launches 5-year Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan, says it’s inspired by patriotism, not politics
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan on Thursday and set an example by wielding the broom himself. Modi asserted that the biggest-ever ‘Clean India’ mission was beyond the realm of politics as it inspires patriotism and fulfils what Mahatma Gandhi had visualised for the country.
Thursday being Gandhi Jayanti, Modi launched the unique campaign from the historic India Gate at Rajpath and urged citizens to take the drive to the social media by turning it into a challenge for everyone.
After paying tributes at the memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and late Prime Minister lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries, Modi himself swept the pavement in front of Valmiki Basti, a colony of sanitation workers in Central Delhi, before the formal launch of the ‘Clean India’ drive at Rajpath.
While launching the mission at Mandir Marg here, he also made a surprise stop at the area police station to check on the levels of cleanliness there. Accompanied by officials, the Prime Minister picked up the trash and put it in a bin. He later interacted with the children there.
Debunking criticism that his Government has been taking credit for every achievement, the Prime Minister rather acknowledged the efforts of all previous Governments to make India clean. “I am not talking politics...This is beyond politics. This is inspired by patriotism, not politics. We do not have to do this with an eye on politics. I say that with a clean heart. If we paint this again with a brush of politics, we will again do a disservice to Mother India. All the Governments in this country have made one or the other effort to do this work. Several political, social and cultural organisations have made efforts in this direction. I salute all those who have worked for this,” said Modi in his 25-minute address at Rajpath, where he formally kicked off the five-year-long campaign that will cover 4,041 statutory towns.
Administering a pledge to the people present on the occasion to make India clean, he said that this task is not the responsibility only of safai karamcharis (janitors) or the Government, but of all 125 crore Indians. He said that today’s campaign should not be seen as a mere photo opportunity.
The Prime Minister said that he is aware that the criticism of this programme will begin in just a few days, but said he is prepared for this, exuding confidence that the countrymen will not let him down.
The urban component of the Mission is proposed to be implemented over 5 years starting from October 2, 2014 in all 4,041 statutory towns. While the Urban Development Ministry will allocate Rs 62,000 crore for cleaning towns across the country, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will spend Rs 1 lakh 34 thousand crores for the programme. The Cabinet had last month decided to merge the ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan’, a campaign for rural sanitation with Swachh Bharat Mission.
Modi also announced start of a campaign on cleanliness through social media using his website www.mygov.in and others, including one dedicated especially to it. He asked the nine personalities invited by him to “come to public places and work towards a Clean India” to nominate nine more people to join the campaign and hoped that the chain would continue and turn into a people’s movement.
Among those nominated by the PM are actors Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Kamal Hassan, industrialist Anil Ambani, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, yoga guru Ramdev and the team of TV serial “Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma.”
Modi highlighted the Father of the Nation’s thrust on cleanliness and said the country must realize his unfulfilled dream of a clean India on his 150th birth anniversary in 2019. “Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an India which was not only free but also clean and developed. Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India. Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean,” said the first lines of the pledge.
The pledge further takes the promise from every individual to remain committed to cleanliness and devote time for this. “I will devote 100 hours per year -- that is two hours per week -- to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my family, my locality, my village and my work place. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen. With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages and towns,” read the pledge. It also exhorts all to encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge and endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness.
In a series of tweets later, Modi said, “My faith is in the people of India. I am confident we will devote our time & energies and make this Mission a success. let us join ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ with a spirit of patriotism and fulfil Gandhi ji’s dream of a Clean India.” He said he did not view the initiative as “shram” (work), but a way to connect to the people of the country. The task has to be fulfilled not only by the Prime Minister or the Government, but by all the people of the country, Modi said. “The responsibility is mine as much as that of others,” the Prime Minister said.