President to inaugurate international seminar 'Swachhagraha'

The seminar is being organised by the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti, a statutory body, in keeping with the government's objective of  making ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ a people’s movement.

The seminar seeks to facilitate a thorough and focused discussion on Gandhiji’s philosophy of cleanliness of physical environment and purity of soul and mind and the inter-linkages between the two. It will also discuss the issue of making the country a capable one through involvement and empowerment of each individual of the society as conceived by the Mahatma.

About 1,000 individuals from within and outside the country including Gandhian Scholars and representatives of Gandhian institutions besides students doing research on Gandhian thoughts and philosophy will be participating in the seminar spread over five sessions.

Gandhiji had set out on Dandi March on March 12, 1930 that laid the foundations for ‘Satyagraha’ movement that subsequently proved to be the corner stone of the country’s freedom struggle with the participation of the masses from across the country .

The Swachh Bharat Mission launched on October 2, 2015 seeks to make the country clean and open defecation free by October 2, 2019 marking the 150th Birth Anniversary of the Mahatma. This Clean India initiative is sought to be accomplished through people’s movement, inspired by the quest for cleanliness i.e ‘Swachhgraha’.

The two day Seminar is the first such initiative of the Rajghat Samadhi Samati during its 58 years of existence. The idea of Seminar on Gandhiji’s thoughts pertaining to cleanliness and a capable India was mooted by Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu.