आत्मनॊ मॊक्षार्थम जगध्दिताय च||, The motto of the Ramakrishna mission defines it all. This statement means, “For one’s own salvation, and for the welfare of the world”. A statement which defines the service of this organization in a nutshell. Salvation is something big and beyond my level of maturity, but welfare of the world is something that I can understand. And this welfare of the world doesn’t mean you have to stop a war, give shelter to a large number of refugees or speak about international peace and universal brotherhood. Small gestures of help and goodwill can go a long way in making this world a better place to live in. Much of what PM Modiji wanted India to be, he meant it when he coined the word Swaccha Bharath Abhiyan. You must have thought that this guy is being politically biased! Yeah why else to try and bridge Modi and Ramakrishna Mission? Read through for answers.
It’s already a year since the word Swacch Bharath was coined, and some political leaders (You know who) have already started questioning its results. That is what makes them politicians isn’t it! Question everything and comment on everything. But people are responding to these questions in a different way, the youth are responding to it in a different way. For example check what I am writing about. These were a bunch of strongly well knit group of youth, the engineers of future. They all wanted to make a mark in life, in showing the world that they were not just another bunch of kids who would waste their Sunday’s in shopping malls or playing online games or chatting with girlfriends and boyfriends. And what came along was the “Swaccha Mangaluru”, an initiative by Ramakrishna Mission Mangaluru.
So this is what happened. October 4th the first Sunday, witty groups were invited with a goal in hand. Clean the streets of mangaluru. And what better chance to prove themselves. Named “THE TEAM 28”, the Information Science and Engineering students of Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management decided it was time to get themselves dirty. Well not for a Surf excel add! But for a better cause. To make Mangaluru clean. Wah! Guys, you really have given an answer for all those who question the contribution of engineers to India. But wait, the work was not simple. It was not about writing some programs or writing some exams. Well it was cleaning streets of Mangaluru. And it can get a bit more dizzy if I say the road next to a public toilet. This road connects PVS to KS Rao road. Or in other words Shortcut to the all happening City center Mall”. This road is used by over 1000 commuters every day. There was litter and dirt everywhere. There was everything from waste bottles to thrown out food. The smell of which can make your stomach go swirling around on a merry go round. But these guys were To-Be engineers too. And one thing you learn as an engineer is to never give up. So when many hands join together, when there is the will to do something good and when someone who says you can do it the result shows up. The street which was once stinking, which once made the commuters curse, now looks all clean and nice. A job well done guys!
And now the most important question. What big deal bro? Come on, they just cleaned a road. Is this something for publicity, is this some kind of advertising. Well if you think so, so be it. I have learnt to appreciate the good things that happen around me. I have realized that not all people think good, not all work for a cause, not all have that flame burning inside them which asks them to do something good, something noble so that they can have that smile of satisfaction. That satisfaction can’t be bought by money or power. It can only be done by gestures like these.
But appreciation is one form of thanks giving. But that doesn’t end there. If we just clap hands and say that they did something good, great, pat their backs and go back to our routines, we are just as good as those people who litter around, who laugh at swaccha bharath, who say nothing can change in India. Our responsibilities are something more. If they can do it, we can also do it. There are 250+ engineering colleges in Karnataka. And say some 1000+ other colleges. Some 10000 schools. If one team from each school tries to clear the mess in one street, by the end of the day we will have 11250+ clean streets in Karnataka alone. That is not something simple. That is great. Remember “Rome was not built in a single day”. It took years. But everyone has to start somewhere.
There are people who are mocking at this campaign because they don’t like Modi. I have a simple question to them. If you are an Indian, whom do you put ahead in your priority list? Is it Modi, or is it India? I put India ahead of my personal emotions about Modi, So is the case with the “TEAM 28” who worked hard and sweat bad today. With a cleaner India we will have a beautiful India. With a beautiful India we will have a richer India. Have a question, on how a richer India? Watch some shows abroad. They treat India as a home of epidemics. The first advice they give you if you travelling to India is,” Don’t eat street side food, or drink outside water”, they have germs which can cause you serious trouble. That nation is a land of poor with famine drought and garbage everywhere”. And we have dengue, malaria, Jaundice cholera and many more diseases to prove them right. If this changes, the way the world looks at India will change. And with that more people will come to witness the greatness of this nation. Some new faces will bring some new business, some new exposure. And that’s all that a developing India can ask for. A cleaner and a safer India can be a welcoming gesture for “The Make In India”. That would do a world of good for every one of us. I look forward for a day where India becomes the VISHWAGURU. I showed my part of appreciation for the noble gesture of these guys by recognizing them and writing this one. What would be yours? We shall make them popular. Shall we ?
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