‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. We often hear this adage. If we turn the pages of history; we find that many great thinkers and philosophers have laid emphasis regarding cleanliness. Our father of the Nation, Bapuji, was one among them to preach and teach this lesson for life.
It is at this point that, one must know what Cleanliness means:
I personally have a very different perspective of a clean India. Clenliness is just not about our surrounding…… It means the habit of keeping physically and mentally clean. Cleanliness not only connotes 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.
However, in India uncleanliness is rampant. Corruption, violence, pollution, poverty, diseases, illiteracy and crimes are some major traits of uncleanliness in 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 tapism, nepotism, opaqueness and unaccountability. Scams, embezzlement and misappropriation quite frequently in India.
Nevertheless, some steps have been taken to uproot this uncleanliness. Still, a humungous task is still to be done.
So, when PM Modi officially launched Swacch Bharat Abhiyann on Gandhi Jayanti, it should mean Swacchta from corruption, from illetracy, diseases, open defecation, discrimination, pollution, crimes, and swacchta from unaccountability. It is by virtue of this Swacchta that a Swacch Bharat will emerge. When PM urges for our active support and participation in a quest to make Swacch Bharat, we must embark on a journey of cleanliness which should begin at heart.
Every Indian shall take a pledge to cleanse Character, Mind and Soul. Every one shall remain faithful and loyal towards the country and pledge to work for upliftment of the disadvantaged. Every individual shall 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 would become clean and lovable. Equipped with this basic idea and attitude for creating a Swacch Bharat, we would not default our tryst with destiny.
Teacher
Rakhi Thakur
K.R. Mangalam World School Greater Noida
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