana peel you are so tempted to chuck on curb and throw it when you see a garbage can. Even the dustbin says, “USE ME!” What you give community, community gives you back, that water will ultimately come to your taps, those parks are where your kids play, that is the bench on which your parents sit after morning rounds that might be the corner where you hang out with your friends and wife might be the one to slip on that peel. 

And yes, I know many of you are thinking I do just that, so one last question for you all, do you do it when you are being watched or when someone is around, or do you follow this even when you are alone and no one is around to judge you? Please, don’t do it to save your image or to avoid judgement, do it for your community. You might change your home, you might change your city or even your country, but wherever you are, you are part of a community, make it proud, and feel proud to be a part of it. 

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