At the World Toilet Summit in Delhi — attended by several senior cabinet ministers and representatives of dozens of multinationals, NGOs and international gov’t organizations dedicated to bringing about a sanitation revolution. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, co-founder/chairman of GIWA, pledged to build a toilet complex at Ajmer Dargah Sharif with Shri Dewan Sahib, a huge move in not only sanitation but in interfaith joining of hands for the betterment of society. Pujya Swamiji said “Meditation and sanitation should go hand in hand.”
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Secretary-General of GIWA, spoke about the role of religion and faith in the sanitation solution and said there needs to be a 3 pronged approach – Inspiration, Implementation and Participation — Inspiration (by faith leaders, religious congregations, national leaders, social leaders, celebrities) to create the awareness of the NEED for sanitation, to create a wave of demand, then Implementation (by Gov’t, NGOs, private sector) in actually installing toilets, sewage systems, etc. and finally Participation by the general public, by actually using the toilets, not throwing trash in the water bodies, etc., which will only come when they are shown the connection between lack of sanitation/hygiene and illness/ suffering /death through educational campaigns. It was a great event held at the most prestigious location in Delhi, Vigyan Bhava, which shows that now discussion about water, sanitation and hygiene has truly become mainstream. #wtsindia