The Clean Person is not the one that runs away from dirt but one who takes the time and effort to tidy-up a dirty environment.

– Abdulkabir Olatunji

We, Humans or Homo sapiens prefer cleanliness above all and that is solely due to our high reasoning natures. It is an innate need of our being to live in a place devoid of ugliness and filth which is reflected clearly in our daily routines-we keep ourselves clean and we also desire a clean enviroment to live. No one wants to live in dirty, unclean environments as such places are often breeding grounds for harmful organisms of all varieties and sizes.

This innate desire for cleanliness of the environment is encouraged by the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan which is the reason behind its far reaching effects.

The Swacch Bharat Initiative was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 2nd October, 2014 at Raj Ghat, New Delhi. The initiative was launched as a mass movement targeting India’s problems with several cleanliness issues such as open defecation and garbage disposal woes.

India is making quantum leaps in development and growth making it one of the fastest growing economies on the planet. All eyes are focussed on our country and we cannot afford to be held back now due to cleanliness woes. Our country needs to put its best face forward and at this moment we need a strong and stable leadership at the helm of affairs if we want to be a superpower in the coming near future.

The Swacch Bharat Abhiyan aims at not only maintaining a clean and healthy environment but also eradicate the endemic Open defecation issues that face the nation. To counter this, the Movement aims at not only Central Level planning and action committees but to create such committees at State, District and Panchayat levels which will address the problems at its root. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji’s plan is to work at village and block levels is a commendable effort that that couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Movement is a commendable effort but there are still several areas that need to be corrected and for that here is my proposal that will help the Movement in being more effective.

History

Bharat, Hindustan, India, Motherland….we call it by many names but the essence remains the same. One of the four cradles of human civilisation was found here in the Indian sub continent- the Indus Valley Civilisation. Our history is as old as humanity itself and the staggering amount of knowledge that has been amassed and disseminated across Millennia has been hailed as knowledge of life and true humanity itself. Our history is the history of Mankind itself and our knowledge is a gift to Mankind.

This mighty country has borne men and women of repute, intelligence and worldly wisdom. It has given birth to legendary warriors of mythical strength, men of spirituality who with their teachings have guided us towards the pinnacle of human evolution. India is the birthplace of nearly three religions, several messengers of God, Gurus, Rishis and Mahatmas.

It is said that a man cannot sit down and write the history of Bharat in a single lifetime.

The Present era

India, a sovereign republic nation fought for its Independence from foreign rule and gained it in the midnight hour of the Fifteenth of August, 1947. Since then India has gone through several rough and tumble while learning to work as a truly independent nation. Today the country has overcome all its obstacles and is moving rapidly towards economic prosperity and towards the dream of being a super power.

The Dream

Mahatma Gandhi had said, Cleanliness is Godliness and it is also mentioned in the Vedas and the Shastras about the need for cleanliness. Even with such spiritual guidance, India sadly ranks quite high when it comes to improper garbage and waste disposal issues. The problem of open defecation is another major chink in the country’s cleanliness armour. The sacred rivers of India such as the holy Ganga and Yamuna choke under pollution and several smaller streams have all but disappeared under the wheels of modernity and industrialisation. Our cities and metros reel under the throes of rampant abuse of the environment and pollution which in turn lead to spread of several fatal diseases.

The need of the hour is a Quick Action Plan that will permanently relieve our cities from this crippling issue of pollution and our beautiful villages of the stigma and declare them Free of the evil of Open defecation.

About Me

I am Keshab Swain, Indian, Proud Odia, Guinness Book of Records Holder, Martial Art master and teacher, Entrepreneur, Social activist, Environmentalist and a revolutionary in the fight against the evils of pollution in our villages and in the hearts of people. I am a son of the soil and one of the numerous soldier for my country against the evils that beset it. As an Indian and as a Citizen here is my humble proposal for change in my country that I request to submit before the Honourable Government of India and also to my idol, Shri Narendra Modiji whom I believe to be a man of quick action and radical solutions. I believe our Prime Minister to be a true Man of the Soil, a true ‘Maati Ra Manisa’ (Man of the Land) as we call our Great Leaders in Odisha.

Here is my 9 point proposal for creating a Clean and Green India, the Bharat of our Dreams!

The 9 Point Proposal

1- India lives in its Villages- Mahatma Gandhi
The Father of the Nation quite clearly enumerated in this quote that the spirit of my country lives in its villages. So my first proposal will be to clean the villages first under the Swacch Bharat Movement. I agree that the Movement puts great emphasis on them but the work and development that we see today is sadly lacking in several departments.
Instead of looking for reasons why we first need to change our viewpoint and create a sphere of activity by instituting a separate Swacchta Committee under the banner of ‘My Village, My Power’

The ‘My Village, My Power’ Committee will include three stages of members-

1. First and foremost will be ‘Naari Shakti’- the Womenfolk of villages who are the ideals for cleanliness. Someone who keeps their homes clean are best suited to keep their villages clean. They shall be the first revolutionaries to bring change.
2. The youth has always been the Flag bearers of Change in the world. The youth of the village will be the second stage with an association formed by them and for them.
3. The third stage of members will be retired Govt. Servants, activists and planners who have a deep desire to serve the society and must be worshippers of nature without any personal failings or stigma of corruption. They must be upright and honourable Citizens of India.

These three stages of members will be selected through proper and insightful tests that will help in closely predicting their desire of service to the society.

2- Flood prevention and Creation and Supply of Electricity in our villages

The ‘My village, My Power’ Committee shall have another objective along with its complete dedication towards Swacch Bharat Movement. Odisha is a land of spirituality and age old traditions and that had moved the Founders of our Villages towards the fertile bank of rivers wherein today several hundred villages stand. The bountiful rivers of Odisha and its tributaries bring great many gifts for the villagers but they also bring the cycle of flood every rainy season. The floods, every year create a great loss of life and property and there is little that the villagers can do to prevent it other than using sand bags. This is an old fashioned method of preventing floods albeit a very less chance of effectiveness. To counter this successive Governments have tried to build embankments along the rivers that cross villages but to no avail. Several endemic reasons, especially corruption and private tender sale has created this natural disaster to grow in size every successive year.

Nearly 500 crore rupees and 32 years later the situation hasn’t changed. I propose to grant the committee the project of building such embankments within a strict deadline and answerable only to the Central Government. This shall remove the need of mediators, middle-men, bureaucrats and unscrupulous contractors and the flood shall no longer ravage our beautiful villages again.

Electricity breakdown and power cuts are an endemic issue of villages across India. In villages in Odisha the power cuts are taken to be as normal as the rising and setting of the sun. Even though we are in the cusp of a digital revolution with breathtaking inventions every minute, our villages are still left in the darkness. We can change the situation by providing the knowledge and developing the skills of the members and providing the technical know-how along with a group of engineers to help the members in their initiative.

The aim within the next 5 year should be cheaper means of power through small scale hydro-electricity power generating projects, no power cut in villages, creation of embankments and canals for diverting and storing flood waters for irrigation.

3- Setting up of Nodal Offices

Swacch Bharat Movement dreams of a clean and green India. How can the movement sustain itself without the active participation of clean, spiritual and morally upright officers? How will it be a success if the power is concentrated in the hands of a few who have never been on the ground and have never worked with the common people and don’t understand their problems and their issues? The Nodal officers must be carefully selected by the Central Govt. Only after a strict and in depth study of their background, character certificates by their former co-workers and neighbours and the officers must have a bent towards conservation of the environment instead of monetary benefits.

The Swacch Bharat Offices should be situated in locations where greenery reigns. The area must be very clean and full of perennial and seasonal trees and plants with lawns and gardens all round which will give off an image of cleanliness. The offices of Swacch Bharat Movement must be clean so that they can help clean our villages, state and our country. It will also be helpful if the offices are situated on the outskirts of towns, villages or cities in the lap of nature and away from public interference. Plus there must be complaint boxes situated near major locations and offices of the area where the complainant can put their complaints in writing.

4- Our Temples and our Places of spirituality

The State of Odisha is a seat of spirituality and has been the playground of Gods since Millennia. The Sanatan Dharma and Buddhism had their glories sung here and even today we can still find the marks of spirituality in this land. It is home to the Lord of this Universe, Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath at the world famous Shri Jagannath Temple at the beautiful beach town of Puri. This mighty 11th century temple is an imposing structure that attracts millions of pilgrims and is also one of the famed Char Dhams of Hindu shashtra. Along with the Jagannath Temple, there is the famed Black Pagoda or the Sun Temple at Konark. The Konark Temple is the true pinnacle of India’s lost art of stone sculpture that gave birth to spell binding temples such as this. The third part of the Golden Triangle is the Lord Lingaraj Temple in the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The three places are known as Shri Khetra (Puri), Arka Khetra (Konark) and Ekamra Khetra (Bhubaneswar).

Such beautiful places of spirituality should not be tainted with garbage lest they turn into a dump yard. People come looking for peace here and it is our duty to keep it sparkling clean. Several cleanliness drives have been taken up but the situation remains almost the same. They are cleaned up every time a dignitary comes visiting and after that the situation goes back to what it was in the beginning. This attitude needs to change and that change can begin with us only. We must strive to keep our temples clean and for that the Swacchta Committee needs to work in tandem with the temple authorities and volunteers to maintain the sanctity of our Lord’s house.

Water bodies, lakes or rivers near our sacred places need to be cleaned up too. The Bindusagara Tank near Lingaraj Temple and the Narendra Pokhari in Puri along with the Daya River flowing near Shanti Stupa in Dhauli are some of the places that need our attention as they are on the verge of extinction due to pollution and choking of their natural springs or water sources.

5- Our Monuments and Memorial to our Freedom Fighters
It is a practice among the followers of Sanatana Dharma to worship their ancestors or Pitru Manisa during auspicious times for their blessings. We hold them in great regard but we often forget our own ancestors and the memorials and monuments erected by them or in their honour. We often find our heritage monuments destroyed by vandals and the statues or walls scribbled by miscreants. Isn’t that a direct insult to those great men? The statues erected in honour of the men who fought for the freedom that we so carelessly enjoy today are disfigured or mostly left uncared for which has left them in worse conditions. They stand there all alone, all their contributions and sacrifices forgotten by their coming generations.

We must get rid of this careless attitude and start inculcating gratitude in our hearts for these brave men and women. A committee must be formed that will be constituted of retired members of the Archaeological Survey of India and locals from the area around the monuments. They will survey the amount of damage done to the monuments and will evaluate and send the logistics required to get the monuments back to their original shape. The committee should get Government approval for all the required licences and permissions as quickly as possible and should also be awarded the contracts or at least have an advisory role in the renovation works.

6- Our Culture

Odisha is a land that boasts of a culture that is like a rainbow- it has myriad hues and each is vastly different from the other. Through the program of Swacch Bharat and its subsidiary programs we can employ hundreds and generate a huge number of jobs for the unemployed yet educated youth. They will showcase their own distinct culture at the help centres in the tourist locations across the State. They will have their own distinct uniform and badges making them easier to spot for the tourist in need of guidance or help.

Here is an example to better enumerate the ways to showcase our culture. One of the several ways in which a Swacch Bharat worker can showcase his culture in Sambalpur is by having his uniform made up of Sambalpuri cloth and design. A help centre in Pipili can display the Chandua or Applique work prominently in his office. This will attract the curiosity the tourists who might be interested in buying such items or local made cloths for himself or for his home. He will then be directed towards the local market where he can buy his desired object. This will help in boosting the local trade and will also help the unique craft get the attention it truly deserves.

7- Inculcating the Swacchta culture in our next generation

The concept of Swachta or cleanliness is mentioned in the Vedas and the Shastras and was taught to the ancients in the Gurukuls. The Gurukuls were the equivalent of modern day schools and all knowledge was passed down to the next generation using this system. The knowledge of environment, ayurveda, the benefits of living near nature and the need to keep our surroundings clean and free from any kind of wastes was passed on by Gurus. The same system needs to be created now where the concept of cleanliness and taking care of our environment must be taught in schools and universities.

The target audience of a massive cleanliness drive and education will be the children and the youth as they will be the one inheriting this planet. So we need to make sure that our legacy to our children won’t be a polluted land where the living cannot live. There will be private classes for students studying from Primary to Ph.D levels. A library shall also be established in every zone that will be stocked with literature in the local languages, newspapers and a monthly report of surveys depicting the growth of the Movement and its achievements.

The Media as well as the common people are mostly unaware of the reach or effectiveness of the Movement. There shall be a monthly report published in a book format and the survey results will be shared with the media who will then publish it or present it before the public creating better accountability.

9- Security and Safety

Security and safety are major issues that the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan needs to address. The security of the workers, volunteers and activists need to be strengthened in order to avoid any untoward incident. Women activists and cleanliness officers must be given strong security and not the kind of lax public officers that are often appointed for the same.

It is my request that a Central body for Intelligence and Security of workers be formed with the permission of the Legislative bodies and the Cabinet who sole purpose will be providing high security to activists, especially women working in sensitive zones and places that are not easily accessible or are under the control of hostile groups. All activists must have a cell phone that is equipped with a tracking GPS to better triangulate their locations in case of emergencies.

If required a separate bill may be passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and also in the Legislative Assembly of the State to create an Act that will guarantee the security of the members of the Swacchta Committee and the activists, etc.
It is my humble request to the leaders of my country to have a look at my proposal that will guarantee a better and cleaner city along with increasing the effectiveness of the Movement and also tapping into the huge potential of the Movement.

Yours Faithful Indian,
Shri Keshab Swain
Jai Hind

I Sri Keshab Swain, Guinness World Records Holder in Breaking Green Coconut most respectfully attract your attention towards the following few lines of my proposal for safety, security and protection of girls and women in Odisha.
Gender based violence against girls and women are fundamentally grounded in the discriminatory and prejudicial norms, attitudes and practices that exist in our society. Women encounter different kinds of violence across their life span starting with pre-birth elimination, early marriages and pregnancy, sexual abuse, domestic violence, forced prostitution, trafficking, dowry torture, rape including marital, denial of care, and abuse and neglect of elderly women. They are also subjected to discrimination and violence during conflicts and in areas of intense industrial activities leading to their displacement. The increasing trend of such incidents has shaken the collective conscience. Some of these crimes like molestation and sexual harassment are often justified and tolerated due to insensitivities that make both public and private spaces unsafe for girls and women. It is a disturbing fact that a significant proportion of such violent incidents are being reported from within households, educational institutions, shelter homes and such other places which were perceived to be safe for them.
The State accords high priority in addressing the issue of violence against girls and women through interventions at various levels. Mahila and Shishu desks, a convergent action between Women & Child Development and Home Department, a mechanism that has the potential of maximising the protection of women and girls, have been set up in all police stations. Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Units have been established at the level of police ranges are being scaled up. The Integrated Child Protection Scheme has also been operationalized. Further, the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme has been notified in 2012, includes provision for victims/survivors of assault, rape and acid attacks. Further, different redressal mechanisms under the statutory Acts and Laws have been established and gender sensitization trainings are being conducted. However, there is an urgent need for collective and concerted multi-dimensional and multi-pronged action by all stakeholders so that girls and women get to lead a safe, secure and dignified life.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

1. Promote gender sensitive strategies and actions for governance structures and non state actors, to ensure that girls and women are safe, secure and protected.
2. Implement effectively laws and provisions addressing discrimination and violence against girls and women by strengthening and/or setting up comprehensive systems.
3. Establish coordinated response mechanisms to address violence against girls and women.

Strategies and Action points

1. Set up effective and responsive child protection structures to deal with sexual violence against girls.
2. Expand the self-defense training programmes for girls in the education system and out of it. Place special focus on such training for girls with disability.
3. Enhance the nutritional security of girls and women by ensuring access to adequate quantity and quality of food and have a special focus on anaemia control. Initiate public education and awareness campaigns in relation to gender disparity in food intake.
4. Promote the health of adolescent girls through facility and community based initiatives with specific interventions to address sexual and reproductive health issues, early marriage and pregnancy.
5. Adopt a zero tolerance policy to ensure safety of girls and women in educational institutions through appropriate measures. Have adequate women staff at appropriate levels in educational institutions where girls reside in large numbers. Develop protocols and monitor standards of care to check and report any abuse.
6. Put in place and train sufficient numbers of investigators, prosecutors and judges for sensitive handling of sexual offences related to girls and women.
7. Establish a designated unit in the Home Department to guide, monitor and support investigations pertaining to violence against girls and women.
8. Mahila and Sishu Desk need to be functional at all police stations with one women police officer not less than the rank of Sub Inspector being posted in the Desk.
9. An emergency toll free number ‘Hello Sister’ needs to be dedicated to register any forms of crime/violence against women. The Home Department need to constantly track the call records and respond to the call at the earliest.
10. Fix time frames for expeditious completion of investigation and trial in matters of crime against girls and women.
11. Establish specialized courts for speedy trials of sexual offences. Special ‘Lokpals’ need to be established to deal with cases of crime against girls and women.
12. Promote in-camera proceedings in all judicial proceedings pertaining to sexual offences.
13. Take up training and capacity building programmes to build a cadre of work force within key sectors like health and police to extend standardized and professional response to deal with gender based violence.
14. Establish girls and women friendly help line, legal aid, counseling, shelter homes and such other services. Develop standard operating procedures for institutions towards effective response on complaints by girls and women.
15. Work towards ensuring safety and security of women at workplace through establishment and effective functioning of Sexual Harassment Complaint Committees.
16. Design and operationalize a Survivor Protection Scheme for girls and women victims/survivors of violence encompassing counseling, safe accommodation, rehabilitation and re-integration.
17. Incorporate adequate safety measures based on gender assessment survey, gender audits of public transport terminals for safer mobility of girls and women.
18. Take steps to set up basic amenities such as barrier free ladies toilets, restrooms and nursing corners and security features in the transport systems, highways, tourist and other public places.
19. Incorporate features in urban and municipal planning that will complement efforts to ensure that public spaces are safe for girls and women.
20. Establish partnerships with media to encourage responsible reporting towards safeguarding the dignity of girls and women.
21. Promote safe and friendly workplace for women engaged in protection, safety and security assignments such as in police, child welfare committees, legal services, and courts.
22. Set up a specialized unit to deal with and investigate cyber sexual crimes.
23. Create appropriate mechanisms for universal registration of marriage.
24. Involve WSHGs as para legal workers and promote community level fora to track, monitor and report instances of violence and trafficking of girls and women.
25. Safety measures need to be ensured for women migrant labourers. The District Administration need to ensure registration of all migrant labourers in their area and identity cards and all basic facilities (safe and hygienic work place etc) need to be provided to the migrant labourers.
26. Put in place mechanisms to ensure safety and security of girls and women affected by disasters. Encourage their participation in the process of disaster preparedness and response.
27. Initiate measures to improve the care and security of elderly women in the State.
28. Provide career counselling facilities for girls and women with respect to higher education and vocational training.
29. Undertake a special drive for skill building trainings for young women. Specific initiatives such as in-situ modular employment skills trainings to reach girls and women in institutions like shelter homes, short stay homes, prisons and such others.
30. Skill Development training for girls and young women is quite essential to enable them to get dignified jobs. It is important to include Vocational courses which increase the employability of girls at the secondary level. Revamp courses and vocational subjects in technical institutes to cater to the aspirations of women and girls and to match market requirements.

The above-mentioned draft may kindly be considered sensitively and implemented to make my effort fruitful for which I shall be thankful to you.

Thanking You,
Keshab Swain