Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan to Clean Mumbai on 28th Oct

MUMBAI, October 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji Insan, the spiritual master of Dera Sacha Sauda, arrived in Mumbai today to spearhead a cleanliness megadrive 'Ho Prithvi Saaf, Mitey Rog Abhishaap'. He is being joined by lakhs of volunteers who have responded to his call enthusiastically. The inauguration would be done by Guruji, wielding the broom himself, at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra-Kurla complex at 9 am on Tuesday, 28th October.

Although this drive antedates the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' by three years, it will now be carried under the new banner. On arrival, Guruji said that the advent of new and more dangerous illnesses has made it imperative to pay attention to community sanitation and hygiene issues. Guruji observed that illnesses like, "Swine flu, bird flu and now Ebola are particularly worrisome, as they are transmitted through saliva, secretions etc., which means they are spread by spitting. Dengue and malaria mosquitoes also breed aplenty due to wet sewage. Tuberculosis, typhoid, plague, cholera and other infectious diarrhoeas are traditional killers."

Asking for newer laws 

The question of 125 crore people littering surroundings and expecting a few lakh people to clean it all up is indeed a vexatious one, said Guruji. No religion sanctions deliberate environmental pollution, he added. Guruji said that like Singapore and other developed countries, India too needed to impose stringent fines on people who spit and litter since the advent of newer illnesses had made hygiene a question of survival. The movement by Guruji also includes a strong behavioural change message, by making onlookers sign pledge forms. In this campaign, a strong advocacy movement to ask for stronger laws against making surroundings dirty would also be initiated.

Cause of disasters 

Guruji said that spreading filth and various forms of chemical compounds were also contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer, leaching into subsoil water and a steady spread of cancer causing chemicals apart from disease causing germs. The advent of polythene was also causing serious ecological issues. In all, Guruji concluded that there was a serious contribution by insanitation to climate change and adverse weather events.

This will be the 28th such drive in the country. Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, who teaches free spiritual meditation at Dera Sacha Sauda, holds 17 humanitarian Guinness World Records apart from a 104 ongoing social initiatives. He has achieved remarkable success in weaning away 50 million people from alcohol and drugs.

The cleanliness initiative named, 'Ho Prithvi Saaf, Mitey Rog Abhishaap', literally translates into 'Clean Planet Earth, Eradicate diseases, the curse'. This was started in September, 2011 from Delhi and has now gone places by covering 27 major Indian cities so far. The central feature of the drive is that here, people from all walks of life immerse themselves headlong into cleaning not just the loads of garbage, but also plunge into choked sewers, stagnant drains and stinking toilets without any hesitation. The campaign has had major success in bringing out behavior change. A number of well known celebrities have expressed support and promised to attend.

Guruji has chosen unconventional means to press home his message for society. His music has been widely acclaimed and published by Universal Music, while he is also starring in an upcoming film, MSG-The Messenger of God, to augment his anti-drug crusade.

The volunteers get their own brooms and implements etc. Another important feature of the drive would be providing dustbins at significant vantage points.

#AriseGoForthConquer: Active on Twitter the campaign is causing a stir online through retweets by people like Devraj Sanyal and music director Shameer Tandon. The campaign also innovatively invites locals, designating them as the most important long term allies of the program. The ones who are said to arise are the ones who sign sanitation pledges; the ones who join the drive in addition are said to be going forth, while the conquerors will act as advocacy leaders and participants on a long term basis.

Environment and crime, Guruji said that insanitary and unhygienic conditions were a cause and a fertile breeding ground for unhealthy thoughts that were the underlying reason for a spurt in crimes.

For further information, contact: Dr.Aditya Insan MD (AIIMS), Spokesperson on +91-9729997799, +91-9996622989; Pawan Insan, Spokesperson, on +91-9416253459, +91-9466853459

About Dera Sacha Sauda: 

Dera Sacha Sauda is a social welfare and spiritual organization that preaches and practices humanitarianism and selfless services to others. The main centre of the ashram is located in Sirsa (northern India). More than 50 million people around the world are faithful followers of the organization. Dera's devotees learn to meditate and follow the principles laid down by Dera. His Holiness Beparawah Mastana Ji Maharaj founded Dera Sacha Sauda on April 29th, 1948 to encourage spiritual awakening among the masses, to uplift humanity, and to create a better world. Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan is the third and the current master of the Dera. People from all walks of life are welcome in the Dera, irrespective of their religion or race or nationality. Dera Sacha Sauda is well known for its humanitarian work and for being a confluence of all religions.

For more information, visit http://www.derasachasauda.org

Media Contact: Vikas Choudhary, [email protected], +91-9810338362, Dera Sacha Sauda