Cleaner brains as essential as cleaner drains !

“Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” or the “Clean India Campaign”, is a Government of India initiative to make our country cleaner. It is a movement led by our own prime minister Mr.Narendra Modi. I absolutely and completely support this cause and think that “a clean India” is the need of the hour today. It’s high time we realize the importance of keeping not just our homes clean, but our neighborhoods as well. Small changes in our personal habits can bring about a huge change to our country. Habits such as throwing the garbage only in the dust bins or trying not to litter around at public places or not spitting on at any random place, etc, can make a huge difference in this process.

All that said, I personally think that India will be clean, in true sense, when it’s people will have clean minds. I find this cleanliness to be as essential as the other one. Just like we talk about cleaning our surroundings, I think it us our duty to talk about cleaning the minds too. The crime rates in India have been on a constant rise every year. There are several reasons why one commits a crime, but the most heinous crimes that are committed are directly linked to the functioning of the grey matter.

While there are many theories behind why people commit a crime, the fact is that no one is born a criminal, it is the circumstances and the choices we make that make us who we are. Our brain is where it all happens. While the influence of nature vs nurture, is a debatable topic, we simply cannot ignore the impact it has on us. I feel nature is something that we have no control over, yet nurture is absolutely in our hands.

When I say that nurturing is in our hands, I simply mean that our responsibility does not end at giving our own children the right upbringing. We must all make a conscious effort in being compassionate towards the world at large, to understand what the next person might be going through. Be it that kid who you see begging on the street or that young teenager you see walking by you while eating paan masala. No one wants a life like that, its the circumstances that make things good or bad for us, and it is our intellect that makes us take the right or the wrong path.

I don’t say that you must go out of the way to help others but make small efforts. These efforts need not always be monetary, they can simply be in gesture. I remember once I bought this little beggar boy a pair of slippers on hot sunny day, he was sitting outside the cafe, by the wall, in its shade. He was barefoot and it was too hot to walk on the road like that. That pair of slipper for me was not more than what I’d spend on a cup of coffee but it meant way too much to that little boy. I still can’t forget the smile on his face. This gesture of mine might have been a small one but it may have created some positive impact in his little head. I hope in some way I was able to help him keep some faith alive in this big nasty world.

So, the next time you want to make India clean, don’t just clean the surroundings but help others keep their conscience alive and kicking. Help them keep their lives clean.

Adios
Happy Sunday : )