Indore (Madhya Pradesh): “Everything about Indore is perfect except for the traffic management. Slight tweaking to improve the (traffic) situation will convert Indore into a heaven,” Youtuber and actor, Rajiv Nema, told Free Press. Nema is also the uncrowned ‘brand ambassador’ for Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
“When I was in the US and heard that Indore had won the tag of being the cleanest city in the country, I thought cleanliness was being carried out only in important areas while the rest of the city remained dirty. However, I was proved wrong the moment I landed in Indore. I was speechless to find our Indore spic and span.”
MISSED OUT ON
“When I was away, I badly missed my family, the warmth of Indoreans. We are known for our hospitality and can make everyone feel at home. I also missed out on Indore’s sumptuous platter. Our day starts with the sprinkling of jeeravan powder on poha. We also relish on garadu. I also missed Bhutte ka Kees which is famous here. However, it must be mentioned that Indore’s poha has a special place in the country and has found a mention on Kaun Banega Crorepati.
“The way Indore has changed and more than that the way people have changed their perspective towards cleanliness has really amazed me. No government scheme can be a hit without public participation,” he said.
Nema made a tour of the city with his family and will be participating in the PBD.
Nema’s recommendation to PBD guests
“We need to hardsell the tourism spots. NRIs coming to participate in the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas can visit places like Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Ujjain, Mandav among others,” said Nema.
Message for NRIs
“If you haven’t come to Indore, this is the best time to come to India’s cleanest city and have fun,” Nema added.
Cleanliness in DNA
Sharing an incident regarding cleanliness, Nema said, “When my younger daughter visited the city recently, my elder daughter had gone to welcome her. While garlanding her, I witnessed that both the sisters were picking up the petals which had fallen off the garland. They then trashed the same into the bin kept aside. They see my videos on Indore and also read about Indore’s cleanliness which has urged them to keep our city clean. I reiterate, without people’s participation, no government scheme can be a success. The sense of cleanliness has been ingrained in Indoreans.”
