Sir — This refers to the article, “Flush the politics down the drain” (October 9) by Madhuri Shukla. Unhygienic are those minds that have raised an absurd controversy out of a well-intended assertion made by Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Already a laggard among nations in almost all human development indices, India can ill-afford to be called a country of open defecators. Don’t we know that poor access to clean toilets has been causing havoc with public health for many years now, and shouldn’t we all be elated at the fact that a prime ministerial candidate is making the right choiceIJ
Ever since this uncalled for debate has erupted, I have heard many say that Mr Modi should not have mixed the issues of toilet and temple. But it is a fact that may temple managements have not been able to provide sanitation to the millions of devotees who flock to the temples. If Mr Modi has said that his priority is toilets and not temples, what is wrong with the statementIJ
