While we celebrate our 70th year of Independence, the need for cleanliness and sanitation is more than ever. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the government is focusing on these two areas and every citizen should inculcate these in every walk of their life.
Let us take a moment on this Independence Day to remember Mahatma Gandhi’s message to the nation about Cleanliness. We at McLean are proud to be working towards keeping our customers, thereby the country clean and sanitized every day for the past 17 years.
Life in Tolstoy Farm in South Africa
When Mahatma Gandhi was in Tolstoy Farm in South Africa, he was surprised by it’s cleanliness. In his own words he describes, “One could not find refuse or dirt anywhere in the farm. Rubbish was properly buried, waste water collected and used to water trees, a pit dug for night soil and converted to manure for use on the farm”. He had a penchant for cleanliness and when he left South Africa he carried the same message to India.
Effort to improve toilet cleanliness in Rajkot
Mahatma Gandhi strongly advocated cleanliness even in the early years of his return to India. On his return to India from South Africa in 1896, he halted in Rajkot when plague struck the town. He volunteered as a member of the plague committee and visited every locality to inspect the state of cleanliness in Rajkot. He laid emphasis on cleanliness of toilets and made every effort to improve them.
Cleanliness is next to godliness
He drove the message that for spiritual cleanliness, we should be clean both in mind, spirit and our homes & neighbourhoods. During his visit to Kumbh Mela in 1915, after seeing millions of devotees take a dip in the holy Ganges he was left uninspired by the sight.
To my grief, I discovered insanitation, both moral and physical.
His famous speech at Banaras Hindu University
Gandhiji was invited to address the audience on the occasion of opening of the Banaras Hindu University in 1916. During his visit to the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, as he walked through the lanes he was touched by the filth in the temple and the streets. During his address he was visibly pained and said,
If even our temples are not models of roominess and cleanliness, what can our self-government be? Shall our temples be abodes of holiness, cleanliness and peace as soon as the English have retired from India?
Sanitation is more important than Political Freedom
While leading the non-violent movement in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi famously said, sanitation is more important than political freedom. Such was the importance he placed on sanitation. We are into the 70th year of Independence and it is high time we take cleaning our homes and surroundings seriously.
Let us impart the message of cleanliness and hygienic living to our peers and future generations to ensure a Swachh Bharat by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. We at McLean take this opportunity as a professional cleaning company, to wish you all a very Happy Independence Day, free from dirt, filth and pollution, and looking forward to be your trusted partner in cleaning your home and business.
