On October 2, 2024, India celebrated the 10th anniversary of the momentous Swachh Bharat Mission launched by PM Modi, which created an awareness of civic duties among citizens and expedited the country’s toilet coverage to 100 per cent from less than 40 per cent.
At an event in Delhi, PM Modi celebrated the completion of 10 years of the Swachh Bharat Mission and urged state governments and citizens to continue striving for cleanliness as it is not a day’s job but an unending pursuit. “The mission for cleanliness is not one day’s, it is a life-long tradition. We have to take it forward for generations…This is something we should do every day,” he said.
Sharing his address during the event on X, formerly known as Twitter, PM Modi tweeted, “As we mark #10YearsOfSwachhBharat, I salute the unwavering spirit of 140 crore Indians for making cleanliness a ‘Jan Andolan’.”
As we mark #10YearsOfSwachhBharat, I salute the unwavering spirit of 140 crore Indians for making cleanliness a 'Jan Andolan.' Addressing a programme in Delhi.https://t.co/Y5AdvUDKW7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2024
PM Modi emphasised the significant public support the movement has gained over the past decade, stating that it has become a personal mission for every citizen. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Swachh Bharat, the Prime Minister commended the efforts of safaimitras, religious figures, athletes, celebrities, NGOs, and the media in turning Swachh Bharat into a major public initiative. He also acknowledged the contributions of both current and former Presidents and Vice Presidents of India, who participated in Shramdaan, inspiring the nation.
The Prime Minister highlighted various cleanliness activities happening across villages, cities, and neighbourhoods, noting the active involvement of state ministers and leaders. He mentioned that millions have participated in the Swachhta hi Seva campaign during this edition of Swachhta Pakhwada, with over 27 lakh programs organized in just 15 days, engaging 28 crore people. He underlined the importance of ongoing efforts to maintain cleanliness in India and expressed his appreciation to all citizens.
Several eminent personalities, from the field of politics to Bollywood, sports to business, lavished praises on PM Modi and his vision of the Swachh Bharat Mission to impart lessons of cleanliness and including it in policy-making, which further provided impetus to expanding sanitation coverage across the country and sensitising people towards the importance of keeping their surroundings clean and hygienic.
From the Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus to World Bank President Ajay Banga, to the President of Asian Development Bank Masatsugu Asakawa to spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar, several notable personalities lauded PM Modi on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
However, not everyone understood the impact the Swachh Bharat Mission could have on a country like India, where hygiene and cleanliness, for a long time, were regarded as government duties and not personal obligations. For those steeped in petty politics, waiting to criticise their rivals regardless of objectively assessing their decisions, the Swachh Bharat Mission gave them yet another opportunity to attack the Prime Minister.
Rahul Gandhi, the senior Congress leader who has made ‘caste census’ his recent catchphrase and who routinely whips up anti-government sentiments among the poor and the marginalised by demonising the business leaders, had declared the Swachh Bharat Mission a failure as early as November 2015, 13 months since its launch. However, he had eggs on his face when the students he was addressing emphatically responded to him, saying Swachh Bharat Mission was a runaway success.
During a Q&A session at the renowned Mount Carmel College for women, Gandhi posed the question to the audience about whether the Clean India campaign had been successful. The response from the all-women audience was an enthusiastic “Yes.”
Criticising the Modi government, he remarked, “I hear a lot of discussion. Are we really serious? Is cleaning your country a strategic national government program? Because it doesn’t seem to be working, does it?”
The Congress leader expected an emphatic “No” in response, but instead, he was met with the reply, “It is.”
Caught off-guard, he asked, “You really think it’s working?” This time, the response was an even louder “Yes” than “No.” He quickly regained composure and remarked, “Alright, but I don’t see Swachh Bharat working that well.”
This incident not only exposes Rahul Gandhi as a politician with poor ground connections but also reveals his arrogance that restricted his ability to acknowledge his political rival’s decision had resonated with the public. It serves as a lesson for leaders like Mr Gandhi—to not attack their opponents just for the heck of it and appreciate policy decisions by them that are bound to help the nation.
Even as Gandhi seeks to fashion himself as the leader of the poor and lower castes, partly to break the Hindu consolidation PM Modi forged when he came to power in 2014 and dent BJP’s vote share, it is worth noting that he couldn’t appreciate a decision that has since aided the most vulnerable sections of the society—those who were exposed to diseases and ailments because of no access to toilets.
Those who were poor and didn’t have toilets had previous Congress governments to blame for their predicament since Congress-led governments ruled the nation for decades, and yet, today, Congress leader Mr Gandhi is trying to appeal to the baser instincts of the very same people his governments had disregarded for years, hoping to leverage them to turn his political fortunes.
Nevertheless, the Swachh Bharat Mission has successfully transformed India from a country where over one-third of villages practised open defecation in 2014 to achieving near-total Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, with over 6.4 crore toilets built. It has also broadened its scope to include solid and liquid waste management, garbage segregation, and plastic waste reduction. Studies suggest that this initiative may have saved 60,000-70,000 infant lives each year, contributing to a significant drop in infant and under-five mortality rates. By 2022, 95% of villages had waste management systems in place, though challenges remain, especially in larger states, in meeting the 2030 sustainable development goal.
