Swachh Bharat or Modi@72: The Prime Minister for Cleanliness on World Cleanup Day

World Cleanup Day is an annual global social action campaign aimed at tackling the global solid waste problem, which even includes marine debris. The WCD activities include litter cleanup and waste mapping throughout all time zones. World Cleaning Day aims to raise awareness of the unmanaged waste situation by mobilising people from all walks of life to join in cleanup efforts. Individuals, governments, corporations, and organisations are all urged to participate in cleanups and develop solutions to waste management issues. There are plentiful organisations around the world that organise and host WCD events.

The first WCD took place on 15 September, 2018. However, it builds on past global cleanup efforts. On 15 September, 2018, more than 17.6 million individuals in 157 countries celebrated; on 21 September, 2019, more than 21.2 million people from 180 countries will participate in World Cleanup Day; on 19 September, 2020, more than 11 million people from 166 nations participated; on 19 September, 2021, more than 8.4 million people from 191 nations engaged in the activities.

Interestingly, when the world celebrated World Cleanup Day this year on 17 September—held over the course of a 24-hour period on the third Saturday of September annually—Bharat had a double celebration as the day marked the 72nd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More interestingly, and rightly so, the man has come to be associated with hygiene and cleanliness, which have always been a part of Bhartiya culture since inception until the time the British Raj discombobulated us as a society.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the Swachh Bharat Mission from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his first Independence Day address in 2014, many wondered why the prime minister would bring up a civic issue on such a historic occasion. Alas! Subsequently, on 2 October, 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched as a nationwide movement across the length and width of the country. It sought to accomplish the vision of a “Clean India” by 2 October, 2019, with the goal of eliminating open defecation and improving solid waste management in the country. The PM pushed people to fulfil the dream of a clean and hygienic India while leading the public cleaning effort.

The Swachhta Abhiyan has become a nationwide movement by urging individuals to engage in the drive. The Clean India Movement has instilled in the people a sense of responsibility. Citizens are already actively participating in cleanliness programmes around the country, and the idea of a “Clean India” is taking shape. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has evolved into a “Jan Andolan,” with widespread public backing. Citizens have also turned out in big numbers to pledge for a cleaner and neater India. Keeping the streets clean, clearing up the waste, focusing on sanitation, and keeping a healthy atmosphere have all become habits since the inception of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. People have begun to participate, spreading the idea that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”

People from all walks of life have stepped up to join this enormous cleaning initiative. From government officials to jawans, Bollywood actors to athletes, industrialists to spiritual leaders, everyone has volunteered for this good cause. Millions of individuals around the country have been joining the cleanliness programmes of government ministries, non-governmental organisations, and local community centres to keep India clean. Organising frequent cleanliness initiatives to raise hygiene awareness through plays and music is also extensively done across the country.

National sanitation coverage increased to 65 per cent in 2017 from 38.7 per cent on 2 October, 2014, before the campaign began. In August of 2018, it was 90 per cent. By 25 September, 2019, 35 states and union territories, 699 districts, and 5.99 lakh (599,000) villages had been designated Open Defecation Free (ODF). The proportion of cities and towns designated as ODF was 22 per cent, while the proportion of urban wards with 100 per cent door-to-door solid waste collection was 50 per cent. According to dashboards maintained by various ministries, about 100 million individual household level toilets have been built in rural areas, while 6 million household toilets have been built in urban areas.

In addition, almost six million community and public toilets have been built in cities. As a result, 4,234 cities and almost 600,000 villages across the country have declared open defecation free (ODF). More than 81.5 thousand urban wards now have 100 per cent door-to-door solid waste collection, and approximately 65 thousand wards have 100 per cent trash segregation at the source. Cities process approximately 65% of the annual solid waste generation of over 150 thousand metric tonnes. According to UNICEF, the number of people who do not have access to a toilet has decreased from 550 million to 50 million.

According to the World Bank, 96 per cent of Indians who have access to a toilet use it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since the commencement of the Swachh Bharat Mission, at least 180,000 diarrhoeal deaths have been avoided in rural India. According to Ashoka University research, the programm’s construction of toilets led to a reduction in the rate of sexual assault against women. “Phase 1 of the Swachh Bharat Mission lasted till October 2019. Phase 2 is being implemented between 2020–21 and 2024–25 to help cement the work of Phase 1”.

In the interest of not divesting from the larger debate and also not precluding the crux of the discussion at hand, let’s analyse these two movements comparatively. A mere perfunctory look tells us that both these events, the former promulgated by an NGO and the latter by a prime minister as a clarion call for the involvement of the populace to turn it into a mass movement, aim at cleansing the planet. However, a more determined and fixated look reveals that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan endeavours to rekindle and reinvigorate the innate spirit of the Bhartiya Sanatan civilisation that has always been there, albeit dormant since the inception of colonisation.

Swachhata—to us—is actually an ancient concept. In ancient India, excavations of the Indus Valley civilization revealed flawless drainage, a public sewage system, and well-built hygiene and sanitation facilities. “Shaucha” literally means “cleanliness and purity.” Shaucha is seen as an essential component of living a dharmic life and the Hindu texts have underlined its significance.

As per Daksha Smriti, a person should always strive to maintain Shaucha in whatever job he undertakes, because without such dedication to purity, all activities and works are futile. The word hygiene and cleanliness are specifically mentioned in ancient works such as Manu Smriti, Ganesh Purana, Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Rigveda, Atharvveda, Daksha Smriti, and others. This idea is connected to both health and the environment. According to the widely misunderstood and misquoted Manu Smriti, 10.63, “Non-Violence, Truth, Non-Stealing, Cleanliness/Purity, and Sense-Control are the obligations that are common for all four classes.”

As a result, cleanliness or purity—whether it be cleanliness of the surroundings, hygiene of the body, or purity of speech and mind—is regarded as an obligation, a basic duty of all human beings. Where most western civilisations, on the other hand, had no such concern with touch, cleanliness, or water/washing—even when they had access to pure water, Patanjali Yoga Sutra in 2.32, 2.40 and 2.41 comments and sermonise on the need of hygiene and purity. For the West, their fear of the cold was not the only factor, as Europeans (along with their white colonial counterparts) had quite different attitudes towards hygiene and water in general. Bathing was uncommon, and inner clothes were frequently glued to bodies for months. This helps to explain why flowers, fragrances, and aromatics are always in high demand.

Let us celebrate the emancipation of Indian women from the dangers of public defecation and harassment, as well as the celebration of self-respect and gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for achieving what we could not do in 75 years of freedom. The nation will never forget Bharat’s huge leap forward. There will be no more “Slumdog Millionaire” films, and no more international humiliation of India. We won’t be needing any reminder days to stay clean and maintain our hygiene. It is innately inculcated into our existence as a civilizational value. Let’s celebrate our Hindu roots that teach us to be compassionate, caring, clean and civilised since time immemorial.

The author is an independent journalist and columnist. He tweets with @pokharnaprince.

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