Every party must heed the President’s advice
President Pranab Mukherjee's call to every Indian to make the Government's Swachch Bharat Abhiyan a success, deserves to be lauded unequivocally. The programme indeed cannot achieve its goal if the people are not receptive to the idea. After all, Government officials cannot be everywhere to ensure that residents of this country follow civic manners. It's a question of mindset. There are those like Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who criticise the ‘clean India' drive and claim it has already failed. But that's a negative approach to an indisputably good initiative. Instead of condemning it, leaders like him ought to offer suggestions to the Government on how better to conduct the programme. Opposition parties shouldn't ridicule the Swachch Bharat idea merely because they have to oppose everything the Government does. The scheme is not directed to benefit a particular party or regime; it's for the country's good — and in many ways. For one, it seeks to develop a sense of civic discipline among citizens. The initiative also aims to tackle various health problems that are a result of the filth around us: In the streets and buildings etc. The drive is also conducive to creating a clean environment with the elimination of refuse such as plastic strewn all over public places. The movement has roped in a number of celebrities who are drumming it into the people that the latter should learn to behave for their own good and for the nation's good. The President also took the Swachch Bharat idea further when he rightly remarked that cleanliness must not be limited to physical space but also include cleansing minds of fissiparous and intolerant tendencies. This, as he remarked, would be in keeping with Mahatma Gandhi's ideals. Both the Government and the Opposition are in unison about the Mahatma's enormous contribution not just to the freedom-struggle but also to strengthening the moral fabric of the people who make up this nation of “vibrant diversities”, as Mr Mukherjee said. Now they should join hands to ensure that Mahatma Gandhi is not let down. It is good that the Union Government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking the lead, is seeking the cooperation of all parties in tackling issues such as communal violence. This sort of coordination is necessary because law and order, whether of the communal kind or otherwise, is the responsibility of State regimes.
As for the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, there is no doubt that it has begun to show results. Several thousand toilets for the girl student across schools in the country have been constructed, and more are being put in place. While this is no small achievement, there is far more that needs to be done. ‘Clean India' also means clean rivers; and it here that the Government faces big challenges. Previous attempts in this direction, despite hundreds of crores of rupees being committed to and consumed in the cause, have failed for want of proper execution.