ABSTRACT
With the bold declaration to make India clean and open defecation free by October 2, 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his maiden Independence Day address from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in 2014, shook the foundations of the centuries-old practice of open defecation in India. Not only this, leading from the front, he ensured sufficient public financing, played the role of chief communicator of the Swachhata in India and gave a vision of partnerships and people's movement to eradicate open defecation from India. The daring announcement started an incredibly inspiring journey of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Keeping their word, Indian states and districts declared themselves open defecation free before the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, thus paying a rich tribute to the first champion of cleanliness in India. This was made possible by the tremendous work being done on the ground with speed and scale that became synonymous with the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G). Though more than 100 million toilets were constructed during those five years, the behaviour change communication has remained in the heart and the soul of the SBM-G. This chapter is unique in the sense that it mostly sees the entire journey of the SBM-G from a print media perspective. The chapter highlights the results and impact generated by the SBM-G through closely monitored and projected coverage by the leading English and Hindi dailies.
