A group of students mainly from Jamia Millia Islamia University took the task of cleaning Delhi on themselves after a disappointing show put up by the government. With almost everything falling out of place in the upcoming Common Wealth Games the students with a motto that its time that ‘the nobody’ (common man) join hand and make some difference. The students cleaned up the ‘New Friends colony market’ today (Sunday, 26 September 2010). The market is the nearest commercial hub of the Jamia Stadium where the practice matches would be held for the games and is visited by many foreign visitors daily.
“This initiative of ours is a very small step but hopefully it would leave a large impact and help in ending the negativism about the games and also inspire other people to come forward and support the games,” said Shivani Sharma, a student.
The games have been a boon for the sportsman in India and should not be let down was a clear message that the students aimed to convey through this drive.
“This is one of the biggest sports event India is witnessing since 1982 Asian games and the way it has been tainted really pinches a sports person. We hope that we are able to convince people to make India the best host and persuade them to keep the city clean as cleanliness has been the biggest complaint after the security concern,” said Yamini Singh, a national level shooter in Jamia.
Students not only cleaned the area but also educated the shopkeepers and the local vendors who also seemed to have been influenced by the gesture and vowed to keep the place clean. The success of the event was established when the local people roaming in the market volunteered to join in the cleanliness drive and extended their support boosting the morale of the students. Interestingly who also came forward to extend their help were the city street children whom the govt. has decided to box up and dislocate for the games.
“The step that the students have taken is really admirable and we hope it sends a word to the world that Indians are not that bad a host as they are perceived to be and every citizen does his/ her bid to keep the city clean,” said Kaif , a volunteer who joined in.
Students also appealed to the authorities through media that the local street vendors should not be relocated as they form the nerves of an Indian market and the success of the games cannot be determined through downsizing the business of these local vendors.
They also pressed that this is NOT in support of the corrupt politicians, but a plea to do something rather than just sitting back and criticizing everything that’s going wrong. Something's have slipped out of our hands; other things can still be taken care of.
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