“A clean India
would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth
anniversary in 2019”
- Shri Narendra
Modi, Honourable Prime Minister of India
Mahatma Gandhi
had been advocating and practising the cause of cleanliness all along his life.
His maxim “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” epitomizes the great soul’s concern
and priority for cleanliness.
The SBA is a
movement or a campaign (Abhiyan) for cleanliness drive launched across the
country. As the name suggests, it is an initiative where the involvement of
people is cornerstone for its implementation and success. War against open
defecation (ODF) is the main plank of SBA, and rightly so, but it is not the
only culprit contributing to uncleanliness of our surroundings.
Rural areas are
not immune from the curse but in urban areas the health, hygiene and sanitation
have become a major agenda for local bodies eating large chunk of fund. Most of
our big cities have accumulated mounds of garbage (in some cases as high as a
hillock) on their periphery belching out foul smoke.
The issue of uncleanliness
is not just associated with esthetic beauty of the habitat but it is also an
economic issue (particularly for the poor) as it invites illness leading to
medical expenses and loss of work days and income. This is a one of the major
reasons trapping the poor in vicious circle of debt.
We have improved
our infrastructure and services, and some of them can well compete with
developed countries; to attract overseas tourists but where do we stand as a
nation when it comes to cleanliness? Would the level of cleanliness of our holy
places and monuments come any close to the level that is expected by overseas
tourists?
Though the motivation for clean and tidy surroundings may be
different but the poor, the middle class and the elite are unanimous in
demanding the same from the local body and the State, and this common demand
without contributing their mite is the crux of the whole problem.
This is more
so, as the efforts and the cost of “prevention” of the uncleanliness is “huge”
when compared with those of its “cure”. Reminded of the exaggeration? No
exaggeration. Just think of someone spitting in a swanky premises after chewing
a betel wine leaf (paan) and another Good Samaritan cleaning after the
delinquent.
The cleanliness is
more about contributing one’s mite for cleanliness and less about demanding for
cleanliness from the “other one”, local body or the State if the cleanliness is
to be sustained for a long period.
Every citizen has to inculcate it as habit.
This not difficult as we have ingrained the habit for own home, just we have to
extend its benefit to public places and our workplaces.
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