(Image source from: "Real dirt of India lies in our minds")

On Tuesday, President Pranab Mukherjee said that “real dirt of India lies not in our streets but in our minds" and "in our willingness to let go of views that divide society into 'them' and 'us' and 'pure' and 'impure'." He was commenting on Swachh Bharat Mission during the inauguration of archives and research centre at Sabarmati Ashram.
President said that "we must make a success of the laudable and welcome Swatch Bharat Mission".

"However, this also must be seen as just the beginning of a much larger and intense effort to cleanse the minds and fulfill Gandhi ji's vision in all aspects," he added.

"GandhiJi would tell us - and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar would agree with him - that so long as untouchability persists, so long as dehumanizing practice of carrying night soil persists, we cannot have real Swachh Bharat," stated the President. This comes in the context of recent violent incidents in India in recent past besides ongoing debate on intolerance.

President says, "Everyday, we see unprecedented violence around us".

"At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust," he said adding "while we invent new modes of combating this ever spiraling violence, we must not forget the power of non-violence, dialogue and reason".

President says that people who believe in God cannot take lives of others, but sacrifice their own.

-Sumana