Where Do We Go?

When toilets stay locked or dirty, progress becomes a word without meaning for the people who need it most.

- Ghazi Rahil Banday

Every time I enter a public place in Kashmir, a familiar worry comes to mind: will I find a restroom I can actually use?

This question follows me everywhere, from hospitals to parks, from trains to shrines.

‘A toilet is a simple space. It shapes how safe, healthy, and respected people feel in any setting.

Inmy homeland, this basic need still feels like a promise waiting to be kept.

Government reports talk about new toilets under different schemes. Numbers look good and inaugurations get attention. The reality changes when you open the door.

Many washrooms have no water or remain locked. Cleaning happens once in a while. Responsibility fades soon after the ribbon-cutting.

The progress we read about does not match what we face every day. Hospitals show this reality more than any other place.

I have stood in SMHS and Lal Ded watching families search for a clean washroom. New mothers, still in pain, walk slowly after childbirth and find leaking pipes, broken seats, and taps that never give water.