Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 20: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday unveiled a statue of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International, in Lucknow, paying tribute to the sanitation pioneer and calling him a movement in himself.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Singh lauded Pathak’s unmatched contribution to India’s cleanliness revolution, saying, “Pathak Ji was not just an individual, but a movement. He gave a new direction to the concept of cleanliness. He proved that if there is determination, the work can be done.”
The Defence Minister highlighted how Pathak carried forward Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Cleanliness is Service’, turning it into a social movement through Sulabh International. “He transformed the cleanliness campaign into a social mission by building Sulabh toilets across the country,” Singh said.
He described Pathak as a social reformer and entrepreneur, whose innovations and efforts still influence national policies. Singh recounted a personal story Pathak had shared — how his grandmother once made him eat cow dung for touching an “untouchable,” a moment that later inspired his lifelong mission to fight caste-based discrimination and improve sanitation.
Singh linked Pathak’s legacy to recent government efforts, stating, “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about toilets from the Red Fort in 2014, it was a tribute to Pathak Ji’s work. Since then, 120 million toilets have been built, and 95% of villages are now declared ODF Plus.”
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, who passed away on August 15, 2023, at AIIMS Delhi, is celebrated for revolutionising sanitation, hygiene, and social justice in India. He developed the Sulabh Shauchalaya system, a low-cost toilet technology used nationwide, and spent over five decades rehabilitating manual scavengers through education and skill-building.
Sulabh International, under Pathak’s leadership, became a key partner in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize. His legacy continues through the organisation’s work in sanitation, waste management, human rights, and education.