07:00 hours;30-09-12;
The day after Ganpati Visarajan;
Juhu Beach , Mumbai;
I had never been to Juhu beach for Ganpati Visarjan or even the day after. This year basis a bb message from a family friend’s daughter I decided to visit the beach on the day after ; expecting to find the great God lying amongst a sea of filth and leftovers from the festivities the day before. And this is what I saw…..
Never before had Juhu beach looked so clean ; it was almost as if there was no visarjan on the day before !
The reason for the same was hordes of volunteers – sponsored and unsponsored – cleaning up the beach with vigour ; gloved hands; big plastic gunny bags and a SMILE on their face. What struck me was that the majority of these volunteers were school or college kids. Dressed in jeans ( a little more on that later ) and tees ; casting their hawk eyes on any piece of plastic or remains from the un-immersed idols.
Remarkably there were, in certain parts of the beach, more volunteers than filth.
A feeling of relief swept through me as I realised that Ganeshji was well taken care of, even after the last day of the festivity !
Well done volunteers ! Very well done kids and youth !
Now let me share the bb forward sent to me that inspired me to go to the beach….here it is…
” Immersing the idol in the sea,
Seeing the surrounding in which it can never be…
POP is the option they opt for,
They forget that there is even an option ‘or’…
Hence, RCNM is taking a step to make a change,
Cleaning the beach the next day of ganesh visarjan is what we are going to engage…
So, we are doing our bit to spread the awareness,
And if you want to, join us and make our environment full of happiness..
RCNMs Again Beach Cleaning Drive happening on 30th september,2012.
Venue: Main juhu beach
Time: 6.30 am onwards
Dresscode: Black t-shirt/shirt.
No shorts or 3/4ths allowed!!! “
If this is the ideology of the youth today then the future is bright ! Wish I could send them for a clean up to the parliament !