Recently,
lawyer-activist Afroz Shah had hit the headlines after he announced that he would be stopping his
acclaimed beach cleaning activity at Versova Beach, Mumbai. There were many
reasons for the lawyer to take this decision such as non-commitment from
authorities and harassment his volunteers had to face. While there has since
been some headway in that matter with the Centre and Maharashtra government
stepping in, there were similarities drawn to various beach cleaning initiatives
taken up by Goan groups.
In Afroz’s case, his group had been cleaning the beach for over
hundred weeks. In Goa, there is the group ‘ Team Up To Clean Up Goa’ that had
also spent weeks mobilising volunteers and going beach by beach, ensuring all
kinds of garbage, tonnes of it were cleared.
While this group with their innovative slogans caught the
attention of the public and received due support from government agencies, they
also had to deal with a lot of frustrations, a major one being public apathy.
Clinton Fernandes of the team speaks about this issue.
“So, people’s participation, the percentage of people that
actually care, is minimal. Almost negligible. The vast majority would still
just rather look the other way. They’re ok with garbage in their immediate
surroundings. As long as it’s not in their house. Public spaces don’t matter,”
said Clinton.
When he approached people he got questions like ‘it’s not your
problem’, or why are you wasting your time, it will be dirty again tomorrow’
and ‘why is it troubling only you’.
“Everyone has reasons to why cleanups will not work. No one
wants to help, but will happily point fingers and say “that’s not going to make
a difference”, quipped Clinton.
While the beach cleanup activities did get a great response and
they are still at these campaigns, the show of hands at the cleanups have
dwindled, especially from the local community. “There’s greater participation
from foreign nationals that have settled in Goa, Indians from other states that
now call Goa home. Goans are the minority. Sometimes, when it comes to the sons
of our soil, it’s a no show,” lamented Clinton.
This is not the only group that has experienced these problems.
Several others who have taken up cleanup drives in their own locality pointed
out to the great distinction between the number of people that promise to show
up and the number of people that actually do.
“ Many people will say yes they will come especially on social
media platforms. But on the day of the event you will hear the kind of excuses
people make when they have to skip work or class. We need people who are
willing to get their hands dirty and encourage others to take this seriously.
Lead by example ,” said Manoj Kamat from Porvorim.
“The problem is not so much about execution as there will always
be garbage piled up, it is about creating awareness,” said Peter Fernandes from
Margao.
“The
cleanups may have been a good idea. However we need to change more mindsets.
Drastically. Even little school kids litter like its ingrained into them.
Because it is. They’ve seen their elders do it. And to them it’s normal. We’re
raising more generations of litterbugs. Until we can change this thought
process, that it is someone else’s job to clean up our mess, we’re doomed,”
concluded Clinton.
