Monday, October 6, 2014

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi’s Dream on His Birthday



“Mahatma Gandhi had dreamt of an India which was not only free but also clean and developed. Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India. Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping it neat and clean. I take this pledge that I will remain committed and devote time for this.
I will devote 100 hours per year that is two hours per week to voluntary work for cleanliness and devote time for this. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my family, my locality, my village and my work place. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen.
With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission in villages and towns. I will encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge which I am taking today. I will endeavor to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness.
I am confident that every step I take towards cleanliness will help in making my country clean”.
This was the pledge that millions of Indians read on Gandhi’s birthday 2nd October, as the new Indian Government’s campaign for a ‘Clean India’ This is an initiative taken by the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi.

On 2nd October, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday was celebrated at the Embassy of India, Khartoum. The Ambassador of India H.E. Sanjay Kumar Verma first garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and then read out the above pledge which was followed by the Indian Community. Then the Blood Donation Camp was opened where both ladies and men from the Indian Community and officials from Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs donated blood. The First Lady, Ambassador’s wife Mrs. Gunjan Verma was the first to donate blood. A few more ladies donated blood. Later the Ambassador donated blood.  A total of 33 units of blood were collected which will save the lives of almost 100 children at the Omdurman Hospital.

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