Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 9: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Sinchana Mahasangha, Talapady of Canara Organisation for Development & Peace ®, in the city in collaboration with Talapady gram panchayat, organized a cleanliness drive on March 8 and 9 at Talapady.

Vani Poojary, animator of CODP welcomed the gathering.

Surekha Chandrahas, member of taluk panchayat was chief guest of the programme. At the beginning her speech she asked everyone to observe a two-minute silence for the CRPF troopers who were killed in the Pulwama terror attack. In her speech, she congratulated CODP for organizing the cleanliness drive on the occasion of Women’s Day and for having taken this good initiative. She said, "When we celebrate International Women’s Day, we should also remember the contribution made by Clara Zetkin who fought for women rights. She did not fight for her own cause but for society, for equal opportunities for women. We all live in a male dominated society, but it makes me so happy to see that so many men have supported this good cause and are present for the cleanliness drive. Earlier, woman’s life was confined to the four walls of her house doing household chores, but today, we see women excel in all the areas."

Suresh Alva, president of Talapady gram panchayat in his speech expressed his happiness toward CODP for celebrating Women’s Day in a unique way namely, by cleaning our environment. Every year we celebrate Women’s Day, but this year, this programme under the initiative of CODP’s animator Vani is a special programme. Mahatma Gandhiji had a vision for clean India and if this country is clean it will promote good health, good environment. The same vision is supported by our prime minister Narendra Modi under Swacch Bharat Mission. He said that if this cleanliness drive begins in our panchayat, in our homes, through myself it will promote a healthy environment. We have to remember the great personalities of our country who strived toward developing our environment namely Salumarada Thimmakka."

Keshav Poojary, PDO of Talapady gram panchayat informed that the government has brought several schemes for women upliftment and that they should be availed by women.

The above team of volunteers worked from morning till noon cleaning the streets, bus stop picking plastic waste, leaves and flowers. This cleanliness drive was organized also with an aim to make the federation members aware of maintaining clean surroundings which is essential to their health and hygiene. Awareness was provided to shopkeepers not to throw any garbage/waste on the streets. The panchayat made arrangements for disposal of waste.

Jayalakshmi, vice president of Talapady gram panchayat, Lenet Gonsalves, programme manager of CODP, 50 members of Sinchana Mahasangha along with MSW field work practicum students from St Aloysius College were present for the programme.

This year CODP is celebrating Women's Day at 35 areas through cleanliness drives.