Welcome To Madhya Pradesh's Profanity Free Village Of Borsar

Burhanpur: It might come as a surprise but there actually exists a village in Madhya Pradesh that is profanity free. Borsar village of Burhanpur, with a population of 6,000, stands out as a settlement where cuss words are not used. Anyone uttering them is immediately fined and punished. This village is located at a distance of a mere 20 km from the district headquarters.

The task of making this village profanity free has been undertaken by Sarpanch Antar Singh, Deputy Sarpanch Vinod Shinde and actor Ashwin Patil. The trio has laid a foundation of cultural innovation in the village that has ensured that everyone refrains from using abusive language. Those using such language in a fight or otherwise, are immediately fined Rs 500 or made to sweep and clean the village for an hour.

The village is also a progressive one, where a library has been opened to educate children and youth. The institution offers a wealth of religious and general knowledge and books of the school curriculum.

The leadership has also ushered in an internet revolution by installing Wi-Fi at four locations, where everyone can enjoy the benefits of free internet connectivity. Another progressive measure can be seen in the form of distribution of saplings under the Har Ghar Hariyali campaign, with the aim to retain greenery.

It all began when actor Ashwin Patil returned to his village after a decade in Mumbai, and observed that use of profanities often led to major disputes. He said, “On my return from Mumbai, I saw that even small abuses could escalate into major disputes. The root of the dispute wasn't as serious as the abuse itself. I then contacted the village head and his deputy, who convened a meeting where it was unanimously decided to make the place profanity free.”

A campaign for ‘Sanskar Kranti’ (revolution for cultural values) was launched and teams were formed to monitor its implementation in every ward. Posters were put up everywhere stating that Borsar is MP's first abuse free village, and that anyone using profanities would face a fine of Rs 500, or a punishment involving one hour of sweeping the village.

Vinod Shinde said many other initiatives have also been undertaken in the village, “A service room has been set up where various articles of use are given to the needy. Donors and social workers have given material that can be availed by a needy person of any religion or caste. This initiative is also proving helpful to villagers."