New Delhi, Jan 29:

Even as the sanitation issue is garnering much attention, a toilet gallery created out of Mahatama Gandhis vision at a historic Harijan ashram in the city to spread the message of social empowerment, remains a picture of utter neglect.

Located in north Delhis Kingsway Camp area, in the front yard of the over 80-year-old Harijan Sewak Sangh, the gallery instead of getting its due recognition, ironically has been dishonoured as many passers-by choose to relieve themselves on its boundary wall.

Gandhiji saw sanitation as a road to social empowerment.

He saw creation of toilets as a means to abolish untouchability as sanitation work was something which the society thought should be done by low caste people.

And, therefore he envisioned this Shauchalaya Pradarshni (toilet gallery) in the ashrams campus to educate people about sanitation and its positive effects on society, Secretary of Harijan Sewak Sangh Laxmi Dass told PTI.

Though Gandhi could not live to see his vision brought to fruition, his work was converted into a tangible form at this gallery later by well-known sanitation activist Ishwarbhai Patel, he said.

Patel, driven by the Harijan Sanghs vision, had already played a major role in establishing the Safai Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad (now Environmental Sanitation Institute) in the 1960s.

And, later as envisioned by Gandhi, Patel got the toilet gallery established in Delhi at the ashram later in the 1960s.

Gandhiji wanted to show the people how the building of toilets around the country was changing society and also how to use excreta manure for biogas production among others, he said.

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Mahatama Gandhis historic toilet gallery a picture of neglect