Vidyadashami and Swatch Bharath....

‘Vidyadashami’ is an event of worshiping of deity Saraswati or Sharada, the goddess of education. As per Hindu calendar, this year it was performed on Friday and/or Saturday, 29/30 Sept 2017, at the end of Navrathri or Dussehra celebrations. Deity Saraswati, believed to be imparting literacy and education in humankind, is also said to be one of the noble incarnations of Goddess Durga. Books and educational tools are worshiped on this day.  We placed books in front of our family deity and worshiped Goddess Saraswati, last Saturday.....

Literacy and education, though interconnected, are pragmatically two different issues. If we can write, read or sign, for many, it means we are literate. Education is beyond this and means understanding a subject or an issue. Literacy generally leads to education...

I am writing below one of glaring examples of hitherto failure in getting educated in day-to-day living style, though large part of our country today boasts as literate. Our honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narandrabhai  Modiji, couple of years ago appealed all citizens that our premises and surroundings - be it schools, offices, government buildings, roads, public places, parks, beaches, rivers, lakes and everywhere, should be clean from all kinds of litter and refuses. He made this appeal primarily because most part of our country so far remained untidy and dirty. Heaps of garbage and refuses are seen thrown around on roadsides, public places and everywhere. This is partly because of the absence of proper garbage collection and disposal machinery and partly due to our indifferent attitude towards cleanliness in public places. We throw our refuses anywhere and everywhere, be in villages or those dwelling in urban areas. In spite of our PM’s appeal, little has changed on ground in the last two years. Why....? Are we not educated enough to understand his appeal....?

Maintenance of clean surroundings is not rocket science. Everyone knows this and it should be our way of life. Sad it is; we don’t practice cleanliness in all places...  Swatch is possible only if we are conscious and practice cleanliness and hygiene in our daily life. Let us not throw anything and everything around.  Let us put our refuses in garbage collection bins. Let us segregate biodegradable and non-degradable waste before disposal... Let us discontinue use plastics, as far as possible. If each one of us practices this not only in our houses but also public places we will have ‘Swatch Bharath’ or ‘Clean India’, very soon.  Otherwise, we will continue to live in dirt and remain uneducated..........

Today, 02 October 2017, is ‘Gandhi Jayanthi’. Let all of us take a pledge to maintain and practice clean surroundings everywhere, our premises and public places. Then only the dream of ‘Swatch Bharath’ can be realised.......

 Jai Hind!  

D. Jayarama Bhat