With the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission by our Prime Minister, Narendera Modi, on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, has given a clear cut message to keep our surroundings neat and clean and merely celebrating would not suffice.

Modi, not only gave a message but he himself hold a broom in his hands along with his ministers.  He is not the first leader to do so and it is not the first to start cleanliness campaign,  such projects have earlier been also started officially.

The leaders are seen on the news channels under some other banners but despite all this, the cleanliness could not become a national issue.  The image of India at the global level is as ‘dirty country’, which is attached with the importance of Indians and becoming sound economic conditions and power.

In number of blogs in China, during the last year, the photographs of floating the dead bodies in the Ganga and dumping of garbage heaps on the Indian roads, were posted, to tarnish the image of India, in the eyes of other countries.   But it cannot be rejected just by looking it enviably. Even some time back, International Hygiene Council in one of its survey has concluded that on an average, the Indian houses are very dirty and unhygienic and on top of the list was Malaysia followed by India. The basis of survey was taken rooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Former Minister, Jairam Ramesh had said, had the Noble Prize to be given on account of ‘dirty country’, it would have definitely given to India.

Is cleanliness is not an issue for India society? We did not listen to the message of even Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of Nation. In fact, on this issue, there is a basic confusion among the Indian people.  The stress of Indian culture is on sanctity than cleanliness which comes naturally from God or can be implemented with the efforts of people.

Instead of keeping our home neat and clear and prosperous, the importance is being given to keep different from the crowd. To given this mission a practical shape, it would have been better if the prominent persons of the cities make it a regular feature to give a message to the masses by keeping brooms in their hands.   How it is possible to keep clean whole of the society in normal circumstances by showing few people in this campaign ?

It looks to be result of carelessness as even today the people prefer to throw the garbage of their house, in front of other’s house.   The government system has taken advantage of this apathy and all other institutions established for this specific purpose have merely become ‘white elephants’.

Frankly speaking, the culture of cleanliness in the eyes of Indians is – shift the garbage from one place to another.  It could only be changed if not only leaders but all influential persons, stop the drama of photo session to appear in the media in the name of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’  and look dedicated to the issue of cleanliness in their life as well as in daily routine work.