LEAD STORY
in lavatories, “I learnt 35 years ago that a lavatory must be as
clean as a drawing-room. I learnt this in the West. I believe
that many rules about cleanliness in lavatories are observed
more scrupulously in the West than in the East…The cause of
many of our diseases is the condition of our lavatories and our
bad habit of disposing of excreta anywhere and everywhere.
I, therefore, believe in the absolute necessity of a clean place
for answering the call of nature...” Gandhi was an extremely
religious person and when he went to attend the Kumbh Mela
in 1915, he was appalled at the insanitary condition of river
Ganga. He wrote, “Thoughtless ignorant men and women
use for natural functions the sacred banks of the river where
they are supposed to sit in quiet contemplation and fi nd God.
They violate religion, science and the laws of sanitation.”
Gandhi’s Ideal Village wasn’t just a self-reliant village but
one with perfect sanitation. He felt that our villages were in a
grody condition because we had alienated physical labour and
intelligence and there was an urgent need for de-alienation.
Scavenging has always had caste overtones in Indian society.
But Gandhi wrote, “Scavenging is a fi ne art. Not only must
the cleaning be perfect, but the manner of doing it and the
instruments used, must be clean and not revolting to one’s
sanitary sense, Scavenger who works in his service shares
equal distinction with a king who uses his gifts in His name
and as mere trustee.” Gandhi’s political and economic views
were very much a refl ection of his views on social and moral
issues. Sanitation for him was very much an issue which
would defi ne the future of independent India. And even 70
years since his death, sanitation still remains as important to
the future of modern India.
Swachh Bharat Mission: A Gandhian Dream and A
Global Archetype
On 15th August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
speaking from Red Fort invoked the Gandhian dream of
Swachh Bharat. The Government of India launched Swachh
Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014 with the goal of
eliminating Open-Defecation from India and ushering a new
standard of sanitation across the country by 2nd October 2019,
the 150th Birth Anniversary of the Mahatma. The Swachh
Bharat Mission (SBM) aims to construct over 100 Million
individual household latrines in just 5 years and ensure
accessibility of safe sanitation facility for every citizen of India.
India has had state-run sanitation programs since 1986
when the Community Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP)
was launched. This was followed by Total Sanitation
Campaign (TSC) in 2001, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) in
2012 and fi nally SBM in 2014 with each iteration being an
improvement over its predecessor. When SBM was launched
4 years back, the sanitation coverage was mere 38 percent,
an increase of just over One percent per year since 1986.
The government knew that the approach has to be radically
diff erent if SBM is to succeed and achieve the ambitious target
of 100 percent sanitation coverage within the strict time-frame
of 5 years. Open defecation is a socio-cultural issue in India
and if it were to be eliminated, mere construction of toilet
wasn’t going to suffi ce. Defecating in the open is a deeply
entrenched habit of millions of people across India and if that
behaviour could be altered, then Gandhi’s dream of perfect
sanitation could be attained. Hence, SBM became the biggest
experiment in Social Behaviour Change Communication
(SBCC) in the world. The Gandhian philosophy of
community-led approach towards resolving social issues
and SBCC have become two of the defi ning components
of SBM. Swachhagrahis (foot soldiers) have been engaged
across the 6 Lakh villages in India who are spreading the
message of sustainable sanitation. Women and Children have
become change agents. The program has not just focussed
on toilet construction but on sustainable sanitation, solid and
liquid waste management, menstrual hygiene management,
and public health. Social issues like gender equality, rights
for specially-abled persons, and education of girl child have
been at the forefront. Rural Sanitary Marts are creating
opportunities of social entrepreneurship for thousands of
Women Self-Help Groups (SHG). It is often an idea that
leads to a revolution and the sanitation revolution in India has
been centred around the basic idea of “empowering people
to bring a positive change in their own lives and for their
34 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 10 • Oct-Nov 2018, Noida