<< And, come on, man, the sanitation can be truly bad in village (past tense, again)>>
Sanitation is still bad. Villagers were given toilets for their intended use. But they were used for other purposes. You can't get a villager to defecate into a toilet. He is used to squat and defecate, and use water for posterior ablution. It is hard to change 5 thousand years ingrained habits.
<<the illiterate Indian villager, in general, was definitely ignorant. >>
Ignorance, illiteracy / literacy, and intelligence are parameters that can be applied to any person in any country and even to the sophisticated Manhattanites. Ignorance and illiteracy can be explained on the basis of lack of equal opportunity in education. You are blessed because you got an equal opportunity in education. Just think of yourself, deprived of that benefit. When you go to a doctor, you admit that you are ignorant of what ails you. That is the kind of ignorance that should not be looked down upon. The Indian villager is in the same situation and more so. Radio and TV did help quite a lot is dispelling ignorance.
With regards to sanitation: It is atrocious all over India. No question about it. Foreign high officials, while visiting India, bring their own water.
Things are improving, but there is a long way to go.
JPR |
