The Sabarmati riverbank, which has witnessed Mahatma Gandhi's mass movements for social, economic and political emancipation of the people of India, saw a milestone on Wednesday that the Mahatma cherished. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said rural India had declared itself free of open defecation, terming it a tribute to the Mahatma on his 150th birth anniversary. The Prime Minister also gave citizens of the country a target to make India free of single-use plastic (SUP) by the year 2022. The event was attended by the sarpanches (village heads) from across the country. And the prime minister bowed in front of them for ridding the country of the menace of open defecation. He attributed the success of the campaign to the sarpanches and the workers at the grassroots. NOW, LET’S GET RID OF PLASTIC: PM Modi termed the feat a ‘real tribute’ to Gandhiji, who is attributed for having said: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. And 130 crore Indians have demonstrated this, PM said. He also gave the nation a target to make India free of single-use plastic (SUP) by 2022, and urged citizens to harvest rainwater under the Jal Jeevan Mission to mitigate droughts “This success is not of any prime minister or chief minister. The credit goes to each and every citizen who has contributed to the Swachh Bharat Mission. The world is amazed with this achievement. In 60 months, 60 crore people have benefited. We have constructed 11 crore toilets across the country,” he claimed. He termed this achievement a 'real tribute' to Gandhiji, who is often attributed the quote: 'Be the change you want to see in the world'. And 130 crore Indians have demonstrated this, the PM said, while also appreciating efforts of media houses in creating a socially conducive atmosphere for this to happen and the change in mindset. Highlighting social and economic benefits of the 'open-defecation free India' campaign, PM Modi said that this has reduced healthcare expenditure for families, empowered women, created jobs in villages and added Rs 20 lakh crore in country's economy. It has created 75 lakh jobs in the country, he claimed. But, the PM said, one should not be satisfied with this as it's just a milestone in the ongoing journey towards making India cleaner. The Prime Minister gave two tasks to the country that would ensure sustainable development of the masses. (Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary at Rajghat on Wednesday - PTI) He urged the citizens to undertake rainwater harvesting under the Jal Jeevan Mission to mitigate droughts by preserving rainwater. This would be a force multiplier in the Swachh Bharat Mission, he said. Second, he called upon the people to shun single-use plastic, which is harmful to public health and environment. Expressing happiness over the work done in the past three weeks, Modi claimed that close to 30,000 tonne of plastic waste has been collected and the use of plastic carry bags has declined sharply in the country. He exhorted the country to have one resolution and work tirelessly to achieve it. “If 130 crore Indians work on 130 crore resolutions, imagine the change it would bring in the country,” he said. He also expressed readiness to share India's success stories with the rest of the world. Representatives of the governments of Indonesia, Nigeria and Mali were present at the function. Modi promised that his government is committed to realising the vision of Gandhiji in all walks of life, especially in his concept of Gram Swaraj. The PM paid tributes to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who shares his birth anniversary with the Mahatma, recalling his initiative in changing the habits of the masses. Shastri had voluntarily given up a meal on Monday as the country was facing a food crisis. The people had then followed him in this, fasting once a week.

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