Down the Crapper

The BBC had an article recently revealing that, according to the latest census, nearly half of India's population do not have a toilet at home.

Yes, this is a horrible and disgusting fact.

But my first reaction was "Who didn't already know this!?"

In fact, this article led to a second article that kicked off with "Is anybody really surprised?"

No, we're not really surprised. If anything, we're surprised this is just now becoming news.

It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of toilets in India. Sure, there are all kinds of studies saying that defecating in the squat position is actually better for your body (something about cleaning you out faster and more thoroughly...don't actually read any of these studies if you want to sleep tonight), but I see no studies that say standing in other people's feces is good for the soul. Toilets in India are generally so filthy and rank that you're likely to catch something just being in the vicinity.

But it can get worse. And does.

Nearly half the population has no toilet of their own. Some use public toilets (which I just covered the perils of), but the majority (49.8%) "defecate in the open."

Now anyone that's watched Slumdog Millionaire has seen the outhouse-style buildings suspended above a river. Because why crap into a deep hole in the ground when you can crap into the water supply? (In Pune, I have seen a slum just downstream from the water treatment plant. Think on that for a minute.)

Not all of this goes on in a semi-private little outhouse, though. No, I have seen people pull down their pants by the side of a busy road and have at it. When walking down the road, you not only have to worry about dodging paan stains (red spit caused by something similar to chewing tobacco) and animal feces (buffalo, cow, dog, horse, goat...the list goes on), you also have to worry about stepping in human feces.

This article (the one not at all shocked by the statistics) posed the issue in a way I found very interesting:

Is the lack of toilets and preference for open defecation a cultural issue in a society where the habit actually perpetuates social oppression, as proved by the reduced but continued existence of low caste human scavengers and sweepers?

Another interesting finding: Sikh and Christian households had the highest access to improved sanitation, at over 70%, while Hindus had the least access at 45%.

I can't help but notice that Hindus follow a strict caste system, while Sikhs have a much less severe caste system (and many don't believe in one at all) and Christians lack one altogether. India is made up of approximately 80% Hindus.

Is this sanitation issue one of many ways of reinforcing the caste system? While I seriously doubt it is a thought-out intentional plan for the government to oppress lower castes by not extending sanitation systems, it is entirely believable that it may be the subconscious reason behind the failure.

In a country so eager to move up in the world, one would think basic sanitation would be an issue they'd eagerly tackle. It is difficult, after all, to be taken seriously while baring your butt on the side of the road.