Local Governments

Could you do this everyday for 15 minutes?

No. Certainly not possible.

That is how, every citizen feels.

Citizens of India could plan; schedule; make commitment to participate in the event; and they will do it also. But, citizens of India cannot do it everyday for 15 minutes.

For citizens of India, time is money. They are busy; they are busier than any central ministers. Certainly, citizens have no time to do this cleaning job everyday for 15 minutes.

They do have money; they don't mind giving money away for this kind of social work. For instance, people have no time to go to market to buy their groceries once in a week. So, Google has started a service called, https://www.google.com/shopping/express/ You give them the list; Google would deliver the grocery at your home.

Likewise, Google or Amazon would start cleaning service; our people would sponsor those services for a street. Citizen could adopt a street using Google Maps; and make a monthly contribution to Google. Google would clean that street.

Don't try to follow Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. You don't need to.
Gandhi didn't follow anybody. So, Gandhi didn't expect anybody to follow him.

Even his so called followers didn't listen to his words. Gandhi suggested to close down the Congress party. Till now, nobody did it.

Gandhi suggested to get rid of the military. Nehru said no.

You're trying to follow Gandhi without understanding him. So, you will end up in confusion; and then you will blame Gandhi for your confusion.

Do you know the word 'kettle'; how does that word related to Gandhi.

If Gandhi lives today, he would not have followed his own previous teaching.

In simple words, Gandhi acts; it is action; everyday, he spins his chakra with cotton into thread. You cannot clean roads everyday.

So, it is all about action. Above all, Gandhi didn't travel in any fixed path; even during his life time, nobody could predict what he is going to do next.

You could follow anybody, only if they travel in a fixed path. If that person walks in a pathless land; how could you follow that person.

So, Gandhi; for any given situation, he sees the opportunities and also challenges; then he perceive; in perception, he acts without any choice; without any confusion.

The truth is, for his entire life, Gandhi didn't have any constitutional authority. So all his actions were based on volunteers.

Now, you have authority. You have entire machinery at your disposal. You have tax money.

If Gandhi lives now; if he has constitutional authority, he would never do things like you do now.

When you talk about clean India;

• people are clean
• houses are clean
• all worship places are clean; except mass gathering places like Varanasi
• all gated community are clean
• only city roads and town streets are not clean.

In Madurai, people used to spit on the street; or pass urine on the street wall.

To fix this problem, along the road side, they built small pillaiyar temple; or draw some god picture.

People already pay tax money; and you want them to clean their roads too.

Fix the local government problem.

When they say, America is a developed nation; that means, they have effective local governments.

Palo Alto city government; you cannot imagine; the city government is more effective than any state governments in India.

City government has police force. city government has fire security;

City government is so effective; all problems of people could effectively managed by city governments.

In Gandhi's word, it is Village Panjayat. 

Ancient India was not dirty.

Even the British India was not dirty.

In fact, in Calcutta, they built the water system; without any pump, they designed the pipe line; for water from Ganges to flow through the pipe line to Park Street; they used to wash away roads every morning with those water supply.

India has started becoming dirty only after 1947.

Power and responsibility has been delegated to the city level.

Mysore Maharaja's responsibility to keep the city clean.

So, India needs effective local governments.