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Spitting a disgusting and uncivilised habit
Aparna Nair, TNN Oct 10, 2013, 05.40AM IST
Spitting a disgusting and uncivilised habit - Times Of India
Aparna Nair, TNN Oct 10, 2013, 05.40AM IST
NAGPUR: How many times have you felt sick and disgusted on seeing the corner of a wall splattered with maroon spit in a public space? Or on seeing specks of spit fly by you (or hit you, if are unlucky enough) while on the road?
Spitting in public places is a sickening sight that most of us witness every day, everywhere - on road, in parks, in offices, in residential apartments. This is one habit many Nagpurians want to do away with, they want the Ravan of public spitting to be burned this Dussehra.
"It is an absolutely disgusting and uncivilised habit. And the worst part is that people are not apologetic about it. They think that it is their right to spit wherever they wish," says Kavita Rattan, a lecturer. She added that the implications on public health are tremendous.
Retired senior lecturer Rammu Trivedi's agrees. "If you stop them, they just ask us to mind our own business." Recounting an incident, Trivedi said, "I was driving a scooter while my wife was riding pillion with our six-month-old daughter. Somebody spat from inside a bus and the tobacco went into my daughter's eye. She cried so much. People don't care that they are harming other people too by this habit."
Trivedi's daughter was lucky not to face any long term effects of the incident. But many fear the health implications of public spitting. "There are so many diseases which can spread through spit, including serious ailments like TB. People just don't understand," said Rattan.
There are many victims of the 'pan pichkari', as these spit rockets are also called. Another victim, Shreedharan Kaimal, said, "I am a railway employee and have a white uniform. I was standing on a signal when somebody spat pan from a bus. My uniform was ruined."
Everyone TOI spoke to felt that this Ravan can only be burned through people's initiative. The role of youth was emphasized by HoD of physical education department and NSS coordinator of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Sharmila Dogra. "The youth can take active part in raising awareness among the public. Activities like rallies might help. Some years back, our college NSS wing had taken up an initiative in this regard," she said.
"We are educated illiterates, since we don't have any civic sense," Trivedi said. Kaimal added that unless people saw it as their responsibility to keep the surroundings clean, nothing was going to change.
Spitting a disgusting and uncivilised habit - Times Of India
