Recently, an Australian radio host, Kyle Sandiland called India “shit hole” and Ganga a “junkyard” and Indian groups in Australia are seeking apology from the radio station. Indian community is quite angry with such remarks from the Australian media. I was reading this news online and there were hundreds of comments under the article and most of those comments were literally abuses hurled at Australians, Australian media, and most importantly on Australian cricket team! I was wondering what cricket has to do with the remarks of the radio host. Later on I figured out that it’s the cricket that brings Indo-Aus people together and then make them fight for nothing!
Ganga (Photo Credit zuzutop.com)
People who are opposing the same are either ignorant or don’t want to accept the reality. Its hard reality and Indians need to accept it that not only the Ganga, but also the other rivers (have you ever seen Yamuna River?) are turning into drainage, dumping spots for big industries. Have you ever visited the Allahabad and seen the condition of Ganga? This place is called the holiest place to take bath and shed all your sins committed in life time but I doubt if one has ever survived after taking a bath from such polluted water. A few years back “The Economist” reported that Hinduism’s scared river (Ganga) contains 60,000 faecal coli-form bacteria per 100 millilitres, 120 times more than what is considered safe for bathing. Ganga has eventually become the “junkyard of corpses” and there shouldn’t be any doubt.
We have naturally developed the habit of resisting the change, even it is for good. Almost daily everyone can see people littering, urinating, defecating on the road sides; spitting in trains, buses. You can see dark red spots of paan-masala everywhere on the railway stations, bus stands or almost at the every public place. Have you ever tried to go near railway tracks on railway station? You are welcomed by the strong smell of excreta and within seconds your head will start spinning and you may go unconscious or go into coma for rest of your life. Elsewhere in world, when you visit a railway station its pleasant experience and you are welcomed with different lavender perfumes or air fresheners going directly into your brain. I wonder if someone replaces lavender spray with excreta spray in India. Is this what we call our culture?
I met with one of my friends from Sri Lanka in Gurgaon a few months ago and while discussing how she liked India she told me what she saw one day at red light stop – a person was defecating at the bridge in the broad daylight – and though I felt embarrassed at the fact but I couldn’t deny the stark reality. After that she told me that it never happens in Sri Lanka. Is this what we call our culture? Or is this what we Indians are proud of? I also remember from my last Budapest’s visit (on the invitation of Jai Bhim Network) that no-one, yes not even an uneducated person ever throws anything rubbish on the roads or public places, no-one urinate, defecate on public places but seek dustbins or toilets or even carry the garbage to the home if he/she don’t find one. Our cities look like extended slums, towns are filthy dumps and villages often smell strongly like excreta. It’s interesting to note that Hindus consider cleanliness important but task of cleanliness is considered lower and is reserved for Dalits!
In the book “Area of Darkness” (written in 1964) V.S. Naipaul explores an extremely dark account of India and details how dirty the country is. Naipaul in his books writes that elsewhere in world approach to villages through countryside is a pleasant experience but not in India where visitor to villages is welcomed by smell of human excreta. He observed it in decades of 70s but it is still true in most of villages in India.
Many of the comments that I read online were describing Australians as “criminals dumped by British”. Now, think if criminals can do such a better job and become in the list of developed nations then what’s holding great Indian minds back? Rather than abusing Kyle Sandiland, we should be thankful to him that he pointed out our weakness and now it’s our turn to follow the righteous path. My advice would be to stop bashing, whining Australian radio host, Kyle Sandiland, take lesson and start cleaning your backyard. Only then we can show the world that we have “best culture” in the world.
P.S. Check out the top 10 ugly rivers of the world from here. Ganga and Yamuna Rivers are both in the list!!
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One of my friend who is a Indian doctor who has migrated to Australia commented this way …He said
”””””””’Good article; Tells us to have a good long look at ourselves b4 retaliating hastily, but this ” Kyle Sandiland ” is no Angel himself; Even Aussies here hate him for what he truly is, , an Asshole !””””””””””””””’
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One of my friend who is a Indian doctor who has migrated to Australia commented this way …He said
”””””””’Good article; Tells us to have a good long look at ourselves b4 retaliating hastily, but this ” Kyle Sandiland ” is no Angel himself; Even Aussies here hate him for what he truly is, , an Asshole !””””””””””””””’
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Mr Milind Pandit…..Please understand,,,,, I accepted the fact ….. I said ””’I got shocked to see the conditions when i visited Varanasi last year 2010….. Yes we need to change….”””…..not only Varanasi …..what about Chennai?…these corporation workers dont do their duties…i see heaps of garbage in streets of Chennai…. I am pointing them out too…. Mr Milind Pandit, the point is one should respect the sentiments and requests of all people with in our country …. In a democracy, if democratically elected Tamil speaking community place a request , you and me can listen….or at-least try to listen on them ….in the same way (for example) , if the democratic system, democratically elected people from Punjab place a request , again you and me should listen them or at-least try to listen them…. after all i believe, we are part of a family……
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If one blames the Lankans for what they do within their state, can it change the face of Indian reality? It is understandable that a black kettle shouldn’t call a pot black. Moreover, the pot should also have a tendency of introspection. the basic problem with the Indians has been that they never introspect and truth to them is like tasting the hottest chilli of the world. The dirt talked of in the above article can also be taken indicative of mental make-up of us Indians, to be honest. One must appreciate the author of the article for his bringing reality to light.
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I am pointing out the mistake of some mega criminals wearing white dress in Srilanka…. their mistake is decade-long selfishness …. their mistake and weakness is ‘harassing the minorities’…. let them learn ….thereafter let them really grow as a country ….. let them really grow and let others happy too….
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I agree!
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I didn’t mention in the article that there is a lack of infrastructure because I believe that it should not be an excuse for being unclean.
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what a great article Mr Pardeep…. I accept you 100%…. I got shocked to see the conditions when i visited Varanasi last year 2010….. Yes we need to change…. Presently I live in Sikkim….this is one of the cleanest states in India…. When you cross the Bengal border and enter in to a place called Rangpo, which lies in Sikkim, you will feel the difference…Sikkim is heaven when compared to other states…. But in your article i need to mention something…It is a shame that somebody from Srilanka finds mistake on us…. A person from Srilanka which holds the biggest international criminal is pointing fingers towards us….It is a shame to all of us…. This is just like that …A person from criminal country says others dirty … ….. Let these Srilankans treat the minorities equally….then let them find mistake on others…. Sorry Mr Pardeep…. I am not diverting your article…I am telling a hard fact…
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Thank you srisridhar for the comment. The point is not who is pointing us about the weakness of ours. (See, I am no-where denying the existence of “killing fields of Sri-Lanka”) the thing here is we also need to remove killings of dalits, muslims and other minority communities. The more important thing is we need to change and it’s for good . As, I wrote above that we should be thankful to such people not should bash.
When I was a kid, my father told me one thing, “Be thankful to the person who point out your real weaknesses and work hard on improving those. The person who points out weaknesses is your real friend not the person who always agrees or “ya-ya you are right” type of person because we can’t learn from such “ya-ya you are right” type of person and if we can’t learn, we can’t grow, if we can’t grow, we can’t be happy and if we can’t be happy then what else is life?”
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Very good article….what surprise me even more is Indians keep their houses superb clean while throwing all the junk in to the roads…i have met some people spit inside the public buildings…I do not understand why these people do not try to keep this lovely country clean….
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Thank you for your comment and sharing your experience..
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