NEW DELHI: The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who secured India its political freedom, was far ahead of his time when he said, ‘Sanitation is more important than independence’. For Gandhi, a truly free India was not just politically independent but also socially awakened, where hygiene and dignity walked hand in hand.
Unfortunately, these timeless and powerful words of wisdom by Gandhi were consigned to oblivion by successive governments in the entire history of independent India, leaving his vision of a clean and healthy nation unfulfilled for decades.
The true essence of these words found resonance when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 145th birth anniversary by launching the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) on October 2, 2014.
This is the world’s largest national behavioural change sanitation programme, which positioned PM Modi as a champion of people-driven sustainable development.
SBM Ushers in a New Era of Governance and Civic Responsibility:
Proper sanitation and hygiene are vital not only for health but also for dignity. The Indus Valley Civilisation recognised this, integrating advanced sewage and drainage systems into their towns -- an ancient wisdom largely lost over time. For decades, India carried a global image of spiritual richness but poor public hygiene, with littered roads, open defecation, and a lack of awareness of hygiene.
Cleanliness was seen as solely the government’s responsibility, while citizens overlooked its impact on health and quality of life. Carrying forward Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy, Modi, in just 11 years, transformed India’s sanitation landscape through the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), transforming cleanliness into a deeply ingrained national lifestyle.