The Union Water and Sanitation Ministry secretary Parameswaran Iyer has set before himself a tall order. Achieving 100 per cent toilet coverage in households before October 2, 2019, will be a new anticipated chapter of the total sanitation aspiration of the Government of India. But the other side of this optimistic promise is a bleak reality.
Even in a forward-looking country such as ours, modern households have reservations in domestic help accessing household toilets. This, in turn, increases open defecation. Using the powerful medium of films, a film called #CleanYourHeart is being screened on World Toilet Day on November 19, highlighting one of the gravest issues for India today — access to toilet. Post-liberalised India has seen a 120 per cent rise in the number of domestic helps. Of this, most are women.
The cinematography of the film is arranged in a way to drive home the above point lucidly. It shows how an old lady from a modern family is made to realise how it is a domestic help’s fundamental right to be able to use their family toilet. The daughter-in-law in the film displays compassion towards her help by being grateful for all the support she extends to her family. She knows well her house cannot function without assistance. Through these two contrasting attitudes, the film beckons us to realise our responsibilities towards them as not just workers but also humans.
#CleanYourHeart is being presented by We are Water Foundation and Roca. The former is the global foundation of the latter that works with an aim of eradicating problems rising from lack of water and sanitation. “While toilets continue to be constructed and water conservation methods are steadily brought about, it is also important to bring a behavioural change. As a society, we still discriminate on the basis of color, cast and section. It’s the same with sharing a seat or eating a meal with them,” says Mayuri Saikia of Roca Bathroom Products Pvt. Ltd.
Whether it’s through films such as #CleanYourHeart or other another form of broadcast, important points will always need to be reiterated. Swachh Bharat is not only India’s mission, it is also every individual’s responsibility.