Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Monday that “1,000 Mahatma Gandhis or one lakh Narendra Modis” could not achieve the goal of a “Clean India” without an “ideological movement” and the participation of 125 crore Indians.
He was addressing a gathering to mark three years of the Swachh Bharat Mission. He said he had been severely criticised when he had initiated the programme, stepping out with a broom to launch it.
People went to the extent of saying that the Prime Minister was making these statements just for the purpose of making a speech, Mr. Modi said.
“ ... If you have to abuse Modi, there are a thousand [other] issues ... but we should neither make fun of nor politicise issues which are meant to bring about a change in society,” he said.
People, including fellow politicians, had slammed him for “spoiling” the October 2 holiday of children by launching the mission, Mr. Modi said.
“We cannot achieve the target [of a Clean India] even if 1,000 Mahatma Gandhis, one lakh Narendra Modis, Chief Ministers and all governments come together. We can achieve it when all 125 crore countrymen come together,” he told the gathering.
Right path
Asserting that he was convinced that the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi could not be wrong, he said he had endured a lot of criticism.
About five years ago, when children were seen cleaning their schools, it would create controversy with even parents criticising teachers. But now, children helping clean schools was seen as positive news, he added.
Plight of women
Mr. Modi stressed the plight of women who had to go out every day before dawn for ablutions. He spoke on how women, even if there was a need during the day, waited for sunset, adversely affecting their health.
He conceded the criticism that many of the toilets constructed by the government were in disuse.
“Infrastructure alone cannot bring in change till there is an ideological movement,” he said. Society and the family should be responsible for the upkeep of the toilets.
State of education
He quoted the example of the state of education in India.
“Government builds schools, employs teachers, enrols every child. But if the child stops coming to school then what can government do. Toilets are also a similar issue,” he said.
He lauded the involvement of school students in the mission.
“If we make cleanliness our religion, then each and every family would save ₹50,000 annually and also protect themselves from any problems arising due to illness,” he said quoting from a Unicef report.
