This is one bride who can clearly see her future. Never mind jewellery, fridge or cooler, please give me a toilet for my wedding, said this 25-year-old bride from Maharashtra, to her father.
Chaitali Galakhe, a resident of Akola in Vidarbha district who is earning praises, had set a condition before her parents that she will marry only if they provide a toilet to her as there was none at her in-laws house.
“I discovered that there was no toilet at my in-laws house. I convinced my parents to give me this as a gift instead of jewellery, refrigerator and air coolers,” Chaitali told Daily Mail.
Left with no choice, Chaitali’s father Dilip Galakhe inquired and found out about readymade toilet manufacturers. He bought one and gifted it to her during her wedding.
Impressed by her approach to sanitation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Sulabh International has rewarded her with a cash award of Rs 10 lakh.
The ‘no-toilet no-bride’ mantra is gaining momentum since it first began over five years ago. Today’s rural women are at least somewhat educated in matters of sanitation and know the risks that come with open defecation, from infection to compromised safety for women.
Today many parents, often at the insistence of the brides, first check if the groom’s house has a toilet before agreeing to the match.
The idea was first floated by ex-minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh under the Congress government and is now being touted again by the Modi government under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
It was only a few months back that a 30- year-old woman Sangita Awhale had sold her mangalsutra to get a toilet built in her house. The woman was later felicitated by Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde. As a token of appreciation, the minister even bought a gold necklace for Sangita.
Image Courtesy: BCCL
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