Be for broom

If charity begins at home, then doesn’t cleanliness begin on street? Before wondering about the answer, let us take you back a few months when football World Cup fever was on. Then, Japanese football fans who travelled to Brazil won hearts — both online and offline — when they cleaned up their own mess after the match ended. And they did so even when their team was on the losing side. If we dig a bit deeper, the reason why they were able to carry out these civic responsibilities so effectively — in a foreign country notwithstanding — has something to do with their education. Turns out it’s a common practice in Japan to conduct cleanliness drive not only within the perimeters of school but also outdoor. Given the sudden but much-appreciated attention given to public sanitation in our city thanks to the national cleanliness drive helmed by NaMo, i was glad to recently witness young students of St. Mary cleaning up the vicinity of a public area in Vashi. Moreover, the enthusiasm shown by the kids made the sight celebratory. Something we’d love to note more of in the coming days.