Why This Blog

India's charismatic new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his first address to the Nation on its 68th Independence day - August 15, 2014, openly talked about a taboo subject-- that of Poo and Loo. Thousands had gathered there, and millions were glued to their television sets. Much was expected from him in announcements of sweeping reforms, economic growth, job creation, safety of women and so on. He had been elected on his promises to put development and change in the country.

Modi's was dressed like a bride's father at a traditional Indian wedding -- in colorful Jodhpur style flowing turban. He spoke without notes and made animated gestures with both hands.  He was the personification of leadership. He noted that half of the nation's population did not have access to household latrines and that it was a matter of shame for the country for half its people not having a latrine in their homes. Never before had a  Prime Minister spoken with such candor on this taboo topic, although world agencies had identified the problem and its devastating impact on to public health. This is a topic that is rarely mentioned in common parley. We Indians use euphemisms in referring to toilet -- constitutional, excreta, stools. or defecation. We say poo, poop, loo, du-du, can, motion, 'going', bladder problem, front/back door, can, bath room, wash-room, night-soil, morning chores. morning ablution, making fertilizer and so on.

People in different linguistic States use their own terms such as Helu, Kakkas, Sandas, Doddi, Paikhana, ..... Further more, the reference word of one person is unlikely to be meaningful to a person of a different language.


Judging from the response of people across India, Modi has inspired people. As the Sanskrit proverb says, yatha rajah, tatha prajah (however acts the top man, so do the people at lower levels)

This blog is a compendium of the reactions, elaboration of the challenges, the linkage of diseases with open toilets, the behavioral changes needed and success reports. The objective of this blog is to open up a forum where the thinking and the doing, as well as honest feedback and stumbling blocks to this nation building activity get reported; This is also a means of evoking new thinking.

 The subject had always been referred to in euphemistic or connotative words, but denotative words were a no-no, considered embarrassing and not in good style. In typical referral people talk about going to --: going to the can, du-doing, pooping, going to the office, going for a constitutional, regularity, motion, night soil, crap, shit/shitting, pee/peeing, taking a leak, output, morning ablution, human-manure/fertilizer, going with the water-pot, left-hand work or simply going. Nobody referred to it as defecation, excreta, and such other denotative words.

Not only did Modi spoke about it, but went on to announce how many million of these out-houses would be created through government funds. That was brazen disregard of the Indian norm of what a government should be concerned with. People were expecting announcements with respect to more job creation, inflation, agriculture, banking and so on.

Indians take their lead from charismatic leaders. Perhaps we are 'authoritarian' personalities, that require an inspiring leader. Perhaps we are not entrepreneurial and individualistic enough. Now that the Prime Minister has talked about it openly, there are reports in newspapers how bad the situation is, what the progress has been in building toilets,what the conservative attitudes have been, the resistance to change, and innovations in toilet design, and so forth.  This blog is an attempt to bring all of this in one place and encourage dialog and discussion about the issues around this aspect of sanitation in India.