Swachhata Pakhwada | KU VC urges making cleanliness an ongoing movement

Srinagar: In commemoration of Swachhata Pakhwada – Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS), 2023 and to celebrate the 154th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the ‘Father of the Nation’, Kashmir University displayed its unwavering commitment to this national movement through a monumental cleanliness drive at main and satellite campuses.

Students, NSS volunteers, hostel residents, faculty members from Kashmir University and locals from the vicinity, participated in a massive cleanliness drive as part of the Swachhata Pakhwada aimed to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring legacy of non-violence and truth.

This event was a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring values and the collective dedication of Kashmir University to the Swachhata Hi Seva movement.

The participants began their cleanliness drive in and around the main campus, leading to the surrounding marketplace and Dargah Hazratbal Shrine, diligently picking up litter and garbage and disposing of it after proper segregation.

The drive culminated in the lawns of the university’s Gandhi Bhawan, where the Vice Chancellor addressed the participants.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, Prof Nilofer Khan emphasised the importance of being part of this massive movement.

She said, “We have to be the ambassadors of change by continuing the campaign with the same spirit and energy.”

Prof Khan urged the participants not to limit their efforts to observing it on a singular day but to make it an ongoing movement.

“If you see your colleagues, friends or acquaintances littering, it is your duty to tell them this is wrong,” she added.

She thanked the provosts, wardens, NSS volunteers, the proctorial wing, university media, students and scholars for making the programme a success while reiterating the importance of following Gandhi Ji’s footsteps and ideals to educate everyone about the importance of cleanliness.

Pertinently, the Department of Students’ Welfare (DSW) in collaboration with Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA), Kashmir University (KU) had inaugurated a weeklong event series that will conclude on October 2.