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In the centenary year of the Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran satyagraha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a new band of volunteers: ‘swachhagrahis’ (or Swachh Bharat satyagrahis). A ‘swachhagram’ tent has been set up to host the Swachhagrahis in Bihar. Three years have passed since Modi’s flagship Swachh Bharat mission was launched.

ThePrint asks: Is Modi’s ‘Swachhagraha’ peddling symbolism or has it changed ground reality?

Growth in rural household toilet coverage had actually declined compared to the earlier decade

Deepak Sanan

Advisor, Community Led Total Sanitation Foundation

The use of symbols and catchy slogans to capture the popular imagination has always been central to creating Modi’s aura. It is a legitimate political technique. The question to ask is whether Swachhagraha reflects a changed reality in sanitation brought about by this government?

There are two diametrically opposite opinions on this. The believers will point to the massive achievements of the rural Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan since its launch on 2 October 2014. Almost 7 crore toilets constructed, and 1.53 lakh panchayats, 365 districts and 13 states declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) — but all this more or less upheld by state-sponsored surveys!

Sceptics will look at the larger picture of a government more adept at managing headlines than actually showing results. We are forever on the cusp of exponential economic growth even as surveys show progressively lowering expectations. India has jumped 33 places in Ease of Doing Business rankings, but on the other hand a small, easy to ignore news item speaks of a huge shelving of investment plans by businesses.

Sanitation experts will look at our past history. The first decade of the 21st century saw a similar toilet boom in official statistics. Along came the Census 2011 and busted these claims. Growth in rural household toilet coverage had actually witnessed a decline compared to the earlier decade! There is no reason to believe that the current story will be any different. Official targets of toilet construction and ODF declarations are unlikely to bring a quantum change in the long-term 1 per cent annual rate of growth in rural household coverage.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has brought about silent revolutions in behaviour and availability of toilets

R.K. Kidwai

Coordinator, India Sanitation Coalition

Since Independence, sanitation has never been a developmental priority for India. Our prime minister Narendra Modi rightly identified and prioritised sanitation as a key societal need and a basic issue affecting everyday life, and so launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

This has brought sanitation to the forefront and has now taken the shape of a mass movement. It has led to silent revolutions ranging from transforming people’s perception about sanitation to making more toilets available. It is also bringing about behavioural change. This is a slow process, but large steps have already been taken. SBM is a classic example of small pieces being prioritised and then holistically addressed.

The transformation of 14 states, 361 districts and almost 3,44,000 villages so far demonstrated the success this Swachhagraha movement has brought about. This has been further validated by a NARSS survey which confirms Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of more than 90 per cent of ODF verified villages and that more than 93 per cent of the population now has access to toilets and use them regularly.

Like every other complex developmental program, there is a lot of scope for further improvement. As a nation we need to be proud of all that has been achieved so far and should continue to support the government for further strengthening this movement and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

A key part of any successful Swacch Bharat programme will be addressing the social acceptability of pit emptying

Sangita Vyas

Research fellow, RICE Institute

It is now well known that the history and continuing practice of untouchability play an important role in explaining open defecation in India.

A number of independent studies conducted in different parts of rural India have found that rural Indians associate emptying a latrine pit by hand with manual scavenging, work that Dalits have traditionally been compelled to do. Thankfully, the exploitation and exclusion of Dalits are being challenged in India, and many have abandoned the degrading work. In light of this situation, however, rural Indians do not want to use the kinds of latrines that require periodic manual pit emptying, like those promoted by the Indian government.

The latrines that are in use in rural India often have very large pits or tanks that take decades to fill and can be emptied mechanically. These kinds of latrines are expensive so most rural families cannot afford them.

Bringing about a dramatic reduction in open defecation in rural India will have to rely on people building and using affordable pit latrines. However, a recent study using the government of India’s National Family Health Survey showed that pit latrines were less common in 2015-2016 than latrines with large tanks, compared to 2005-2006.

That many rural Indians are deeply concerned about how they will empty the pit of an affordable latrine suggests that a key part of any successful sanitation programme will be addressing the social acceptability of pit emptying.

Swachh Bharat needs more motivators, the Prime Minister can’t go everywhere himself



Dr. Lalit Kumar

Senior Vice President, Sulabh international



The scenario in sanitation has changed and it has a great potential to make a change. Swachh Bharat Mission will not be completely successful until and unless IEC (information, education and communication) activities are organised and implemented properly. We also need a behavioural change in people besides the construction of toilets.

Here role of Swachhagrahis is crucial. They wd be doing triggering of behaviour change & monitor the implementation.

As far as construction is concerned, toilets are being built. But the main question is: Are they properly used or cleaned?

Swachhagrahis are a key component and important personnel for this mission. It is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission IEC guidelines. The activities will continue even after the ODF (open defecation free) stage so that the mission is sustainable.

The mission cannot be achieved by the prime minister or the central government alone. It needs to be taken up seriously by the state governments and the district administrations as well with equal zeal. If they contribute and go in tandem then we will get the desired results. Swachh Bharat needs motivators and animators as the prime minister can’t go everywhere himself.

Some people like to see only the negative picture. Things have changed and one has to observe the scenario in totality; we shouldn’t just focus on one or two negative stories. With such a huge machinery and population, there will be some cases here and there, but that should not undermine the positive achievements of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Planning and Evaluation Organisation’s 2013 study on the implementation of the total sanitation campaign pointed out that since sanitation is not a highly political issue, it did not get much attention earlier. Now, things have changed. Prime Minister Modi has made it a politically high profile issue and has even talked about it from the Red Fort.

Even if Swachhagraha ends up achieving nothing concrete, it will at least raise public consciousness

Ruhi Tewari

Associate Editor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project – Swachh Bharat and now its new initiative, Swachhagraha – is unapologetically and undoubtedly a political move, but there is little denying that it has indeed started a conversation about cleanliness, across the rural-urban and class divides.

An institutional change or push cannot change the personal habits of people, and to that extent, this is, so far, more symbolic than much else. Unlike other initiatives, where citizens expect the state to work, Modi has placed the onus on citizens in Swachh Bharat. This redefines the contours of policy making and makes citizens stakeholders in the entire process.

Once the onus is on citizens, backed by a massive publicity campaign and an institutional push, a degree of movement towards this on the ground is inevitable. Toilet construction, particularly in rural areas, has been a positive by-product. Of course, the quality of the toilets and availability of water remain issues of concern.

Besides toilet construction, the country isn’t significantly cleaner than before. But people are talking about cleanliness at the community level, and not just in their homes.

The glaring need for a countrywide cleanliness drive backed by the government was staring at our faces and what Modi did was to tap into it. Unlike his massive failure of a move – demonetisation – the advantage of Swachhagraha under Swachh Bharat is that even if it ends up achieving nothing concrete, it won’t cause any harm and will, at least, bring this issue into active public consciousness.

The Congress-led UPA also had Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, which was effectively another name for the Total Sanitation Campaign. However, it barely matched up to the publicity blitzkrieg, wide scope (going beyond just sanitation) and massive government push that Swachh Bharat has.

Is Modi’s cleanliness drive a politically symbolic move? Yes. Should governments stop such symbolism to raise awareness? No.

Compiled by Deeksha Bhardwaj and Talha Ashraf, journalists at ThePrint.