Clean India mission gets Japanese touch

New Delhi: Commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean India campaign, Japanese nationals Thursday participated in a cleanliness drive in Delhi.

The initiative under "Come Clean India" is aimed at encouraging employees of every Japanese company in India to participate in the drive. It was organised by Image India, a think tank and research centre.

"We are inspired by Modi's initiative to make India filth free. I have come all the way from Tokyo to participate and be a part of it and encourage citizens of my country living here," said Mitsuru Nagamori, a senior manager with a life insurance company in Tokyo, during the drive at New Delhi railway station premises.

The Japanese nationals were also joined by hundreds of Indian school and college students.

Hiroyuki Hayashi, another Japanese professional, said the initiative was a perfect step to strengthen India-Japan relations.

"If Modi's Clean India campaign is put into practice for the next five years and the work is carried on in the same way, I am sure India will become clean like Japan," he told IANS.

The initiative was also supported by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India.

According to Image India, the initiative was taken in the month of January to commemorate 100 years of the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India, and to celebrate his values of cleanliness.

"Since the last month, we have a team of Japanese managers, who came especially to Delhi from Tokyo to help us in the initiative and enhancing the mission of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' among all the Japanese companies in India," said Robinder Sachdev, president, Image India.

"We have been working to clean India for the last four years in various cities, including Kochi, Guwahati and Dehradun," he told IANS.