Mahatma Gandhi 150th birth anniversary: Narendra Modi declares India open defecation-free, visits Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Ashram

On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India open defecation-free and announced that single-use plastic would be phased out by 2022. In a series of events to mark Gandhi Jayanti, Modi first visited the Raj Ghat in Delhi and also paid tribute at the Central Hall in the Parliament complex. He landed after 6 pm in Ahmedabad, where he addressed audiences at the airport, saying that a glimpse of the respect India has globally was seen during the Howdy, Modi event in Houston. “The strength and the value of Indian passport has increased. The world sees those holding Indian passport with respect,” Modi said. The prime minister said political figures in the US, across party lines, attended the event, with US president Donald Trump taking a victory lap with him without security. “The fact that US President Donald Trump came to the Indian event and stayed there for such a long time was great. After speeches, when I requested him, he came for a round of stadium without considering security protocol. I thank him and all those who organised the event,” Modi said. Modi took a tour of the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where he garlanded a bust of Gandhiji and penned down a message in the guestbook. “I’m satisfied that on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, we’re witnessing the fulfilment of his dream of Swachh Bharat. I feel lucky that on this occasion when India has successfully stopped open defecation, I’m here at the ashram,” Modi wrote.

At the Swachh Bharat Diwas programme at the Sabarmati riverfront, Modi announced that India is open defecation-free by unveiling a map of India with a remote control. “Today the whole world is appreciating and awarding us for providing toilets to over 60 crore people in 60 months by building over 11 crore toilets. However, this achievement is just a milestone and we should not stop here,” he said. Addressing a gathering of 20,000 village heads and swachhgrahis, Modi also announced that the goal to free India of single-use plastic by 2022, adding that sanitation, conservation of environment and animals was a dear cause for Modi. “On the call of Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement, people of the country mobilised for ‘satyagarah’ and they did the same now for swachhagrah,” Modi said.

Modi also released commemorative Rs 150 coins on occasion of Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary. Meanwhile, political leaders across party lines, school children and the youth were seen celebrating the occasion. An outpouring of tributes, marches and commemorative events marked the day, with President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi paying tribute. Observing that Gandhiji envisioned Indian nationalism as one that was never narrow or exclusive, Modi proposed what he called the ‘Einstein Challenge’. “How do we ensure the ideals of Gandhi are remembered by future generations? I invite thinkers, entrepreneurs and tech leaders to be at the forefront of spreading Gandhi’s ideas through innovation,” Modi wrote in The New York Times, in an article titled ‘Why India and the World Need Gandhi’. BJP president Amit Shah kicked-off a four-month exercise in which party leaders across the country will undertake foot marches and address public events to mark Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary. Sonia also launched a march, saying the Mahatma would have been pained by what has happened in India over the last few years. Those who indulge in the politics of falsehood cannot understand his ideals of truth and selfless service, she said. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were out on the streets accompanied by thousands of party workers. Rahul led a march of party workers to Rajghat, Sonia waited at the memorial to address the workers and Priyanka was in Lucknow.

While the BJP’s called its march ‘Sankalp (pledge) Yatra’, the Congress named its march, ‘Gandhi Sandesh Yatra’. Numerous events were organised to pay tributes to Gandhiji, including an all-prayer meet at the Sabarmati Ashram, cleanliness drive at a beach in Dandi, a khadi spinning session at Mumbai’s Mani Bhavan and an exhibition of paintings at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi. With inputs from PTI