Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. We often hear this adage. If we turn the pages of history, we will find that many great thinkers and philosophers have laid emphasis on cleanliness. Our father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was one among them to preach and teach this lesson.
This proverb became more relevant today when Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) on October 2, 2014. SBA is a flagship programme of the Centre aiming to achieve a clean India by 2019, when the nation will celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, by improving the level of cleanliness in rural areas and making gram panchayats open defecantion free.
It is at this point that one must know what cleanliness means. It means the habit of keeping physically and mentally clean.
Cleanliness not only means the habit of keeping the surroundings clean. It is larger than mere physical cleanliness or keeping surroundings clean. It is an act that starts at heart. It is a purification that leads to sanctification. Cleanliness means sticking to morals, principles and a good character.
Till now governments have been adopting the superficial approach to fix environmental problems. Enforcing laws and integrating technologies which promote a clean environment are good steps to contain dirt and pollution but they appear to be like varnish on cracked surface.
Outer cleanliness can be achieved but it may still hide many dirty things. There are many countries in the world which are clean but the way they dump toxic waste, the practices they employ to slaughter animals and sell meat products as well as arms that kill are not supportive of sustaining a clean world.
Nature reflects human behaviour. The violation of the innate qualities of human soul such as truth, purity, peace, love and respect has led to the violation of the natural law and order. As inner harmony got disrupted the harmony between nature’s forces also got disturbed. Poisoned feelings in the human heart have also poisoned the air, water and soil on earth. All the dirt outside is a reflection of a stained human soul.
However, in India uncleanliness is rampant. Corruption, violence, pollution, poverty, diseases, illiteracy and crimes are some major traits of India. After 67 years of Independence, we are still stuck in the mess of discrimination and marginalisation. More than often, we hear the cries of rape victims. When we turn to administration, we see red tape, nepotism, opaqueness and unaccountability. Scams, embezzlement and misappropriation happen quite frequently in India.
Nevertheless, some steps have been taken to uproot this. When the Supreme Court declared allocation of 214 coal blocks illegal, it tried to begin cleanliness. The government by passing the National Judicial Appointment bill, setting up SIT against black money, reviewing archival legislations etc has also tried to start cleanliness. Still, a humungous task is still to be done.
So, when Modi officially launched SBA on Gandhi Jayanti, it should mean “Swacchta” from corruption, from illiteracy, diseases, open defecation, discrimination, pollution, crimes and swacchta from unaccountability. It is by virtue of this Swacchta that a Swacch Bharat will emerge.
Every Indian should take a pledge to cleanse character, mind and soul. Everyone should remain faithful and loyal towards the country and pledge to work for uplift of the disadvantaged. Every individual should pledge to stick to the principles and morals of life.
It is the journey that would start from heart and would continue to surroundings. And then everything around us will become clean and lovable. Equipped with this basic idea and attitude for creating a Swacch Bharat, we would not default our tryst with destiny.
“A cleaner environment makes us healthier,
A healthy living makes us happier,
A happy atmosphere makes us productive,
A productive life makes us fulfilled,
Fulfillment leads to soul satisfaction,
Wishing us all march towards self actualisation.”
(Contributed by Simiran Mohapatra.
The essay has been adjudged the best write-up on the topic ‘Clean country, clean soul’)