The Indian Development Foundation (IDF) begins the ‘Clean India’ movement in Malad


Having worked for the removal of leprosy, promotion of education and development in the nation, the Indian Development Foundation, one of India’s leading NGOs, have now come together to launch the Clean India Movement. In media partnership with Dainik Jagran Cityplus they started their drive in Malwani. IDF declared February 8, as a historic day, wherein it organised a mega event named ‘My Malwani, Mast Malwani’, in the presence of about 10,000 people.
The idea behind this initiative was largely due the IDF’s mission of a Clean India, where every
individual lives in a hygienic
environment. It is only then that the nation will be disease free. Although IDF appreciates the work done by the authorities, it feels that every citizen should contribute in making his/her environment clean.
Gandhian and leprosy crusader Dr ARK  Pillai, the man behind IDF says, “I am happy to launch the nation-wide clean India movement. I request the citizens of the country to observe and promote cleanliness habits wherever they are. ‘My Malwani Mast Malwani’ launched here, at Malwani, is the first phase of the clean India movement, after which, the IDF will take many more cleanliness initiatives across the nation.”
Pillai adds, “India has developed in many ways, and that too notably, but the mind set of an average citizen in the matter of cleanliness is lamentably not geared up properly. It is unclean everywhere and there is no perceptible sensibility to adopt steps to a clean environment. India ranks too low among the developing and developed nations in the cleanliness level scale.  Such a national movement on cleanliness is the need of the hour.”
Dr Pillai flagged off the event along with celebrities like Sushant Singh, Longinus Fernandes, Iqbal Khan, and other samiritans like Prabhu Radha Krishna Das from ISKCON and Rotarian, Lata Subraidu. Many school children, principals, teachers and other eduactionists attended the event. Mohit Lalwani, of the Indian idol fame, hosted it.
Dr Narayan Iyer, the CEO of the foundation says, “India can no more afford to be called a country of dirt and squalor; we all must come together for a “Clean-India” status. Though it is a massive effort, there is need to take necessary steps on war footing to provide a clean environment for a healthy living, and it is time to do something concrete to give our country a clean environment. Every student, teacher, parent, worker and in fact everyone should observe and promote cleanliness as a way of life. This will certainly reduce the incidence of many disease, especially communicable diseases.”
After the flag off, the students performed skits, street plays, essay writing, drawings and many other creative arts so that they could inculcate in themselves the importance of cleanliness. Volunteers from Goregaon’s Vivek College also participated in the movement.

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