Ramakrishna Mission gears Up for ‘Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan’

Ramakrishna Mission gears Up for ‘Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan’

Ramakrishna Mission gears Up for 3rd Phase of ‘Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan’

Mangaluru: As part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the central government has decided to organize a week-long cleanliness drive across the country from September 25. The initiative named ‘Swachh Bharat Week’ is also being organised to celebrate the second anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission which was launched on October 2, 2014. Locally here in Mangaluru, on special request from Government of India, Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru had successfully organized 40 weeks’ Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan in 2015.

To reach out to more and more people with this message and to involve people from all sections of the society, the Ashrama is launching the 3rd phase of Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan from 2nd October onwards. About 50 teams have been formed in different parts of the Mangaluru city who will be carrying on this Abhiyan every month in different parts under the guidance of the Ashrama. In the year 2016-17, the Ashrama plans to conduct about 500 Cleanliness drives all over Mangaluru City.

An Orientation programme pertaining to the 3rd phase of “Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan” was organized on Sunday, 25th September from 10 am to 11:30 am. at the Ashrama auditorium. At least ten Representatives from each group participated in this programme, and they were briefed about all the modalities of the Abhiyan and other details of the 3rd phase during the programme. The programme began with a prayer song invoking God’s blessings by Ashrama trio Brahmacharians. Capt. Ganesh Garnik-MLC welcomed the gathering, while Swami Jitakamanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru briefed the audience the importance of Swachh Bharath Abhiyan undertaken by the Math for the next 40 plus weeks.

Swamiji said, “Swacch Bharath Abhiyan was initiated all over India on the Gandhi Jayanti Day, i.e. 2nd October 2014. The Central government has undertaken several initiatives to effectively carry on this Abhiyan at different levels. As it is a public movement unless common mass and the general public are involved it will not see the light of the day. Realizing this, the Central Government requested several organizations to actively take part in the mission along with their followers. When the Ramakrishna Mission Headquarters at Belur in West Bengal received such a request it forwarded the same to all its branch centres. This set the ball rolling in Mangaluru with Ramakrishna Mission actively starting Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan.”

“Ramakrishna Mission at Mangaluru has successfully completed 40 weeks of Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan in 2 phases starting from 2015 February till 2016 February. Thanks to the active support and cooperation of the friends and well-wishers of our Ashrama, the Abhiyan was a grand success in creating an awareness about hygiene and cleanliness among the general public. Hence apart from sweeping the streets clean, several seminars and workshops on the theme of Swacch Bharath, Art Camps, competitions for students and children, rallies and door to door campaign by the distribution of awareness literature made our initiative meaningful. As the first 2 phases were carried out on an experimental basis and we got a good feedback from our volunteers and the general public, we are continuing with the 3rd phase.” added Swami.

The programme was inaugurated by lighting of the traditional lamp by dignitaries on the dais namely Swami Jitakamanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru; Harinath, Mayor, Mangaluru City Corporation, Dr N Vinay Hegde, Chancellor, Nitte University, J R Lobo, MLA, Mangalore South, and Capt. Ganesh Karnik, MLC. The Abhiyan T-Shirt was launched by Swami Jitakamanandaji, and the Abhiyan brochures and stickers were released by MLA JR Lobo. Addressing the gathering MLA JR Lobo and MCC Mayor Harinath said that the City administration will fully support Ramakrishna Mission in their Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan, and if they need any assistance and help, the city is ready to oblige them. MLA JR Lobo in his speech assured that the City will have a clean drainage system in the nearest future, and funds have been allotted for the work by the government.

JR Lobo further said, “Since Mangaluru has been selected as Smart City, this time, we had taken fisheries and old port as our unique selling point. The Smart City is a project wherein both state and the centre will contribute equally. The state and the centre both will provide Rs 100 crore each in the first year and Rs 150 crore each in the second and third year respectively. The Central government is providing nearly Rs 1500 crore for the development of Smart City. But for the success of making Mangaluru a better Smart City, the support of the citizens is very much needed. MCC and Ramakrishna Math will join hands together to make Mangaluru the cleanest city in the state, probably in the country, if we try hard”. Dr Vinay Hegde also spoke and urged everyone to join with the Math for a better and cleaner Mangaluru.

The 3 rd Phase of Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan will be launched on Gandhi Jayanthi day, 2nd October 2016 in a special programme organized in the Ashrama. Swami Bodhasaranandaji, Asst. General secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Swami Jitakamanandaji, Head, Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru, Dr N Vinay Hegde, Chancellor, Nitte University, Padmabhushan Dr B M Hegde, MLA J R Lobo, MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik, Kumar, MD, MRPL will be present on this occasion. On this occasion about 75 sweepers of Mangaluru City Corporation will be honoured for their services in keeping the city of Mangaluru clean for the past several decades. The programme was compered by Santhosh Alva, a lecturer at Alva’s College-Moodbidri.

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, conveners of the Abhiyan, Swami Ekagamyanandaji and Swami Chidambarananda said, “The 3rd phase of the Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan will start from 2nd October 2016 and will continue for 10 months. Teams will be given maximum freedom to function as per the local situation. Each team will offer service on just one Sunday in a month. To elaborate, the first set of 10 teams will work on first Sunday of each month, and that is all for that month. The second set of 10 teams on 2nd Sunday and the third and fourth sets on third and fourth Sundays. In one word, forty programmes will be covered during each month. The Third Phase will be from October 2, 2016, to July 2017. However, during heavy rains for two months the Abhiyan will be suspended. On the whole 40 Sundays will be covered during the period October 2016 to July 2017 and the Abhiyan will go on for 10 months between October 2016 to July 2017. In other words, each team will work for 10 months – one Sunday each month and it will take up 10 programmes.”

They further said, “We have already earmarked 40 such interested teams and have interacted with the members of each team. Each team will consist of 50 to 100 members. They should be committed to participating in the 10 Abhiyans without fail. All the cleaning materials like brooms, gloves etc. will be supplied from the Ashram along with motivational T-shirts, banners and awareness literature. The Ashrama will also give each team Rs 5000/- per month to carry on some minor repair work in their area like fixing slab stone in damaged footpath etc. Ashram will coordinate each team’s work with an appointed coordinator.