“Once lived a wise man
His name was Manmohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Cleanliness is important than independence he said
To make India clean is now our pledge
His patriotic love was so high
That he was ready to keep the past beside”

Swachh Bharat campaign was announced by our honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on 15th August 2014 during Independence speech. Swachh-Bharat scheme was launched on 2nd October, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Mahatma Gandhi had realized early in his life that the prevalent poor state of sanitation and cleanliness in India and particularly the lack of adequate toilets, in then largely rural India, needed as much attention as was being devoted towards attainment of swaraj. He said that unless we 'rid ourselves of our dirty habits and have improved latrines, swaraj can have no value for us'. Along with the struggle for India's independence, he led a continuous struggle for sanitation, cleanliness, and efficient management of all categories of wastes throughout his public life.

When Gandhiji took up the Indian cause while still living in South Africa, he was painfully made aware by the Europeans of the unclean habitats in which India lived. To destroy the twin evil of untouchability and insanitation became his passion. He ultimately took to scavenging, declaring that India's independence could wait but not the eradication of the curse of untouchability. He organized a party of two thousand volunteers for doing scavenging work in Haripur congress session, which had men and women from all castes, including upper caste. Gandhiji was once asked by a foreign correspondent in 1946 if he were to be the viceroy of India for one day, what he would do. He replied that he would spend the day cleaning the Augean stables of scavengers
near the Viceroy's house, and that he would do the same the next day and then on the next day. Gandhiji was not only cleaning latrines, he was cleansing humanity of prejudices, hatred and violence.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan proved to be the biggest ever cleanliness drive in India. More than 3 million government employees voluntarily joined the 'clean India Campaign''. Organizations like Maruti Suzuki Co. decided to build 200 toilets in villages under 'Corporate Social Responsibility'. India Railways are planning to have bio-latrines in all trains by 2022.

As responsible citizens of India we should resolve to carry on with this movement to make India cleaner and better.

Mahatma Gandhi and his dream of Search Bharat