One-man army on a cleaning drive, Prashanta Chandra of Midnapore is an inspiration!
Have you heard the name of Prashanta Chandra? Perhaps not. But this middle-aged man is a familiar face in Mohanpur town of Danton Block, West Midnapore. Even government officials working in Danton Block Development Office (BDO) or the Officer-in-Charge and his subordinate officers of the local police station, bank and post office officials – either know him personally or have heard his name. He is the man behind the gradual makeover of the faceless town into a model one.
Chandra is a small-time businessman who runs a grocery shop in the local market but his passion is cleaning the town where he lives. Yes, this Good Samaritan is often spotted working at all odd hours at different public zones with a broom -- sweeping roads, parking lot, marketplace, playground, bus stop, the premises outside public offices and banks etc., conscientiously. He is like a man possessed -- one with a mission who cannot be deterred by any force. Chandra works tirelessly, picking up bits of plastic packets discarded after use from here and there, plastic bottles, empty sachets of pan masala, gutkha, cigarette and beedi packets and butts, used paper plates and saucers littered on the footpath, discarded fragmented plastic buckets and mugs, pipes, clay pots. He picks them up carefully and puts them in a sack that he carries with him. The scorching heat of the summer months, heavy thundershower during monsoon or the bone-chilling winds during winter mornings cannot deter this man from carrying out his “duties.”
Chandra is also a passionate gardener with a green thumb. He has a sprawling garden in his backyard and he has been growing rare varieties of seasonal flowers for many years now. He spends a considerable part of his mornings and evenings tending to his plants. His garden presents a wonderful kaleidoscopic sight, especially in winter. Pansies and violas, snowdrops, hellebores, camellia, alyssum, antirrhinum (snapdragon), aster, calendula, clarkia, dianthus (sweet William), hollyhock…it is worth a visit to the town at least to enjoy these lovely flowers in full bloom.
It is not that Chandra is following official instruction and performing his duties. This is his ‘labour of love’ and he believes staunchly that as a citizen, it is his duty to do something for the community where he belongs. He has never sought any help – volunteers or financial aid – from any source, private or official, to carry on his task. In fact, he is single-handedly transforming his town into a clean, aesthetically beautiful ideal model that he believes, will eventually inspire others to do their bit.
How did he get the inspiration to take up cudgels on behalf of the town-dwellers? It was way back in 2010, well before the government-sponsored ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ was officially flagged off amid much fanfare on October 2, 2014, that Chandra decided to follow his conscience and act. It pained him to see how fellow citizens, people young and old, had scant respect for civic rules. Nobody thought twice before dropping plastic packets, pieces of paper sachets on the streets, in office premises and even spat crimson betel juice carelessly on walls, seats in parks and bus stop, market place, outside shops… just about anywhere. The run-down town looked decrepit and shabby. Nobody seemed to care as it turned into a public gutter.
It was at this point that Chandra realized it was no point fretting and fuming at home or blaming the faceless masses for their callousness nor was it right to expect rule-book service from the civic bodies. So, he took it upon himself to start the cleaning drive.
A considerable part of his day is spent in his shop transacting business and the rest of the time he gets, he spends it cleaning various parts of the town. His wife, Anushree Chandra is also supportive of her do-gooder husband’s initiatives. His neighbours are proud of him and insist they have learnt a lot from him.
Chandra works tirelessly, picking up bits of plastic packets discarded after use from here and there, plastic bottles, empty sachets of pan masala, gutkha, cigarette and beedi packets and butts, used paper plates and saucers littered on the footpath, discarded fragmented plastic buckets and mugs, pipes, clay pots. He picks them up carefully and puts them in a sack that he carries with him.
Chandra is also a passionate gardener with a green thumb. He has a sprawling garden in his backyard and he has been growing rare varieties of seasonal flowers for many years now. He spends a considerable part of his mornings and evenings tending to his plants. His garden presents a wonderful kaleidoscopic sight, especially in winter. Pansies and violas, snowdrops, hellebores, camellia, alyssum, antirrhinum (snapdragon), aster, calendula, clarkia, dianthus (sweet William), hollyhock…it is worth a visit to the town at least to enjoy these lovely flowers in full bloom. Chandra loves his garden and he loves all green plants and trees because, “they supply us with oxygen, without which life will perish on earth.” He now wants his work to hike to the next level and for this he started his poster drive.
After the nationwide lockdown was announced in March 2020, he went around with chalks and drew rows of circles at specific distances in front of public distribution shops and other shops selling essential commodities so that consumers could maintain social distancing while buying commodities. He wrote boards and hung them at important locations to attract public attention to Covid-19 protocols issued by the government for their own safety and that of the community. He also writes couplets and puts them up on specific locations to sensitize people about their civic duties. Chandra’s efforts have been highly appreciated by the people but alas! The lone soldier continues his thankless task year after year without proper recognition from the media or the government. But undeterred by this, Chandra continues doing his bit relentlessly as a modern ideal citizen. May his tribe increase, we earnestly pray.
