Mann Ki Baat: PM lauds Karnataka girl's three-day fast for a toilet
A 15-year-old girl in Koppal district of Karnataka went on a three-day fast protesting against the dearth of toilets in her village.
In Short
- A 15-year-old girl went on three-day fast for toilet.
- Mallamma thanked her school for awareness on importance of toilets.
- Within days after her strike in July, the govt provided a toilet.
Imagine the plight of a 15-year-old girl who has to go out in the dark to defecate. This is the situation of a majority of families in Karnataka. According to the UNICEF in 2015, about 4.7 per cent gram panchayats in the state were declared open-defecation free.
Even though 50 per cent of the population in Karnataka has access to toilets, this problem persists due to lack of awareness. It took three days of hunger strike for Mallamma Bagalapur to help her family realise the need for a toilet in their home. Studying in class 10 in Koppal, some 350 kms from Bengaluru, Mallamma thanks her school for educating her about the importance of having a toilet.
'TOILET IS ONLY FOR THE RICH'
She helped her family literally flush out the perception that "toilet is only for the rich". While Mallamma was on a strike in July, Koppal zilla panchayat CEO R Ramachandran visited the spot and promised the family to clear both the issues related to space and funds.
With government's subsidy of Rs 1,500 for Dalit families, Mallamma's long-term dream transformed into reality within a week. This young girl has now become a role model to all in the rural sections of the country to the extent that she holds a prominent place even in the PM's 'mann'. No wonder, Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, quoted her in his 'Mann Ki Baat' today.
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In this Karnataka village, sarpanch begs people to build toilets by falling at their feet