Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a series of tweets from his official Twitter handle to share his experience of receiving the ‘Global Goalkeeper Award’. He shared video clips from his address after the award was conferred on him by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his contribution towards the field of sanitation.He said: “Gandhiji used to say a village could only become a model when it was completely clean. Today we are heading towards making the entire country a model.”
He then went on to credit the citizens of the country for making the initiative a success, wholeheartedly acknowledging the contribution of each individual’s effort in keeping the country clean. “When 130 crore people take a pledge, any challenge can be overcome,” read one of his tweets, dubbing Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a “people’s movement”.
He received the award on September 25 for conducting the nation-wide Clean India Mission or ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
Notably, this was one of the first few projects launched by PM Modi after he had come to power at the Centre in 2014.
The prime minister spoke extensively of the Swachh Bharat initiative and how it revolutionised the rural sanitation scenario. Noting that the fact that he received the prestigious award on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday made it even more special for him, he pointed out how the Father of the Nation had long envisioned a ‘swachh’ India.
