Modi ropes in celebs to drive Swachh Bharat mission: Prime minister Narendra Modi used Gandhi’s birthday on Thursday to launch his pet and ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or clean India mission in an effort to modernise sanitation in the country within the next five years. In trying to popularise the concept, the prime minister kicked off a nationwide challenge on social media on the lines of the ALS ice bucket, and roped in some of the country’s top celebrities to spread the message as far as possible. On a day when senior-most officials around the country wielded the broom to set examples of cleanliness, the prime minister himself started the day by trying to change attitudes, taking a broom and sweeping up rubbish in a Delhi neighbourhood occupied by members of the low-caste Valmikis, whose lot in life is traditionally ‘manual scavenging’, an euphemism for clearing other people's faeces. "Often we assume the job of cleaning up belongs to safai karmacharis and don't bother to clean," Modi said referring to cleaners. “Don’t we all of have a duty to clean the country?” the prime minister asked. To drive home his point, he ordered government workers including his ministers came to work on Thursday to sweep offices and clean toilets. The country’s fast-growing towns and cities are littered with rubbish. Most rivers and lakes are polluted with sewage and industrial effluents. In an effort to catch popular imagination, Modi roped in nine celebrities including cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, industrialist Anil Ambani and several actors to spread awareness on cleanliness and make 'Swachh Bharat' a people's movement. Apparently inspired by the 'Ice Bucket challenge' that has gone viral recently, internet-savvy Modi asked these eminent people to nominate nine more people to join the campaign and hoped the chain would continue to expand, making the movement truly mass based. Among others nominated by Modi are actors Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Kamal Hassan, Goa governor Mridula Sinha, yoga guru Ramdev and the team of TV serial “Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma”. Most of who were invited gladly — and humbly — acceded to the prime minister’s request. Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani said he is dedicating himself to the movement. “I am honoured to be invited by our respected prime minister Narendrabhai Modi to join the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. I dedicate myself to this movement and will invite nine other leading Indians to join me in the “Clean India” campaign,” Ambani said in a statement. Other invitees too accepted expressing happiness. “I humbly accept the challenge...,” tweeted Tendulkar. Actor Priyanka Chopra also took to Twitter to accept Modi's invitation. “I humbly accept respected prime minster Narendra Modiji's challenge. This is an idea that is long overdue,” the actress tweeted. Goa governor Sinha said she was happy to be chosen as a campaigner for 'Swachh Bharat' and has already started work by inviting voluntary organisations and officers. Prime minister Modi administered a pledge to thousands of people, including school children and government employees at Rajpath on Thursday morning for remaining committed to cleanliness to make the country clean. “I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this...I will neither litter nor let others litter,” pledged all those present at a function to mark the launch of Swachh Bharat (Clean India) mission at India Gate by the prime minister. Actor Aamir Khan also joined Modi in taking the pledge along with Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu. “I have invited nine people and asked them to come to public places and work towards a Clean India. I ask them to invite nine more people too... I am sure these nine people will do the work and each will invite nine more people to form a chain and clean the country,” Modi said. The original ice bucket challenge where such a chain was created was designed to raise funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig's disease and motor neurone disease, and grew as a global viral phenomenon. Modi also announced starting of a campaign on cleanliness through social media using his website MyGov.in and other websites, including MyCleanIndia, a new portal dedicated to the clean India campaign. He later joined the children in the walkathon after flagging it off at Rajpath. The walkathon is part of steps for creating awareness on cleanliness. Later, Priyanka Chopra also came up with a series of tweets on the challenge that lay before her. “There is no time like the present to begin the journey towards change. Recognise that we R doing this for ourselves. If we don’t get involved and support this campaign, nothing can happen. But if we come together we can make a difference. Every action we take will be important.I want to make the change. I want a clean India. It's time to clean up our act,” her tweets said. Yoga guru Ramdev said, “My Idea of Swachh Bharat is Clean India on roads, sanitation for all and every citizen with swachh and spiritually pious heart.” “Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an India that was not only free but also clean and developed. Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India. Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean,” said the first lines of the pledge administering by Modi to countrymen on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The pledge further takes the promise from every individual to remain committed to cleanliness and devote time for this purpose. “I will devote 100 hours per year -- that is two hours per week – to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with my family, my locality, my village, my work place and myself. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen. With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat mission in villages and towns,” read the pledge. It also exhorts all to encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge and endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness. In a massive PR blitz, Modi also honoured Anant Khasbardar of Kolhapur in Maharashtra for winning the logo design contest of the “Swachh Bharat Mission” and Bhagyasri Sheth of Rajkot in Gujarat for giving the mission the tagline of kadam swachhta ki ore. Khasbardar was awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 while Bhagyasri got Rs 25,000, along with a commendation certificate each.
Source: mydigitalfc.com
