The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS), Government of India, today launched a short film series on the Swachh Bharat people’s movement titled, ‘An Open Mind’, in honour of sanitation champions across the country who are driving positive behaviour change in their communities by helping eliminate open defecation and adopt safe sanitation practices.The five short films showcase real-life stories of individuals from different walks of life who have made the Swachh Bharat mission their own by adopting innovative ideas to encourage the use of toilets in their communities and adopt safe waste treatment practices. These stories are examples of a wider citizens movement across the country to encourage the adoption of safe sanitation practices and realize the dream of an Open Defecation Free India by 2019. The launch films have been created by BBC Media Action and are available online at http://bit.ly/2a3sDul.
At the launch event, the Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Narendra Singh Tomar, felicitated the grassroots Sanitation Champions featured in the movies. In his address, he said that Swachhta is not a new subject for Indians. It is a deeply rooted value in our culture and national history. He said that when the Prime Minister launched Swachh Bharat Mission, he called for it to be a people’s movement. This, he said, is a vision, without realizing which, Swachh Bharat Mission cannot be successful. And that the development of India will remain incomplete without complete freedom from open defecation. He said that “Swachhta Champions” are not only the individuals whose efforts have been showcased in the movies, but also every single person who makes any effort towards creating a Swachh Bharat, howsoever small that effort. The Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, added, in his address, that the Ministry will make all endeavors to take these exemplary stories of Swachhta Champions to as many people as possible in as many regional languages as possible.Online conversations on these inspiring stories of change can be followed using the hashtags #AnOpenMindCan, #OpenDefecationFree and #FreedomFromOpenDefecation, and by following.the @SwachhBharat Twitter handle. For more details on the progress made by the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), please visit: www.mdws.gov.in
About the Short Films
The film series narrate stories about individuals owning the cause of Swachh Bharat, and masses rallying around them and overcoming obstacles in order to incorporate safe sanitation practices in their communities. It also highlights how children are becoming change agents in society by innovating and adopting new ways of managing waste to showcasing results that are becoming increasingly evident.
The Stories include:
Film One - Message
Street plays from Koppal in Karnataka, Kinnar's songs from Bhopal in MP and a Gaurav Yatra from Rajasthan showcase how the message of cleanliness has been spread through innovative mediums that have successfully reached masses.
Film Two - Individuals
The film showcases an IAS officer in Rajasthan who refused to drink water from a village till they built toilets in every home; a sarpanch from Kathar who refused to sit on her chair till her village became free from open defecation; and a kalbelia took a vow to cut off his moustache if people from his tribe didn't build toilets. All these individuals became catalysts of change in their communities and made the Swachhta mission their own to rally people around the cause of toilet use.
Film Three - Overcoming Obstacles
The film showcases an urban slum in Rajasthan that arduously broke through hard earth to make toilets. Others built their own roads so water wouldn’t stand and breed diseases. It also highlights the mindset of villagers in Samnapur, MP who, despite suffering from a dry spell, would step out to bring water for their toilets and avoid openly defecating. The film highlights efforts across villages in overcoming doubts and obstacles to work towards a cleaner India.
Film Four - Children as change agents
A story from a school in West Sikkim shows that children are the best change agents as their minds are unburdened by age-old habits. The film shows them adopting innovative practices in demonstrating waste management to their communities.
Film Five - Results
Stories from Madhya Pradesh highlight that attendance in schools has improved and that no cases of malaria have been reported among children in the last year; and stories from Himachal Pradesh highlight that articles made of waste are generating employment. Besides the obvious changes, these stories showcase how the message of cleanliness has made people question age-old practices, leading to social change - for example women who previously were forced to live in cowsheds during their menses now refuse to do so, having learnt that unhygienic surroundings lead to diseases, and villagers who found that the largest portion of their solid waste comprised of liquor bottles fought against the drinking problem and managed to convince people into quitting alcohol.