A few days before the start of the Commonwealth Games, one of its functionaries made a comment, probably nose held, which catapulted him to instant international recognition. He may even have been made a fellow of their most prestigious academies for triggering a radically new trend. Unfortunately for him he is no Frenchman. As an Indian official he has to contend with the local reaction and a nosey media. Predictably an emotionally charged India felt slighted; the entire country termed him insensitive.
The international media latched on to his profundity on hygiene to take us to the cleaners. That official who claimed that we in India have lower standards of hygiene, he should be spanked very seriously. It is quite possible that it may have done something of the kind because sometimes our government acts in secret and inscrutable ways, so even if it had severely spanked that official we may never get to know about it.
It is also possible that it may differ with Rushdie, and find itself in full agreement with that official. There was a time right up to the s when the Scandinavian countries were relatively poor; a bath then was considered a luxury. A family considered itself lucky if it could afford a bath once a week, the water heating bill being an avoidable burden on the purse. So the Sunday bath was greatly looked forward to, and the entire family would take turns to have the dip in the same warm water filled tub.
Since then times have changed, as have the Scandinavian financial circumstances and their sense of hygiene. Being clean is no longer finances driven; it is purely a matter of choice now. The diaries of the 17th Century French traveller Francois Bernier reveal interesting facts from those parts of the world. Although their brooms In Paris people have to walk on the street with a bouquet of flowers pressed against the nose or with a perfumed handkerchief to ward off the disgusting odours.
Therefore that official, whom Rushdie wants severely spanked, may not have been entirely incorrect. It is quite possible that he may have said it with his tongue firmly in the cheek; to remind everyone of our superior hygienic record in historical terms.
