Potty Training and Waste Management

There is a lot of fury about the failure of waste management and the way in which plastic is ruling our lives. There is concern ,there is anger,there is awareness still there is no solution or concrete,  punishable law to tackle it. .  There is also a very alarming issue  of  hazardous waste about which we have to think seriously. Diapers filled with human excreta... Each child born to middle class or upper class, from birth to school wear it. Many children going to nurseries wear these diapers as they have no toilet training and fear of having no bowel control  As our cities often face this garbage disposing crisis, these heavy diapers which are accumulated for two or three days are tied into plastic covers and are  thrown on the road side to be eaten by dogs, cows,rats and rest to be savoured by the bacteria. At least if the filth was washed off before it is dumped ..! Tons of  filthy diapers are thrown. How much does a family spend on these diapers monthly? Are we Indians turning into a lazy lot , who have no time to  train our children simple basics ? There was a time when a month old baby was taught to pee into a basin  listening to the hissing sound made by his mother or grand mother. It saved a lot of nappies. Today's babies are also ready  to  learn and eager to    learn..   Coming back to used diapers, you will have to pour at least half a litre of petrol to set it ablaze to get rid of them. Multinationals are doing roaring  business through these -  parents at the cost of our environment,   our health and money. Can't these companies give solutions as to how these used diapers should be disposed ? Doctors and maternity hospitals should guide parents on minimal usage  of diapers and  bringing up the child in natural way. Many types of fancy potties are available for babies who are able to sit. Those expensive potties are brought home with all glamour but who will sit or make the babies sit on it ?  It is high time we reduce generating waste and manage it effectively  without damaging the environment to keep ourselves healthy.  At least start adopting good practices from the Swiss and Swedish   who recycle most of their waste. Why can't we also charge the users on each article the cost to recycle it. .?                                                                    Mini Thomas -  minithomasgeorge@gmail.com

Vishu (Medam- 1 ) New Year

Prosperity visible everywhere. We were stuck in a traffic jam. People standing in queue for buying fire crackers.All the shops were packed with people.every body in a hurry.
 Money is not a problem for celebration. Sales of anything attracts people on festival days. Even peacock feathers are sold in bulk (who cares if peacocks are killed). Any new idea is welcomed. Feeling proud of India prospering.

 Thoughts roll back at least thirty years.. Vishu a new year celebrated in a simple way.
 Though a Hindu festival every kids loved to get money (kaineetam) from elders,
and buy fire crackers.Everything was  easy going.
People brought fire crackers but business was never so huge. Peacock feathers or the konna poov (flower) were never part of shopping. Vegetarians had veg- sadya and others had non-veg. Any expenditure was given a second thought. The Vishu kaineettam was always a small amount compared to these days. Every elder could dare to give a kaineettam. One rupee to those ten rupees valued a lot. I heard somebody mentioning today of getting two thousand as kaineetam.
 Yes value has changed. Discounts and offers rule the day. Even bars give discounts for their special customers.