It is more than 24 hours since the “Clean India Campaign” (Swachh Bharat Abhiyan) has been launched, and if we step out, our streets are not sparkling clean. Many naysayers may feel vindicated that their criticism of the campaign was not ill-founded, for nothing has changed on ground. But who said that a day’s effort will remove the dirt created through conscious negligence and willful indulgence of a nation of 1.25 billion people over a period of 67 years? In fact, even if the whole of India is to come together and wield the broom, nothing much would change because sweeping alone is not the solution to India’s cleanliness problem; there are other issues as well such as, sanitation infrastructure, garbage bins, waste management, town planning, civic training etc. But, do we wait for all this to be in place before we start, or do we start with whatever we have and keep building what we require as we progress? We have waited for 67 years and we have only let our streets stink and our nation rot. No one committed to a clean India believes that cleaning India is easy; they only believe it is doable and has to be done. Sweeping the streets yesterday is not meant to be an act of tokenism but an act of symbolism, symbolizing our commitment and the possibilities we can create. The naysayers and critics should understand that there are bound to be short comings in the start of this long journey; but instead of criticizing, they can take part and help make it better. The supporters should understand that sweeping the streets on a certain day can only be the beginning and never the end. At one end, we criticize the politicians for politicizing everything. But sadly the movement to Clean India is getting politicized by us; this way no politician can do anything good at all. Let not the dislike for a certain leader, fester into a hardened opposition to a clean India. Leaders come and go. Today’s leader will become tomorrow’s history. But the idea of India is eternal and the quest for a clean India is permanent. It is high time, we begin to differentiate between a political move and a national movement. In India, sweeping is a job done mainly by people from certain social groups and that is unfortunate and condemn-able. The act of sweeping our streets is an opportunity for people from all social groups do a job that is reserved for a group that many assume are condemned to take up such tasks. This is an opportunity to get into their shoes and feel their pain. And if we don’t feel their pain, we will never want to improve their lives. Every time we spit or litter, it is they who clean it. All those who criticize this campaign are in a way saying that cleaning is a job reserved for a certain social group only. No social group should be earmarked for any tasks, leave alone tasks such as cleaning and sweeping. If people choose to become sweepers not out of compulsion or choice-less-ness but out of their own volition, they still need to be provided the right pay and amenities so that the job doesnt entail loss of human dignity. Sitting back and criticizing the campaign will not help us move an inch in promoting cleanliness or restoring human dignity. Now that October 2nd is over, our real job begins. We need to commit ourselves to keep our nation clean by not making it dirty and by not allowing others to make it dirty. Let us also make our political representatives know that we are concerned about hygiene and will hold them accountable for the results they produce in this area. Let us know who in the political-governance structure is responsible for which aspect of cleanliness and push them to do their respective duties. But before that, let us rise beyond our differences and commit to do what we have to do. Like many other problems in India, lack of cleanliness is not too big a problem to be ignored, but too important a problem to be solved. Let us do it.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:39:03 +0000
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