NEW DELHI: Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), who led the revolution against the Congress government headed by Indira Gandhi in the mid-1970s, will now adorn the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet scheme Swachh Bharat Mission. The government’s move to include JP’s birth anniversary in its itinerary for the Swachh Campaign beginning September 25 is seen as another step to cleanse the Nehru-Gandhi legacy and ending their domination in government schemes for the last 67 years. This shows that the NDA’s thrust is not just to revive ancient Indian icons like Vivekananda and Maharana Pratap, but also give the rightful place in the national pantheon to post-Independence democratic fighters like JP, who opposed Indira Gandhi and was jailed during the Emergency. JP was also the main inspiration behind the short lived Janata Party government—India’s first non-Congress government since 1947.
The NDA government is planning to launch a 17-day mega campaign from September 25, almost a week before the scheme’s first anniversary. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call to take up Swachh Bharat as a mass movement to realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean India on his birth anniversary October 2 last year, the government’s focus in 2015 is to revive the legacy of the anti-dynasty hero and project JP as the new icon of Swachh Bharat.
On September 14, 2015, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation headed by Chaudhary Birender Singh wrote to all states about the Central government’s plan to celebrate the first year of Swachh Bharat Mission.
“He (PM) has desired once again on the eve of the first year of the mission, a nationwide campaign to be organised with the participation of all sections of the society to rekindle mass awareness to ensure lasting behavioural change to achieve this goal,” the letter stated.
The NDA government has proposed an intensive national cleanliness campaign to be undertaken from September 25 and ending on October 11, the day on which JP was born in 1902.
The government wants to boost massive public awareness on cleanliness and mass participation in cleaning homes, government offices, schools, hospitals, work places, streets, roads, railway stations, bus terminals, statues, monuments, rivers, lakes, ponds, parks and other public places.
It has asked all states to target government and public sector officials at every level, NGOs, education and health institutions, rural and urban local bodies, self-help groups, youth organisations, resident and market associations and business and industrial chambers and associations for their involvement in the cleanliness and awareness drive.
“A variety of activities such as marches, marathons, debates, street plays, music and essay competitions and other community activities may be used to re-focus public attention of this campaign and on the need for cleanliness,” the letter to the states said, adding that expenditure on these activities can be met from the Information, Education and Communication component of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
For 2015-16, Rs 3,625 crore has been allocated for the initiative—a 27 percent increase over the previous financial year. Of this, Rs 2,625 crore has been allocated for the rural areas and Rs 1,000 crore for urban areas, while Rs 362 crore will be spent in the North East.
“Participation involving state chief minister, minister and other dignitaries appropriately may be considered during the campaign. Effective use of mass media such as radio, TV and newspapers, digital media such as internet and mobile and direct media may be made in this regard,” the Centre told the states.
The erasure of a dynsasty that imposed its agenda on the country is on.
Clean gleam
■ First anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission being held from September 25 to JP’s birth anniversary on October 11
■ Awareness advertisements on sanitation on TV, radio
■ Use of bulk voice SMSes highlighting sanitation
■ Gram Panchayats to organise a meeting on September 25
■ Social activists, religious and political leaders to participate in campaign
■ States to organise contests, marathons, debates, street plays
■ NDA wants campaign to be flexible, innovative and appropriate to local needs.