It’s impossible to miss out on blood red saliva stains sprayed across apna government office walls, roadside pavements and restrooms in the by-lanes of Mumbai city. Coming to think of it, no place is spared from the thuk and the thuknewalla – main roads, schools, public transports, beaches, parks…everywhere, you name it.
One would think the situation is somewhat in control when it comes to private workplace. But guess what – you couldn’t be more mistaken.
Working in a medium-sized company with a tobacco-chewing labour force, I should know. Of course, this is not to say the educated folk follow expected hygiene norms in public places either, so this is clearly not a class thing. Nor, unfortunately, is it an education thing either. Anyway, moving along with my story….
Every year our company spends a sizable amount on our factory maintenance and repair work. This also includes re-painting the entire building especially the staircases. But just as the popular desi-kahavat goes, "kutte ki pooch teri hi rahegi" – no sooner does the paint dry up, the infamous red spots make their appearance again.
However this time round, our company heads came up with an ingenious plan. Nothing innovative though, they simply followed the route taken by many others in a similar situation and were blessed in return. And I mean it, literally blessed.
After the paint job, square tiles, approximately 8 inches in size, with images of God printed on the front were pasted on the walls. You know the ones we come across lined outside the walls of temples, churches etc? And mind you, religious sentiments were taken into consideration by the management –practically all the well-known mighty figures, including Babasaheb Ambedkar were present.
And so the very obvious question here would be, did the plan work?
Hell yeah, just like a lightening bulb. It’s been over two weeks now and get this – not a single spot. The walls are still shiny new, such that one can see their reflection crystal clear (okay, that’s an exaggeration but surely you get the point).
Funny no, basic principles of daily life which are there only for our benefit and the society at large are so ignored and tossed aside that it requires divine intervention in order to be brought back on track.
In short it all boils down to this – Education, class, etc does not guarantee sensibility. But the fear of God is what makes people do even the most natural and doable things.
Comments
15 comments | Add your comment »
amit
Apr 8th, 2008 at 12:59 pm | #
thts seriously a very innovative idea!!!!
Hyde
Apr 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pm | #
Put the fear of God in politicans and the country will progress like it has never before. Sab line mein aa jayenge!
Anonymous
Apr 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm | #
awesome.
Jay
Apr 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pm | #
Hehe. God can do what no one can. Proved.
M
Apr 8th, 2008 at 4:04 pm | #
OMG! Those bastards didn’t spare your blog either!!!
Arti Honrao
Apr 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm | #
Oh yes, I have seen such tiles with images of God on them but you know what … these people still find a way…
Wait till you see the wall between two tiles painted red …
Jinke karna hota hai woh log nishaana leke fauwaara maarte hain!!!
GBU
Arti
ed
Apr 8th, 2008 at 7:33 pm | #
someone in your office repair department apparently has a thing for literature and read rohinton mistry – Such a Long Journey – where Gustad Noble, living in a compound surrounded by walls was so annoyed that anyone, dog or man, would just use the outside of which as a urinal, that he hired an artist to paint it (in oil not crayons as the artist usually used) with all kinds of deities – it then somewhat backfired, I think to remember, as the wall became a public place for prayers or so and was finally even dismantled – but again it is too long I read the novel myself. But the original idea was very intriguing and apparently had an impact on readers working at your place as well
wonderful to hear that such a thing also can work in real life – though I find the chosen dark redish paint in itself already a funny idea to the problem at hand, or rather mouth …
Gaurav
Apr 9th, 2008 at 7:40 am | #
LOL. Chalo religion ke naam pe kuch acha hi ho raha hai. Praise the Lord, as they say.
Anshul
Apr 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am | #
Chalo, Bhagwaan ke naam pe kam se kam logon ne Spitting toh bandh ki…
Desi Melange
Apr 10th, 2008 at 3:33 pm | #
Why is it that people do that along with picking their nose and other such grosse things in public? Ugghhh .. I remember being at the Taj Mahal with my husband and as I sat there looking at this beautiful view there was a guy sitting in front of us digging through his nose with not one but 3 fingers. Thats one memory of the Taj I did not want to have. Anyway, nice blog
Sid
Apr 10th, 2008 at 6:38 pm | #
The same method was used at a spot right beside the HAL airport here in Bangalore. Only this was meant to stop people from defecating on that spot. Waiting at the nearby Bus-Stop you could actually tell (smell actually) the difference.
However within a couple of weeks the photos were removed and the stink was back, right on cue. I guess someone was just trying out the same experiment your office tried. But someone forgot to tell them that it actually worked and please put the photos back up!!!
Harsh
Apr 11th, 2008 at 7:10 pm | #
Good one, Sakx. An interesting piece after quite some time (or have I been reading less of your blog?)
I absolutely love the freaky mesh of faith (not fear) in India, its psychological fences and its expression that’s found like wild mushrooms in the most unlikely places (or, for that matter, paan stains).
More thoughts on this later, maybe.
Be good.
thequark
Apr 29th, 2008 at 4:49 am | #
This solution was used in my apartments in my hometown. Though the stairs were clean but people used to spit in the inner walls of of the lift chamber. Society had to put pictures of Gods and Goddesses in the inner wall and Voila! the problem was solved
imran
Aug 10th, 2008 at 1:23 pm | #
that’s good people are not spitting for god sake. if peope left something for god sake that is good for society people need that’s kinds of stuffs
Siddhartha gautam
Aug 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pm | #
This is in practice for sometime now. I have seen many walls along the road side, where there are tiles of God & Godess are pasted and thus the avoid people from various activities along the wall side.