Dear India, Cleanliness, Women’s Safety, Equality Most Important

(On the occasion of Republic Day, The Quint relaunches its campaign ‘Letter to India – Ek Naya Start’ and invites readers to send in suggestions for rebuilding India after a tough 2020.

Somedeep Bardhan from Kolkata shares how India can start afresh after the COVID-19 pandemic. The views expressed are his own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for them.)

Dear India,

You are really going through a hard time—economically, politically and environmentally. It is indeed a pressing need for all your citizens to concentrate wholeheartedly to rebuilding the nation.

The conception of rebuilding India must begin at home and from the ground level. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of cleanliness and sanitation. A simple effort by each one of us to not throw garbage and dirt on the streets or into lakes or local ponds will go a long way.

Handling waste responsibly can contribute a lot towards transforming India into a hygienic nation. Imagine the number of trees around us, if each Indian could plant one tree in a single year? Amazing, right?

However, our efforts must not end here. A more important task is to ensure women’s safety. It is not only about supporting our mothers and sisters in the house, but to ensure all women are truly independent in the nation. I hope that this year, our country becomes one where each woman is able walk safely on streets at night. This is the most important thing that India must achieve.

Let us stop thinking that women are weak in any way. Let us stand beside the women of India wherever we see them being suppressed. Let us take this pledge wholeheartedly!

Lastly, dear India, a request. Every day, month, or year, we donate thousands to various temple trusts, but we must also donate some amount of money to NGOs or charitable trusts that help the needy. If not, we must ourselves help those who are not as privileged as us. This will help make India a better place for its citizens.