“We stand on the shoulders of giants.” Sir Isaac Newton famously used this phrase in the context of collective learning, where we build upon, preserve, and share knowledge over time. It is through this collective learning that we have built the human civilisation to the heights we inhabit today. Every accomplishment owes its foundations to those who came before.
In much the same way, the dream of a Swachh Bharat is the responsibility of those of us who are alive today, so that we may prove to be the giants on whose shoulders the next generation stands on. The Swachh Bharat Mission has come a long way in making that dream a reality. In just 10 years, the Swachh Bharat Mission has constructed over 11 crore toilets, taking the number of rural families with toilets from just 38% in 2014 to 100% today. These families save roughly Rs 50,000 per year in medical costs, have been able to prevent the deaths of 3,00,000 children so far.
It’s a great start, but we have a long way to go. The bulk of the work ahead of us lies in changing mindsets and attitudes towards sanitation. While the GoI has employed a very successful, multi-pronged awareness campaign, it is not the only player out there. As India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, Harpic has been educating India through thought provoking campaigns for decades now. Furthermore, for the last 3 years, it has joined hands with News18 to create Mission Swachhta aur Paani.
Mission Swachhta aur Paani is a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. It advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility. For 3 years now it has served as a common platform where the right stakeholders can come together, to discuss issues of importance and find solutions.
The event celebrating the culmination of Mission Swachhta aur Paani Season 3 was packed with changemakers, influencers, policy makers, politicians, actors and celebrities, activists, NGOs and many more, participating in several panel discussions that looked at the problems and opportunities of sanitation in India. One of the key concerns voiced in several of these panels was the challenge of maintaining the gains of the last 10 years, and building on the future.
Speaking in this context, Reckitt’s Regional Marketing Director, Hygiene, South Asia, Saurabh Jain said, “For us to not sit here in another 10-20 years from now and have the same conversation, what is required is for children to understand what sanitation is, what toilet behaviour and etiquette is, and we have to do it in a way that doesn’t feel preachy.” This dovetailed with Campaign ambassador Akshay Kumar’s sentiment that we need to make sanitation cool and leverage the power of social media more effectively. “We need drum up campaigns, tie up with celebrities because they have a following, and we need to engage with young influencers who can talk to their peer group more relatably.”
Fortunately, Mission Swachhta aur Paani has been a part of several initiatives and campaigns aimed at children of all ages. Under the aegis of Mission Swachhta aur Paani, Harpic partnered with Sesame Workshop India to promote positive sanitation, hygiene knowledge and behaviours among children and families through schools and communities, engaging with 17.5 million children across India. At the event itself, Sesame Street’s superb storytelling skills were on display in a skit performed on stage with Akshay Kumar. Between Akshay’s impeccable comic timing and endearing dialogue and puppetry, this short skit managed to communicate the 4 key tenets of the Swachhta checklist, while thoroughly entertaining the audience.
Influencers and activists Malhar Kalambe, Saher Bhamla and Sushant Divgikar were joined by seasoned politician Milind Deora, along with former captain of India’s women’s national cricket team, Mithali Raj in a discussion about the role of youth advocacy. Akshay Kumar and Reckitt’s Saurabh Jain also joined in.
Malhar and Saher, who have experience of leading several clean-up drives with thousands of participants, noted that passion wasn’t in short supply amongst the youth. As Malhar said, “Over the last 6.5 years I’ve seen that most of the young people want to do something for the environment. We’re giving them a platform to be a part of this movement. If you’re alone, you may feel sceptical about cleaning a beach. But if there are 100 people cleaning with you, you’ll have less hesitation in joining them.”
According to Saher however, there is a need to temper this enthusiasm with a dose of realism. “I thought one cleanup with 100-200 kids is going to solve the problem. I was naive! I did not realise that the next day, the trash was going to be back. That’s when I realised that this isn’t a one off thing, it’s going to take years. And hands are not enough, we need technology to solve this problem.”
As Saher mentions, clean up drives aside, we also need to build the right infrastructure that helps meet these sanitation needs on a regular basis. Rajya Sabha MP, Milind Deora, pointed out that putting toilets on the political agenda is in our hands. “As someone who has been in politics for over 20 years, what I find very heartening is that on the eve of a general election in the world’s largest democracy, we are discussing toilets, water and the environment. I think that’s a very positive development that these are issues that the youth will elect leaders on.”
While there’s no bigger form of advocacy than using our votes, there are other ways we can help bring about change. In the words of Akshay Kumar, “What we need to do is simple: just keep your home clean. Keep your neighbourhood clean. That’s it. It’s more than enough. If everyone did so, imagine how clean our country would be!”
Sometimes, it really is that simple. Join us here to learn how you can use your voice and your platform to move the needle towards a more Swasth and Swachh Bharat.