People in colonies and mohallahs across north India wake up to the robust voice of Kailash Kher wafting through waste collection vehicles of municipal corporations and municipalities urging them to keep their surroundings clean. Kher describes the popular cleanliness anthem, ‘Swachh Bharat Ka Irada’, as a “pleasant and successful” way to connect music with something as prosaic as garbage disposal. “Often where lectures don’t work, two to three meaningful lines set to music change minds and hearts.
A line like ‘humse niklegi swachchta ki ek nadi, swachhta ki jyot ghar ghar jalayenge’ conveys the larger purpose behind the mission. The song by default takes my voice to homes who have not heard me otherwise.” Kher says he has heard the song, written by Prasoon Joshi, being sung by school children in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra during school assembly.
The need of an anthem for the cleanliness campaign struck Kher when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed him as one of the navratnas for the Swachh Bharat Mission. “At first, I also posed with a broom, and adopted a ghat, but later thought that my real contribution could be through music.” Across party lines Over the years, Kher has emerged as the go-to singer for party songs.
No, not for pubs and discotheques but for political parties who fight electoral battles. Interestingly, whenever there is an election, Kher’s voice remains the connecting link between warring political parties. This Lok Sabha election was.