Puducherry: Laying emphasis on the relationship between poverty, disease, excreta and putrefying garbage strewn around, Lt Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi, said that in order to reduce poverty we need to first ensure that our country is clean.
She was inaugurating the first National Shramdaan Conference at Varanasi on Saturday organised by Sakaar Sewa Samiti, a movement led by Ms Temsutula Imsong and intended to bring Shramdanees from different cities together.
Temsutula Imsong (34) from Nagaland is the lady behind the movement. She was noted for her efforts to clean the ghats at Varanasi following the ‘Swacch Bharath’ mission initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her initiative to clean Prabhu ghat in Varanasi was applauded by the PM.
Ms Bedi also released the Shramdaan anthem, which is to be translated into different Indian languages, including Tamil. According to a press release from Raj Nivas, Ms Bedi has extended an invitation to Ms Imsong to visit Puducherry with her team of Shramdanees to connect this northern movement with Puducherry.
This movement could involve over 50,000 students of Pondicherry University with all its affiliated colleges spread throughout the four regions. A proposal to this effect was recently discussed by the Lt Governor in her meeting with the Vice Chancellor and heads of departments at Pondicherry University, the release says.
The Lt Governor had requested the Education minister of Union Territory R.Kamalakkannan to spearhead the movement as he had set an example by leading the ‘Clean Karaikkal’ campaign.
