No one fails to recognize the convenience of indoor plumbing. Running water right in your home is incredibly convenient. With a properly constructed drain system, it means you can also have a completely private place to defecate, indoors, a near-miracle of convenience.
I do not think that this is a fair characterization of the proposal that is being rejected by some in India.
It is possible that you have been inside a public squat toilet in a densely populated rural area, or for that matter even a poorly maintained public squat toilet in a busy urban shopping area.
If so, it probably takes little effort to imagine yourself seriously considering defecation in a ditch, or an alleyway, as an alternative.
If one had already been doing such all one's life, then there would be no obstacle of unfamiliarity, inexperience, or or public shame to discourage you. I do not see why one would not generally prefer to defecate in a familiar and comfortable manner, in the open air, rather than a small, dim room begrimed with the stench and trace faeces of thousands of previous acts of defecation, performed by strangers.
>Although most people with poor systems knew they had problems and wanted to correct them
And also states that most of the problem is due to money (or lack of).
In India even most of those in rural areas with toilets don't use them. [1]
Further, even in urban areas of those those with access to toilets, 7.5% choose open defecation on the streets instead.
Pretending that people that want indoor plumbing but can't afford it is the same situation as people with access to plumbing but don't use it is very disingenuous.
[1]https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-12/india-access-toilets-...