At last, Assam Rifles’ Swachh Bharat fiasco draws censure

Dimapur, Oct. 2 (EMN): A group associated with Swachh Bharat Mission has finally spoken against the Assam Rifles’ failed attempt to ‘stage-manage a cleanliness drive’ under said mission at a school in Mokokchung town.
Last week, videos and pictures of Assam Rifles personnel being ‘caught red-handed’ by ‘some vigilant citizens’ while the latter group was attempting to stage a fake cleanliness exercise at a school on Mokokchung went viral. Two local (English) newspapers ran the story on September 29 last.
“…the modus operandi of the Assam Rifles was to seek permission from the school authority, then litter the school campus and, later video tape and click pictures of the students and the jawans cleaning the same mess created earlier,” Eastern Mirror had reported.
Despite the widespread coverage, in print as well as in the digital media, the expose has been deadpanned – even by the governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya who is said to be one among nine personally handpicked by Prime Minister Modi to lead the nation-wide drive. In addition, the governor has chosen ‘nine eminent personalities’ in Nagaland as ambassadors of the mission in the state.
Finally on Monday, October 2, the district ambassadors of Swachh Bharat Mission, Mokokchung issued a statement expressing complete disapproval of the “alleged exercise” attempted by ‘a para-military force in Mokokchung town’.
“Swachh Bharat Mission is a nation-wide movement led by the highest office in the country and, therefore, undertaking such stage-managed exercises not only beleaguers those who are genuinely working hard to clean the country but also insults the movement itself and tarnishes the image of the good office of the prime minister of India,” it stated.
The district ambassadors appealed everyone to “come forward, cooperate and participate in making Mokokchung a cleaner district.”