SOCIAL CO-OPERATION

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

SOCIAL CO-OPERATION

 

 

I offer no apology to the reader for publishing in this issue Dr. Hariprasad second letter on Ahmadabad Municipality. By and large, I do not waste the time of readers of Navajivan by discussing matters relating to a particular city or village. I utilize it for dealing with matters that concern the whole of Gujarat or the whole of India. And the space that I am taking up now in Navajivan to describe the lanes of Ahmadabad is justified by the rule that what holds good of one place holds good of all places. For the insanitary conditions we see in Ahmadabad and the bad habits that cause these conditions are found all over India. If people are trained to adopt sanitary habits even in a single town and if we could make the place a model in this respect, it would be easier to bring about sanitary conditions at all other places through such training. Our carelessness and lack of social co-operation are responsible for the terribly insanitary conditions that prevail amongst us. In those spheres where non-co-operation is called for, either consciously or unconsciously, we practice co-operation; for instance, we co-operate with many of our bad habits; we co-operate with the administrative machinery of the Government, knowing that it is destroying the nation’s vitality; we co-operate with our insanitary conditions which sap our physical strength and make us victims of plague and such other diseases, However, we fail to co-operate with our neighbours in whose happiness lies our own happiness and whose convenience we should consult in everything we do.

There is a legal maxim which is not meant to foster barren legal arguments but which suggests a religious principle:” Use your property in such a manner that it does no harm to others.” The Gita says this very thing in another way.” He alone can be called a seer, he alone can be called learned, and who sees himself in others and others in himself.” At every step we violate this basic principle of non-violence which is universally applicable and is at the same time the noblest of all. This violation in the case of our carelessness with regard to performing our excretory functions has moreover dangerous consequences. How much carelessness is involved in my throwing the rubbish collected from my compound into that of my neighbour’s or in throwing bits of glass out of my window, in throwing rubbish, in pouring out water and in spitting out of my window with total disregard of those who walk down below? What a great deal of violence is involved in all this! What a barbarous non-co-operation with society! What thoughtlessness in being indifferent to the fact that water from my drain could do harm to others! If we only realize that the public is a part of us and that we in turn are a part of it, our insanitary conditions would become impossibility and by freeing ourselves of diseases, etc., we would add to the nation’s strength and even its wealth.

A writer has said that dirt is matter misplaced. The sand which covers the river banks adds to the beauty of nature and the welfare of human beings; that very sand becomes dust if a particle of it gets into one’s eyes; if it falls into food, the food becomes unfit for consumption. Human excreta, if thrown on the road on which one has to walk, becomes filth, gives out an offensive odour and becomes the root cause of many diseases; while the same substance, buried in the field, serves as manure which is as good as gold. Farmers collect it and willingly pay a price for it. The same may be said of all other things. In these circumstances, if society is taught the ordinary rules to be observed with regard to one’s excretory functions and, if it acts in accordance with these, it would result in social co-operation and the human excreta, now regarded as filth, could be carried over by us to fields and transformed into golden manure. This task cannot be accomplished by Dr. Hariprasad alone. Nor can a handful of persons do it. The help of the entire society is required for this purpose and this could be obtained in two ways. One way is to frame strict rules and enforce them, while the other is to explain the facts to people create interest in such work and persuade them voluntarily to make improvements. The four instances quoted by Dr. Hariprasad are worthy of emulation.

Some persons belonging to the wealthy class seem to hold the view that they can be happy and well-protected if only they build marble palaces worth lakhs of rupees and then raise hedges all round them. In fact, if there is dirt in the surrounding area, they will have built for themselves a prison of marble instead of mud; they will be surrounded by several foul odours and exposed to several diseases. If they spend on training people in removing dirt and maintaining the purity of the atmosphere, half of what they spend on palaces, they would get the full benefit of their own palaces and also benefit others. In this manner they would secure a happy blending of self-interest and benevolence. In my opinion, the removal of insanitary conditions in a city like Ahmadabad is not possible through increase in taxation alone. Some increase may perhaps be necessary to meet the expenses on sanitation; however, this can be brought about in a large measure only through the philanthropy of rich persons. Could we not have small children’s parks in every locality in Ahmadabad? Could not the roads be broadened? Could not the by-lanes be kept so clean that we may, without any hesitation, walk in them barefoot?

All these improvements are only possible if there is co-operation between the wealthy class and the poor that is, if there is social cooperation between all citizens and if the rich regard the entire city as their own and spend their riches on beautifying it. They should also realize that wealth spent in this way begets wealth. If a good road is constructed in a city, the value of the buildings appreciates. Similarly, if the roads in Ahmadabad are widened and kept clean the adjoining land will rise in value. In addition to this, there is an economic gain which follows from improved health of the people and the resulting increase in their vitality and their life-span. A beginning has to be made, just now, with keeping clean the roads that we already have. This beginning will finally result in the widening of narrow roads, in the making of small parks in various localities and in beautifying the city by bringing into view the temples and mosques now surrounded by ugly buildings.