Home > President of India Speech

Gandhiji’s Eyes Would Be Brimming with Tears of Joy*

Download Hindi Version

Her Excellency Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil

My Sisters and Brothers working in Sulabh

Once again I am very happy to be amongst all the sisters working with Sulabh and it is for the second time that I am welcoming you in the President’s House. I am very glad to know that this group of liberated women scavengers from Nai Disha, sent to the United Nations through the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, on the invitation of UN-ECOSOC put up ‘Mission Sanitation’ - a cultural programme there and our sister Usha Chaumar was crowned. This crown is not for you only but for all the sisters. It is a crown for the country and a crown for Mahatma Gandhi.

 I have been informed that the programme was seen by many people and they appreciated it. After returning from New York all of you went to Rajghat – the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, where you took a vow and promised to inspire everybody to remove social evils such as untouchability. You deserve to be congratulated for this.

You all know that Mahatma Gandhi had very deep affection for our “untouchable” brothers and sisters. Removing untouchability was one of his important missions and I am very happy that you have removed this blot today.

He had once said that untouchability is the biggest curse for the people of our country. I am very happy that you have today removed it. Gandhiji had said: “I want that the mission for the removal of untouchability and its root and branch for which I am living, will give me happiness, when it is non existent”. He always inspired the people. He himself not only visited but also lived in such colonies and met people.

You know untouchability is an evil that spreads inequality in society, creating disturbances and where there is lack of peace there is no happiness and there can be no social justice. You have established social justice. My country has other social evils like child marriage, dowry, drinking and the abuse of drugs. We will have to get rid of these also. I do not know whether you said this here or not but I understand that you, my sisters, must have undergone these same circumstances, especially after your return from work when your husband took the money that you had earned forcibly for drinking. I understand it does not exist anymore. You have got a new awakening, a new inspiration for that I want to congratulate you immensely.

India needs social workers who work like this and when people see here and understand your work, I feel that our society will be built on the basis of such visionary social workers. We need such workers. Under the leadership of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Sulabh has made a major contribution in the field of sanitation and social reform. Under the National Total Sanitation Campaign the facilities provided by Sulabh is used by more than one crore people daily, who benefit from it. And through the capacity building and construction of Sulabh toilets, more than one lakh people have been relieved from the social evil of scavenging and have been able to find alternative employment. This organization is working continuously to fulfill the U.N. Millennium Development Goal on water and sanitation by 2015. I wish you success and I wish to congratulate you for this.

A vocational training centre in Alwar, Rajasthan aims to provide respectable lives to women. One can get money, but it does not necessarily mean that one can earn respect as well. You have been provided with that respect which has raised your self-confidence. As you said the people in society give you respect and interact with you, sit with you, honour you and that is a big thing. It is a new life for you and you have learnt to live with pride. I am happy to know that different eatables, which you prepare, have great demand in society. You have now formed self-help groups and banks have come forward and are happy to advance you loans. I am happy to see that you are being honoured every where. You have written you fate yourself. It is a very big thing.

This is the International Year of Sanitation. The cleanliness drive by these women who have been in the forefront and active in eliminating social evils, have made Alwar a model. They have taken a vow to be self-reliant. I understand that the Alwar Model is being talked about everywhere and it will be accepted as an ideal. The reason is that you have presented a ray of hope to the people. Through it everybody is inspired to live a respectful life like you. For this they can move forward.

You visited New York and narrated your experiences which were interesting. Perhaps you have never gone out before from your village or the city. Bindeshwar Pathak took you to New York and that too the biggest Council of the United Nations by whom you were invited and crowned. I understand there can be no bigger honour than this.

I congratulate you for what you have achieved, which you richly deserve, for which there is no comparison. You have done such a great job and I would like to tell you that Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak has brought about a revolution, a very big revolution. Financial revolution can come about and can be brought about, but to bring a revolution in the mind-set of people is a very big achievement, a very difficult job which Dr. Pathak has brought about. He increased your self-respect, your self-confidence and not only your own self-confidence but also shown to society what you are worth and what you can do. He has shown an example of this. And I wish that what he has shown everyone sees. The whole country looks at it and every village looks at it and tries to do what he has done.

You asked for help from the Government. The Government can help in monetary terms but where is the making of people like Bindeshwar ji! All work cannot be done with money. For this, the need is of persons like Bindeshwar ji who are required. I want every village of the country to produce such Bindeshwar Pathak and which can take him to reach every village, every city.

I am happy that Bindeshwar Pathak has created a Usha Chaumar. What a big thing it is I am very happy – very very happy. I want that such Usha Chaumar goes to every village and works there. Then only the dream which Mahatma Gandhi saw can be fulfilled.

If Mahatma Gandhi was watching today’s function from Heaven, his eyes would be brimming with tears of joy. I do not think any other programme in the country would give so much happiness to Mahatma Gandhi as this one. 

It includes a number of things, respect of women and removal of untouchability. We have to wipe out this dark spot. We have to become self reliant. It is an awakening of women power. It is the making of a new history. I am happy that self-respect and self-confidence have cropped up within you. In our country a new history has been created. I want to congratulate you. Move forward and keep moving forward and may this work be done by your hands. May God bless you! I give you my good wishes. I give you my good wishes in all the work that you do. Whatever can be done from here, will be done with full vigour.

Once again, I congratulate you for your achievements and success. I appreciate you and praise you.

Many many thanks.