PM Modi calls for a weeklong ‘Swachhta Abhiyan’

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gave a call for a week-long campaign against “uncleanliness”, starting today till Independence Day.

In his speech after inaugurating Rashtriya Swachhta Kendra (RSK), Modi said a call for Quit India agitation was made by Mahatma Gandhi against British imperialism in India, this day in 1942.

“Let as observe a week-long ‘Uncleanliness, Out from India!” campaign in commemoration of the attainment of “Swaraj” following the Quit India campaign, he said.

The RSK, set up near Rajghat here, is an “interactive experience centre” on Swachh Bharat Mission. Its purpose is to provide knowledge on the success and journey of the mission which achieved the goal to make India open-defecation free (ODF).

The ODF Mission was the biggest people movement undertaken by any country in the world, and was hinged on behavioural change. Modi asked district authorities concerned to repair the community toilets in their areas, among others, during the weeklong campaign.

He said in hindsight, the country’s six-year long Swachh Bharat Mission has proved to be pragmatic as it has helped fight coronavirus.

“Imagine the spread of Corona in the country had the situation remained the same like pre-2014,” Modi said, and added that social distancing, among others, would have been difficult to maintain in the absence of toilets at home.

He said all the villages of the country declared themselves ODF by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi last year. He pitched for achieving “ODG plus”.

He said Gandhi was a visionary in linking cleanliness with struggle for Independence.

“Uncleanliness robs a person of vitality. It demoralises him and plagues him with diseases,” Modi said stressing on the need to sustain the present efforts of cleanliness.

Modi interacted with 36 schoolhildren from all the States and UTs in the 360 degree amphitheatre constructed in the RSK, and said children played a role in success of the ODF campaign and other aspects of Swachh Bharat campaign.