The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today said there can be no bigger inspiration than Mahatma Gandhi, for pursuing the vision of Swachh Bharat. In his remarks at the Safaigiri Summit and Awards 2015, organized by the India Today group, the Prime Minister said that over the last one year, a lot of people had contributed towards this vision. The Prime Minister especially highlighted the positive and proactive role played by electronic media in this regard.
The Prime Minister said Swachhta or cleanliness is a matter of habit. Once this habit is inculcated, an individual cannot tolerate an unclean environment. He said that while India has been a very conscious society in terms of personal hygiene, social hygiene had been neglected. This needed to be corrected, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister said that upto 1000 children die daily in India, due to unhygienic conditions. He said that Swachh Bharat cannot be seen as merely a Government programme. He said this was everyone's programme. If 125 crore people decide that India must be clean, it can be ensured, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister commended the efforts of the award winners, and said their work would serve as inspiration for many others. He also gave several other examples of individuals, especially youth, who had made a significant contribution towards Swachh Bharat over the last one year.
