The Plastic Mukti Campaign

Another turn at volunteerism yet again but like we always agree unanimously over here, anything goes when it comes to building an "ark" for good old Darjeeling.

This was a Darjeeling Police endeavor headed by Rajesh Subarno, the then SP of Darjeeling who rounded up everyone to initiate the process of banning plastic bags in Darjeeling.One cannot stress enough on the need for people everywhere to become more environmently conscious when it comes to preparing for a better and fruitful future.One of its many facets and a vital one at that.

We also called it a Citizens' Initiative but we wouldn't have been able to achieve as much without the help of the Darjeeling Police and Rajesh.

So the gang got together and we found familiar faces ( friends) the first time we got together at Neeraj and Mary's who played hosts for most of the planning and inception of the campaign. The same people had come forward to participate and it was a learning undertaking for all of us.

We went to schools for awareness sessions and they rallied against the use of plastic bags in Darj. Everyone was most cooperative. A marathon was also held to raise awareness for the same. "An Inconvenient Truth" was screened at Mary's and Neeraj's with a projector and a white bedsheet for a monitor!

An important event marking the entire campaign was the Plastic Mukti Truck which was supposed to leave Darj for Siliguri on the last day of the 9 day campaign loaded with plastic collected by the citizens of Darjeeling for recycling. The plastic came back as pipes and other usable products. PROD designed the banners, flyers and all the materials that were required.

We believe that the impact of the campaign was productive and the use of plastic has come down considerably.Most or all of the restaurants here do not use plastic bags anymore. Can't say much about the stores since I have come across a few who still do. Our job is to keep reminding people about the hazards of plastic, the rest which I believe is upto them to understand and be consious about. It would also be great if the tourists coming in to Darjeeling would not bring plastic bags with them. It would only add to the existing land fill.

PROD composed a song for the campaign calling it the "Tang Song". It gets its name from the strumming of the guitar which more or less sounds like Tang!! Credit goes to Bibek and Jonah. It was recorded at Ajneesh's studio and it played throughout the campaign in Chowrastha. Pity I can't have it uploaded here or maybe I haven't figured this blog thing out completely. When I do, it shall be here for all of you to hear . Until then, attached below are the lyrics.

The TANG! Song

Suna mero saathiho
Yo ho hamro Darjeeling
Yo hamro kartavya ho
Yaad rakhau sabai din

Let’s keep our hometown clean....
Let’s keep our hometown green...

Safaa rakhchhu aafnai gaon
Pyaro chha malai aafnai thau
Mero Darjeeling

Let’s keep our hometown clean....
Let’s keep our hometown green...

TANG...!

Dustbin haru chalaula
Yo thaulai safaa rakhaula
Waste management garaula
Pradushan hataula

Let’s keep our hometown clean...
Let’s keep our hometown green...

Khola nala safaa hos
Plastic fyaknu roknu hos
Ani sochnu hos

Let’s keep our hometown clean...
Let’s keep our hometown green...

TANG!

Let’s keep our hometown clean...
Let’s keep our hometown green...

We’ll keep our hometown clean and green.

It is imperative to add that we did receive some criticism for the venture from some areas wherein they wanted to know about the usage of other forms of plastic that are daily items like food wraps, potato chip bags, biscuit packets, the quintessential rajnigandha etc. In our defence, I would like to say that it was a matter of consideration and we wanted to take it on to the next phase of the campaign. Secondly, it is also important for the people to understand its drastic effects and become more self-consious of usage and especially littering. It is definitely not cool.

And thirdly, I wish all of you had come forward to help when we needed you too. It would have made a world of difference to us and the campaign.

Finally, what does come to mind to me is an overused reprimand of my Grandmother's when she was alive - Waste not, want not. It may sound a bit preachy and I may come across as a "holier than thou" but -

"Opie, you haven't finished your milk. We can't put it back in the cow, you know!" - Andy Griffith Show

...might kinda say it all.