Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif answers the prime minister’s call for a cleaner nation

Best remembered for his never-say-die attitude, amazing commitment and desire to be the best, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif is an inspiration to the current crop of youngsters, who strive to replicate his efforts on the pitch. His assault on the England bowlers at Lord’s in the 2002 Natwest Trophy Final, when the bulk of Indian cricket fans had switched off their TV sets, has long since been embedded into cricketing folklore and was the reason why the skipper Sourav Ganguly shed his famed shirt on the balcony of Lord’s waving it wildly in celebration.

Before India’s recent World Cup triumphs in both T20 and 50-over formats, that match at Lord’s was perennially the benchmark of what India could achieve on the cricketing field, if only we put our faith in ourselves and refuse to quit.

It is character traits such as these that Kaif is looking to bring to his new profession, and while this cricketer-turned-politician might have struggled in his first innings in Indian politics, losing heavily in his attempt to be elected to Parliament in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, it is unlikely it will be his last.

SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN

On October 2, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Clean India Mission, or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, at Rajghat, with the aim to make India a cleaner nation in time for Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, in 2019.

An ambitious project, the prime minister knows that no one man can champion such a cause in a nation of more than a billion people. So, he has used his travels to different states as an opportunity to nominate local champions who can take forward the cause in their own domains of influence.

In November 2014, on his visit to Uttar Pradesh, Modi nominated eight celebrities to lead the way for the state, including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, actor Manoj Tiwari, singer Kailash Kher, and cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina, amongst others.

THE CALL TO SERVE

Kaif was delighted to answer the prime minister’s call to arms and shared that it was an honour for him to be nominated for such a service. The 34- year-old added that fitness, which has been his mantra for success over the years, hygiene and cleanliness go hand in hand, and it was indeed a pleasure for him to be selected to do something to improve conditions in his home state of Uttar Pradesh.

In May this year, Kaif put his plan into action, teaming up with more than 300 school children from Hoshiyarpur village to lead a local cleanliness drive. The children, belonging to a school for the underprivileged run by Om Foundation, worked tirelessly to clean the adjoining areas around their school and to spread awareness to ensure open spaces are no longer used as dumping grounds for garbage and mulva. Kaif shared he feels a responsibility towards members of all strata of society, and that rural areas need just as much attention as the rest of the country when it comes to cleanliness.

In addition to being hands-on during the cleanliness drive, Kaif also conducted a workshop for the children where he spoke about the importance of personal hygiene and stressed on the principles of WASH — water, sanitation and hygiene.

Kaif knows that India’s youth is our most valuable asset and the success or failure of any venture needs to start with them. While many hands can come together to achieve success in a cleanliness drive, maintaining a clean and healthy environment must be the responsibility of each individual, and the more individuals who pledge themselves to such a cause, the greater likelihood we will have of achieving a Clean India by 2019. With this in mind, Kaif sought a commitment from the students he interacted with towards making cleanliness a way of life, and not just a one-time activity.

PAY IT FORWARD

Kaif also took his cue from the prime minister’s approach to nominate people across domains to do their bit to champion the Clean India Mission. He picked some of his fellow cricketers to pitch in, namely Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra, in addition to Indian hockey superstar Danish Mujtaba, wrestler Geeta Phogat, singer Sunidhi Chauhan and actress Parineeti Chopra.

Kaif also chose to nominate an organisation he has long been associated with, Responsenet, which specifically works towards poverty alleviation through food security, in the NCR region.

THE ROAD AHEAD

For Kaif, this is just the beginning with regards to the Clean India Mission. With fitness a core element of his life’s work post-retirement, the cricketer hopes to leverage the opportunity he gets to interact with people across the country to take his specific brand of Clean India, national. Kaif also encourages everyone he meets to push themselves to be physically fit, for which it is imperative they keep their surroundings clean and hygienic. Kaif added, “As an athlete, fitness is pivotal to my success and I believe cleanliness and basic hygiene plays a crucial role. I would like to help spread the message of cleanliness and hygiene for all and urge everyone to keep their surroundings clean for a fit and healthy life.”

He added it was important to keep the early momentum gained by the Clean India Mission going, and with the help of the government, concerned individuals and youth champions, it is definitely possible to achieve a Clean India by 2019.