Make It Clean Ideas Campaign

Make It Clean Ideas Campaign

Source: http://economydecoded.com/2014/10/swachh-bharat-mission-stride-towards-clean-india.html 

Very rightly said proverb, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Keeping this principle in mind, Gandhi spread the awareness for cleanliness among the countrymen in the times when country was under foreign rule. Sant Gadge Baba, a saintly social reformer, a wandering mendicant who held weekly festivals with the help of his disciples across Maharashtra.

Sant Gadge Baba cleaning at Goregaon, Mumbai
(Source: http://socialreformers.sgbaulib.com/index.php?view=detail&id=42&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=64)

His reforms and visions for villages in India is still a source of inspiration for various political parties and non-government organizations. Enthusiastically Hon. PM. Modi declared for the Red Fort during Independence Day Celebration about the launching of Swach Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission). However the political parties may politicize the campaign, my kudos to him for all valid reasons.  

The first and foremost thing about littering is lack of zeal among the fellow countrymen to keep the surrounding clean and dispose the waste in a responsible manner. However strict laws you make, if everyone decides to break it, no government in the world can save it. Same is the case with the littering in public places and on the roads. We have a very well framed clause about the littering in the public places, we all violate it. No one can really help the Government in implementation of the law. So how do we deal with that? Is it enough to add some pages in the textbook talking about the cleanliness? How good will it work? Who will teach these highly educated morons who throws out the wrapings while driving out of a McDs and Pizza Huts? So only uneducated people cannot be blamed for this settings.

But actually the real problem lies somewhere else, in the minds, in the hearts which allows us very easily to openly urinate and litter. We are trained in that manner to think, it no crime to do so. So what a supreme leader of a country can do in state of affairs? Take a broom and start cleaning, same as the saints overs the years have done.  Mr. Modi is a celebrated leader. He enjoys full popularity among the masses more that his party does. Thus Modi taking a broom in hands and cleaning street is a big act. People are bound to follow him. Also he invited many others celebrities and luminaries for doing same. This created an air for the movement and suddenly everyone started talking about cleanliness. If this movement continues in same enthusiasm, it will not take much longer for everyone to be aware of cleanliness and it will be woven in the fabric of social morality. Then people will demand more meaningful laws related to cleanliness and they will love to follow it. 

As per the Constitution of India, Cleanliness and Sanitation is a state subject. Maximum the Centre can do is prepare directives to the states regarding making new laws and amendment of the existing laws or amend Directive Principles of State Policies (Part IV of Constitution of India). The states should act proactively, ensure participation of people working in the field, different NGOs and other elements, play a role of an initiator, guide, mentor and mediator to bring different business, non-business models in the play and start a serious business of cleanliness. The Government can best do is that crowd source ideas for the people itself, provide a platform, involve people and work with them to create a beautiful India.