Author: Mail Today Bureau
Publication: Dailymail.co.uk
Date: October 2, 2016
URL:   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3818727/I-forgive-Singer-Adnan-Sami-talks-labeled-super-villain-Pakistan.html

* Adnan Sami used the platform of India Today's Safaigiri Awards 2016 to talk of elimination of terrorism

* Sami drew flak on social media for his tweet praising India for surgical strikes

* Pakistani singer has taken Indian citizenship recently

Singer Adnan Sami used the platform of Safaigiri Awards 2016 to propagate the need for sanitation but also elimination of terrorism.

Adnan Sami who recently drew flak on social media for his tweet praising India for successfully carrying out surgical strikes spoke openly about Pakistan to music to sanitation.

Beginning with the reaction his tweet received from people across the border, he said: “The strike that took place was against the terrorists. It was not territorial strike. It was a move to eliminate terrorists who are the enemies of humanity on either sides of the boundary.”

On being labelled a super villain in Pakistan, Sami said “he forgives them”.

While not naming anyone, Sami made his displeasure clear on many Pakistani artists choosing to stay quiet on terrorism and terror attacks in India.

“If your host has extended you a warm welcome, and suddenly a fire breaks out in house, do you just run away,” Sami asked.

Drawing an analogy between garbage and terrorism, Sami, who is now an Indian citizen, said: “If I see garbage flowing from my neighbour’s house and entering my house, I will complain against it to my neighbour.”

Adding to it, he said he will wait for a few days for his neighbour to take action.

After that “I will enter his house and clean the garbage myself”, the singer said.

He added: “Because you couldn’t clean the garbage, I had to enter your house and clean it.”

He said he believes in cleanliness and recycling of the waste. One has to take the initiative instead of waiting somebody else to clean the untidy surroundings.

Venkaiah Naidu recalls words of Gandhi at Safaigiri Awards 2016

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu at India Today’s Safaigiri Awards 2016 recalled words of Mahatama Gandhi who gave us two personal goals to follow - sanitation is next to godliness and sanitation is more important than political freedom.

While addressing the audience at the function, Naidu said: “Today is Gandhi Jayanti. If you have respect for Gandhiji, you should follow what he prescribed. Gandhiji earlier called for Satyagraha and our Prime Minister, another man from Gujarat, has called for Swachhgraha.”

“PM Modi has said - perform, reform and transform. Indians are very capable but still we have not been able to achieve full potential. Earlier, we politicians would take things for granted. I am thankful to the India Today Group for helping in mobilising the public opinion towards the cause of Swachh Bharat.”

Naidu said the need of the hour is to change the mindset, create infrastructure and make it a people’s movement to achieve the Swachh goal of 2019.

“It is important to communicate to the masses for which we have approached sports icons, celebrities, religious gurus to emphasise on sanitation. And we have received a postivie response. What politicians say may not reach the people, but what someone like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan says will reach you because cinema is a great communicator.”

Praising Bachchan for her commitment to the Clean India campaign, Naidu said she is both “beautiful and dutiful”.

Naidu said if a country has wealth but no health it would continue to suffer.

The Union minister shared various anecdotes of how he came across people who have voluntarily dedicated themselves to the cause of sanitation.

“A 104 year-old woman in Chhattisgarh sold her goats to build toilet. Another woman gifted a gift toilet to her daughter-in-law. A woman in Ahmedabad goes and checks dustbins in the homes of the citizens. These are small efforts to achieve the bigger goal of complete sanitation.” Naidu emphasised on effective communication to bring in the change. “Communication changes mindset, it is a powerful tool. We should remember the Swachh Bharat symbol has a spectacle which refers to Mahatama Gandhi. The symbol says that Gandhiji is watching you and you should do your duty.” Talking on upcoming  projects

ects and achievements, Naidu said 170 towns of Gujarat have become open defecation free, similarly, 110 cities of Andhra Pradesh have been declared open defecation free which would be soon followed by Kerala and Maharashtra.

“We recently invited movies on sanitation and we received a massive response. We have  received fine movies from the directors and producers who are not above 30 years of age.

Such immense creativity and talent for the cause is commendable. We have also teamed up with Amar Chitta Katha to educate the children of the abhiyaan through comic books. ”

The Swachh survey competition carried out by the centre should not only be at the national level but also within the states.