JOIN USOn a visit home from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi encountered an outbreak of plague in Bombay which was feared to spread to other places also, including Rajkot where he was staying.
By this time, after going to South Africa, practising law there and seeing the cruelty and humiliations being heaped upon Indians there, the 'indentured labourers' as the white rulers called them, Gandhi's thoughts on morality, equality, justice and the supremacy of the free spirit of man had crystallised into a clear shape. His readings of Indian and Western philosophy and ethics had also contributed to his clarity of thought. He firmly believed that one of the important ways of prodding his countrymen into action against the various social evils prevalent among them was to engage in service to society. In his characteristic manner, he himself engaged in this service first to set an example for others.
Thus, when news of the outbreak of plague came in, he volunteered his services to the sanitation department of Rajkot. A committee was formed to spread awareness of cleanliness, especially the accumulation of filth and refuse, which could attract rats, the carriers of the disease. A committee was formed for this purpose with Gandhi as member. Gandhi made the observation that cleanliness of toilets was the primary step in civic sanitation. It was decided to inspect the toilets in all streets. The surprising finding was that the quarters of the poor were in a fair state of cleanliness, while the houses of the more well-off were in disgusting conditions.
This hypocrisy was criticised by Gandhi, which did not go down well with the citizens, leading to many troubles for Gandhi in future. But he stuck to his stand that one must first practice what one preaches and not discriminate based on caste or social standing. During this inspection drive, the committee had to inspect the houses of some untouchables also. None excepting one committee member agreed to accompany Gandhi in this task. The 'sincerity' of the other members was clearly exposed! This was indeed a touching experience for Gandhi. The residents were surprised when asked about their toilets, because they did not have one in the first place and frankly admitted to finishing their tasks out in the open. "Ours are no houses, only holes," they said as they welcomed Gandhi inside. An upper caste person entering the house of an untouchable - the unthinkable was happening! But a revelation awaited Gandhi as he found "the insides as clean the outsides". The 'holes' were spic and span!
The committee also visited a place of worship. All the leftovers and other waste were thrown over the wall and the place was stinking, thronging with crows and kites. "It pained me to see so much filth in a place of worship, a holy place. Our scriptures lay equal emphasis on both inward and outward cleanliness," said Gandhi, to whom cleanliness was truly the precursor to godliness.