While the entire country was raving about Prime Minister Narendra Modi picking up trash on Saturday morning from a scenic beach resort in Tamil Nadu, here’s a Justice who took a leaf out of PM’s book.
The law fraternity was surprised to see Justice Challa Kodanda Ram collecting the trash at the farewell party of Justice Sanjay Kumar that was held in Hyderabad on Friday. Kodanda Ram’s gesture is praiseworthy. Seeing him, others at the party too started clearing the place.
Talking about how it was a spontaneous act, Justice Challa says, “Everytime I returned from a foreign tour, I would feel depressed thinking why my country isn’t as clean as those. When I saw trash all over the place after the party, I decided to clean it myself. When I started doing so, others including Suryakaran Reddy (President, Telangana High Court Advocate Association) followed suit.”
He recalls a 1994 anecdote. “In one of the felicitation programs to the donors for the foundation of NALSAR University in Hyderabad, one of the members of Challa family (who was also the donor), Dr Sudheer, flew down from the US. While everyone left the trash after the felicitation party, Sudheer, who couldn’t find a trash bin, kept the trash in his pocket and dumped it in the bin later.That was an eye-opener moment for me.”
Kodanda Ram laments that people have no respect for public properties. “If we can maintain basic hygiene, it further reduces the burden of municipal corporations and sanitary department. So why can’t we make the ‘cleanliness drive’ a mass moment,” questions the honourable Judge who has set up 55 dustbins in the High Court recently.
The Justice states that people will come forward and join the movement if someone give them the call and leads by example. “If one can take the initiative, then people will follow us, but the drive has to be done consistently,” opines Kodanda Ram, adding, “I am only looking at this episode as an ‘inspiring initiative’ that’ll prompt people to realise that ‘cleanliness drive’ is simple and easy.”
