With hundreds of students turning up on voluntary basis, the Delhi University’s cleanliness drive on Thursday was a successful event with Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh taking the lead. In line with Narendra Modi’s Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan, Singh swept the campus using a broom asking students to take up the task of cleanliness themselves rather than depending on civic workers.
While launching the DU Swachchhata Abhiyan at Gandhi Bhawan in North Campus, the VC stressed upon the fact that students and staff need to maintain cleanliness on campus as they do at home and not let dust settle on ‘Clean India’ drive. He said, “There is a need to listen to your inner conscience. When we can do the same tasks at home, then why not the campusIJ Why wait for sweepers to do soIJ” Singh was addressing a gathering that included around 700 students, dozens of teaching and non-teaching staff of colleges spread across the DU campuses.
Singh gave out a strong message to students and staff before he began the cleanliness drive. He said, “Aatmashuddhi (soul cleansing) is the buzzword that needs to be harnessed. When you are in a clean environment, you feel encouraged to keep it clean.”
The Deputy Dean of the Equal Opportunity Cell, Bipin Tiwari administered the pledge of cleanliness to the gathering, following which the VC wielded the broom and started sweeping the campus roads. The students and staff also joined hands with the VC and marched to different college campuses for the cleaning tasks.
After the controversy over the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), this was one of the VC’s rare public appearances.
Singh visited his alma mater St Stephens College and remembered Gandhi’s association with it during the drive. “The draft for the Non-Cooperation Movement and the open letter to the Viceroy giving concrete shape to the Khilafat Movement were prepared here when Mahatma Gandhi stayed with Principal Rudra during his visits to the college,” he told students.
Besides forming a separate committee for this campaign, DU also joined hands with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to undertake the cleanliness campaign. “While the students, teaching and non-teaching staff of DU will take up the responsibility of cleanliness of the campus, they will be assisted by the MCD workers posted in the area. Today, also 100 MCD workers joined us in the drive,” Tiwari said.