Against coercive tactics
This is regarding the cover story "Mission Madness" (16-31 July, 2017). We are glad for the appreciation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and its focus on behavioural change for rural sanitation. As you know, SBM entails community involvement and participation as a key to make villages open-defecation-free (ODF) and clean. Building social pressure against open defecation through persuasion and consensus is important for behavioural change. Needless to say, I agree that coercive tactics are inappropriate and unlikely to lead to sustained change in behaviour. SBM Grameen is about positive behaviour change communication and generating community consensus in an equitable and constructive manner.
I would like to share that the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has sent an advisory to all states on July 25 underlining that such actions are against the spirit of SBM. This is also shared in the public domain through a press release. We are also constantly reemphasising this message with the district officials and state governments in all interactions.
PARAMESWARAN IYER SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION VIA EMAIL
Violence perpetrated by outsiders on the poor and innocent in the garb of liberating the nation from open defecation is a matter of serious concern. The collective behavioural change approach of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) never provides outsiders the right to embarrass, harass, coerce, punish or penalise insiders to stop open defecation. Although CLTS is being used extensively across the country, many of these training courses have systematically incorporated pressure tactics by outsiders.
In reality, CLTS is an exercise where the community through its own analysis realises the harsh fact of ingesting each other's faeces as long as open defecation continues. Internalising this prompts a community to collectively think of methods to stop open defecation, such as immediately using unused toilets and supporting the poorest members in building makeshift toilets. Such actions begin immediately after a powerful triggering exercise is facilitated by
outsiders by involving as many people from the community as possible, including children. After the village is declared ODF, many communities impose monitoring activities and in some cases, penal actions.
The difference between a reward or penalty decided by a community and that by an outsider or the government is that the former is non-violent and non-confrontational. A community is rewarded only after adequate time is given to abandon open defecation. In Bangladesh, for instance, community members impose a small fine and the offender is requested in their panchayat not to practise open defecation and is also assured support. Apart from acting against such violence, the government should also spread the message that it is the community itself which takes the decision to become ODF in a sustainable manner.
KAMAL KAR CHAIRMAN, CLTS FOUNDATION VIA EMAIL