India provoked by Bhanot's comments on hygiene?

By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 23 September 2010, 15:47 IST
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India provoked by Bhanot's comments on hygiene?
Bangalore: OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot accused all Indians for their lack of sense in hygiene and that has provoked angry reactions. Most of the people disagree with Bhanot, and express their angry reactions on the social networking sites. But it's a common belief that Indians do not observe hygiene in public places. The comparison that are brought into the picture raise a question: Is there any standard in hygiene? Clean is always clean. The cyberspace is flooded with angry reactions from Indians across the world. They responded to Bhanot by saying, "Unlike some western countries, people here bathe every day. This is the first step to personal hygiene. We always wash hands before eating. Instead of using toilet paper, we carry out ablution. We are no less conscious about hygiene as compared to a westerner." But we often forget the fact that such emotional responses create distance between countries. A second-year Delhi University student questioned the immediate responses on his post "If a washroom is dirty, no one can call it clean. The organizing committee should have ensured that the rooms are clean before allotting them to foreign delegates. For their mistake, how can they run down Indians?" Even as a controversy swirled around his remark, Bhanot attempted to explain that he had been misunderstood. He meant to say that the delegates want the work to be done in a specific manner, which has not been done here. We admit that some of the flats were in a bad shape, but that has been resolved." But the ultimate question remains unanswered "Was Bhanot right in saying that what's filthy for Fennell is acceptable as per Indian standards? Did he forget the fact that such remarks will bring disgrace to an entire nation?"