The President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee lighting the lamp to inaugurate the two day International Seminar on ‘Clean and Capable India of Gandhiji’s Dreams’, in New Delhi on March 12, 2015. The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu and the Minister of State for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Babul Supriyo are also seen.
International Seminar on ‘Clean and Capable India of Gandhi’s Dreams’
New Delhi (PIB-GR-TYP-BIN): The Government is keen to make the Swachh Bharat Mission into a ‘Swachhagraha’ movement with people’s participation to make the country clean in the next five years, said Union Minister of Urban Development Mr. M Venkaiah Naidu while speaking at the Inaugural Session of the two day International Seminar on “Clean and Capable India of Gandhi’s Dreams” on March 12.
The President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was inaugurated the seminar. It is being organized by the Rajghat Samadi Committee, a statutory body chaired by the Urban Development Minister.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu observed that the country is still to realise the Gandhi’s dream of a clean India which was envisioned by the Mahatma about a 100 years ago. He said that Gandhi led the masses of the country on the path of ‘Satyagraha’ towards freedom and for the Mahatma, cleanliness was as important as political freedom.
The Minister stressed that taking inspiration from Gandhiji, people of the country should insist on cleanliness and take up mass action with a missionary zeal of ‘Swachhagraha’. He noted that Mahatma’s vision of a clean India goes beyond a set of physical targets for construction of toilets.
The Minister said that poor sanitation is the cause of about 80% of diseases besides costing about 6% of the country’s GDP every year. The Clean India campaign needs enlightened individual actions to uphold every fellow citizen’s right to live in a clean environment.
Mr. Naidu said that the central government is inspired by the Gandhi’s philosophy of inclusive development based on the involvement and empowerment of every individual for collective advancement and has launched various initiatives like the Make in India campaign and Skill Development.
The Minister noted that Gandhiji was “an agent of emancipation and empowerment of every individual and only perverted and degenerated minds can interpret his thoughts and deeds differently”.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu released ‘Rajghat Samadhi Patrika’ on the occasion.
The two day seminar is being attended by over 1,000 Gandhians from India and abroad, representatives of Gandhian Institutions, scholars and research students.
The two day deliberations will throw further insights on the conceptualization, evolution and manifestation of Gandhi’s concepts of clean and capable India for wider dissemination.
Minster of State for Urban Development Mr. Babul Supriyo, Secretary (UD) Mr. Madhusudhan Prasad and Additional Secretary (UD) Mr. Durga Shankar Mishra attended the inaugural session.
(Courtesy: PIB)