Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of clean India which remains unfulfilled till date. On the other hand, celebrities are using it to garner publicity and click photographs with broom in their hand. We have noticed Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam Sinha holding the broom only to gain some publicity. The Dera Sacha Sauda had supported BJP in the recent elections. Their intention might be carry forward the initiative and impose pressure on Modi to include Shatruji in the cabinet. At the same time, there was a picture showing Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan together.
Yesterday there was a picture of Amitabh Bachchan removing dried leaves by using a long broom (no need to bend) with adequate security. In comparison, Baba Ramdev did a better job by participating in the cleanliness drive from Kankhal. He appealed to citizens to make this campaign successful. Garbage collection, segregation and disposal are quite a technical matter and should be taken seriously. I had earlier mentioned through my columns to include cleanliness as a subject in school curriculum besides other important topics like various methods of electric power generation, its distribution and water management techniques. Let our children studying in 10th and 12th standard become aware about the practicalities involved in these issues for better knowledge and understanding. Cleanliness should not be a one day affair and it should be a life-long mission.
What is the intention behind inviting Lata Mangeshkar at this age, for the BJP’s swearing-in ceremony? Why invite Amitabh Bachchan and many other celebrities? Raj Bhawan could have been used for the oath taking ceremony. As per reports, the entire family of Devendra Fadnavis is going to be seated in a separate enclosure. What is the need? Austerity, sincerity and solemnity are the hallmarks of oath taking and not opulence or extravagance. Then, why tease others unnecessarily? There are seeds of dissatisfaction and alienation already been sown and the BJP government should remain alert. Time has come to start working at the ground level silently instead of indulging in unproductive showoff. Program implementation at various levels and effective monitoring are the need of the hour and not photo sessions, fashion parade and publicity. The nation won’t benefit out of showoff activities. Modi must personally oversee the implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.