Highlights: PM Modi launches 'Swachh Bharat' campaign

Asks nation to help build a nation of Gandhi's dreams

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the 'Swachh Bharat' (Clean India) campaign by wielding a broom at Valmiki Basti in New Delhi, home to a lower caste that has traditionally been employed in janitorial and scavenging work.

Modi chose the Valmiki colony in Delhi's heart -- a place once home to Mahatma Gandhi -- and cleaned a small area for a minute, in the company of party colleagues and officials. He also interacted with 'safai karamcharis' (janitors) there. 

Earlier, he visited Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, and asked Indians to help build a nation that fulfils the dream of the father of the nation.

 

 

He later addressed the nation, calling for a national movement to improve cleanliness and hygiene levels in the country. Here are the key highlights from his speech. 

• I bow to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

• Gandhiji's thoughts and beliefs remain a great inspiration for us. Let us dedicate ourselves to building the India of Gandhiji's dreams

• We gained freedom under the leadership of Gandhiji, but his dream of clean India is still unfulfilled: 

• We gained freedom under the leadership of Gandhiji but his dream of clean India is still unfulfilled.

• This is a campaign for 1.2 billion people. It is not just the job of sanitation workers to keep the country clean. Is it not our responsibility of 1.2 bn citizens as well? WIll we just go on blaming the sanitation workers?

• When we see littering, why don't we feel the urge to clean it up? 

• This change is not going to happen through a publicity campaign only because old habits are hard to change. But we have time till 2019, when we celebrated Mahatma Gandhi's 150th brith anniversary. 

• This has to become a people's movement.

• If we can send a satellite to Mars, can't we at least keep our neighbourhoods clean? 

• I have come prepared to face any criticism over this programme. 

• I am urging people to use social media to further this mission. Upload pics of garbage and how you clean it. 

• Let this be an mission to inspire others. this should not become a campaign to point fingers at each other, it must be above politics.

• If this becomes just another photo-op, it will be a disservice to India.

• This campaign is for 1.2 billion people, I will say this 1.2 billion times

• This is not just the work of the government or ministers or social service organisations -- this is a job for the common public; the more people we can get to join this mission, the more benefit we will see. 

• WHO says poor sanitation costs an average Indian about Rs 6,500 annually because of health costs and lost income because of illness induced by poor hygiene. We can save about Rs 6,000 crore if we can keep India clean.  

• Quit India was successful as the entire country was a part of that movement. Clean India will be successful if 1.2 billion become part of it. 

• Don't trust me or my government, trust the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, trust his dream of a clean India. 

• It should be our responsibility not just to litter but equally to prevent it.

• When Indians go abroad, they marvel at their cleanliness, but do we see the people there throw litter or spit paan (betel) juice on the streets? That is the secret of cleanliness -- the mindset of the people. 

• Other governments before this, as well as other organisations and individuals have taken steps to clean India. Today, I would to applaud them for their efforts. 

• This has to be a collective responsibility, we should not judge it by who has done what, how successfuly who was etc. If we get into nit-picking the past, this will not work. 

• I have invited 9 people to join me, they should pick another nine and this should go on: PM Modi. Nine people include Mridula Sinha, Sachin Tendulkar, Shashi Tharoor, Kamal Haasan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Ambani, Salman Khan, and the team of Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma

• Constructing more toilets is extremely important. I feel pained when the women of India have to go in the open to relieve themselves. 

At the end of the address, Modi invited film actor Aamir Khan to join him on stage while he led the assembly in a pledge to volunteer at least two hours towards keeping their environs clean.