Cleanliness is next to Godliness

Have you ever wondered, when we were small kids why our parents emphasized to clean our teeth twice a day, to bathe daily? And when we grew up, we are asked to keep our study table neat and tidy, books in order in the book shelf. All this, because a clean person earns good names, is praised and liked by all. We all must have heard of the popular proverb that 'Cleanliness is Godliness'. It simply means, that cleanliness leads to goodness in every walk of life. The practice of cleanliness keeps our body, mind and soul clean and peaceful.

Cleanliness helps in shaping up our personality to a large extent. A person with clean body and mind has good habits, which are praised widely. It helps to develop confidence and self respect of any person. Clean habits with nice dressing sense creates good impression on others and good reputation in the society because cleanliness reflects a clean character of the person. And not only this, cleanliness infuses positivity in a person. It brings freshness and liveliness in a person. A person with clean body, clean mind and a clean heart is energetic through out the day.

So from where did this concept of cleanliness rise up? Since time immemorial we have been taught the importance of cleanliness. We were taught to keep not only ourselves clean but also our surroundings. Indians have always been taught the ideology of Vasudhev Kutumbkam, that is, whole world is a family. According to me, this not only teaches us to develop and maintain humane qualities and moral behaviour towards all people. But, it also tells that we should not restrict ourselves to a few people and confine ourselves within concrete boundaries. It is human psychology to be kind and affectionate towards his own people. Similarly, a person for sure will keep himself and his own house clean.

From here, a question arises. Who is expected to keep the surroundings clean, the streets, the parks, our classrooms? Can we not consider our school as our home and try our best to keep it clean and tidy? When Mahatma Gandhi returned back to India in 1915, all he could witness was people urinating in the open, throwing garbage on streets, spitting after chewing beetle leaves. No, this was not that India of his dreams. Gandhi was a well mannered and a polite gentleman. He used to give credits to the Western World to shape up his personality. There he learnt the importance of cleanliness. When we look at the India of the twenty first century, we find it advancing and innovating. We have adopted western system of education. We eat what they eat, we wear what they wear. But have we got inspired from there habits of cleanliness and hygiene? I don't think so.

Without understanding the benefits of cleanliness, one would never adopt this habit. It starts from keeping your own body clean and ends up keeping your surroundings clean. Gandhi wished to see a CLEAN INDIA where people were hand in hand to make the country clean. Where people were responsible to keep not only their homes clean but also their neighbourhood! Where they realised their responsibilities as a citizen.

I remember, when I was a small kid, I used to use crayons on the walls and consider it a drawing book. But as and when I grew up my mother told not to practice such a thing as it makes our home look dirty. So the first place where a person learns about cleanliness and good habits is the home. Hence, it is the responsibility of the family to inculcate cleanliness in a child so that when he grows up, he can practice the good habit and motivate others also to do the same.

Now, the child moves to the school, his second home. In our schools too, we all must have seen garbage bins in our classrooms to throw waste papers and sharpen our pencils in it. From there, a student learns the importance of dustbins that the waste materials are meant to be thrown in the garbage bins and not in the classrooms.

But if we are taught about cleanliness since the very beginning then why is our surrounding dirty? Why do we see litter on the roads? Why we see people defecating in the open? There must be something wrong that is why such activities and practices still prevail!

The problem is with the mentality! We all must have seen people sweeping off the dirt and dry leaves from their homes and throwing it in front of others' . Haven't we? This is the mentality of people, to clean their own place and not giving a darn about the surroundings. This is where we see the ideology of Vasudhev Kutumbakam losing its importance.

To revive this only, to make people realise of their fundamental duty towards their nation, to make them responsible citizens, the Indian Government has come up with the Swachh Bharat mission. A mission to make the masses aware, to make the people practice clean habits, to make the nature even more beautiful! The best part of the mission according to me, is that the Government is awarding the districts which are fulfilling the parameters set by the swachh bharat mission. It will surely have a deep and motivating impact on the people of those districts to work for the betterment with greater enthusiasm. Not only this, such things will encourage other regions also to contribute in making the country a cleaner place.

One should understand the very basic thing that Cleanliness is not about keeping yourself and your home clean. It is also not just about keeping your surroundings and your nation clean. It is much wider than this. Cleanliness means to keep your character clean. To never indulge yourself in any unethical practice, to live a life of morals! It must look like a difficult task initially but it is not impossible. To live a life of clean character is to live a life with honesty, truthfulness and morals. A person with a clean character sets examples for others, emerges out to be a hero and an inspiration.

Thus, cleanliness has its own perks. A clean and tidy person is well appreciated and respected. He is sophisticated and well mannered. So the chances of him leading a happy life are naturally high. He becomes a motivation for others! People learn from him. And when a big group of these clean and neat people, both internally and externally clean, come out to clean their nation then the upliftment of our nation is assured.

It is not a difficult job to come forward to work for the country. All you need is will power and inner motivation. As some one has rightly said, no country is perfect. It is the people of that country who should work to make it perfect. Thus, it is the responsibility of you and me to join hands, work for our nation in making it and keeping it clean. After all it is our moral duty to make this country the best place for anyone and to make this world a beautiful place to live.