Dear Editor,
The Central Government launched the Swachha Bharat Mission on 2nd October with the avowed aim of creating a Bharat that must have a neat and clean outlook and facelift apart from its all round economic development. On this occasion, about 31 lakh Central Government employees in the country have taken the Cleanliness Pledge in response to the PM’s call for a Swachha Bharat Mission for keeping their office premises neat and tidy besides surroundings thus contributing towards the achievement of the cherished goal. The mission was launched on 2nd October, the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation is in itself significant as mahatma Gandhi loved cleanliness and his statement that “Sanitation is more important than independence” truly reflects how much importance, he accorded to this vital aspect of life. He even used to say “Almighty resides at a place where there is cleanliness, where there is truth and where there is purity of hearts”. The cleanliness drive evoked magnaminous response from all sections of the society including educational institutions as it concerns one and all.
To keep our surrounding neat and clean is our basic and primary requirement. According greater significance to personal hygiene and sanitation and cleanliness besides keeping our suffoundings neat and tidy needs to be our motto of life because that will go to enhance the quality of life to a greater extent. And I think by doing so we could contribute immensely towards an eco-friendly and pollution free environment in the areas of our habitations. It’s true that attainment of such a goal in one attempt is not feasible considering the nature of the problem but once I think we develop a passion and take the task as a missionary zeal and make it our second habit as the job of keeping the house neat and clean by daily dusting and sweeping mostly by ladies at home, there is nothing one can’t achieve. Though , this goal on a colossal scale cannot be achieved by a single individual and hence collective endeavours are called for at community, locality, city, district, state and then country level but if everyone decides to contribute and decides never to compromise on sanitation and cleanliness, there could be a lot of improvement vis-à-vis sanitation aspect and result could be visible on the ground level. Those at the top could provide us stewardship and the rest of all will join the mass movement in order to achieve this much needed goal of sanitation which is a primary necessity of life. Of course, there is dire need to develop fast and create adequate public utility services to cater to the increasing population of the country in order to make this cherished dream successful.
Since this is not one time job/affair, there is need to maintain consistency vis-à-vis sanitation drive. We all know that tons of garbage is generated in every city on daily basis for which municipal staff have to put in strenuous efforts to lift them and dump them or dispose of them in a proper manner. And they have to do it on a daily basis. The cleanness drive could result in fruition if Central Government, state governments, educational institutions, NGO’s and even religious bodies throughout the country are got involved in this robust venture.
So there is utmost need to bring about an attitudinal change vis-à-vis sanitation and by doing so we the citizens could contribute a lot by avoiding littering our cities by throwing papers and envelops after emptying into dustbins or only at the places specially earmarked for the purpose. By being remaining a trifle conscious while eating outside and taking any eatable at any public place such as markets, bus stand, railway station, hospitals and parks and gardens and walkways etc we can contribute towards keeping our cities and surroundings clean and tidy. The Swachha Bharat Mission needs to be our life’s priority area being our primary requirement.
Ravi Sharma
Jammu
