In Muktsar, those defecating in open ‘will be caned’

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 2

It sounds strange but true. The Muktsar Municipal Council has done some wall paintings in the town warning people that if found defecating in open they will be caned and slapped as well.

In the wall painting, a policeman is holding a stick and telling a man defecating in open that “khulle vich jaonge ta painge dande te thappad (If you will defecate in open, then you will be caned and slapped)”. Notably, the paintings have been done under the Swachh Bharat programme.

However, when asked, Bipan Kumar, Executive Officer, Muktsar Municipal Council, feigning ignorance, said, “How can we give such punishment to anyone? Such issues can be handled politely. I will check such wall paintings.”

Earlier in 2013, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department had put up some bizarre posters showing “a man and a dog defecating in open”. There were some more posters reading as “Pind de jaanbaaz, jehde aapniyan janaaniyan te bacheya layi latrine nahi bana sake” (Brave people of the village, who could not construct toilets for their wives and children) and “Punjabiya kol mobile jyada han, toilet ghatt” (Punjabis have more mobile phones than toilets).

Though these posters were somewhat offending, but according to officials of the department concerned it was just a method to appeal to public to use toilets and those not having resources to construct toilets should contact them.