A 14-year-old girl's hunger strike has led to the construction of over 550 toilets in a panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh describing her as "child icon" of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Nisha Kumari, a Class 10 student, had sat on a hunger strike on March 14 to press her family and authorities to construct an Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) in her house in Kud Basti village after learning about the benefits of Open Defecation Free (ODF) area and use of toilets in a debate at her school in Kud.
Inspired by her protest, 35 more students from Higher Secondary School Kud staged protests in their houses demanding construction of toilets in the households.
"On March 13, I had watched a programme in my school on the topic of Swachh Bharat Mission. I was thrilled to hear about it but at the same time I was sad for not having a toilet in my house," Nisha said.
"The next day, I started the hunger strike for pressing my family and the government to ensure that my house has individual latrine put in place," she said, adding, "I did not take meals for over two days which resulted in a positive change when construction of a toilet began at my house."
Mukesh Kumar, the principal of the school where Nisha studies, said, "Nisha not only brought a change at her house but she became example for other children. Over 35 children here followed her for construction of toilets at their houses."
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