A dejected government employee who was part of the preparation sniped, "I don't know when we will learn to respect our real national heroes."
With cries of Modi… Modi…Modi on their lips, thousands of participants thronged the Rajpath in the Run for Unity on Saturday morning paying little heed that in the process they were trampling under their feet the pamphlets that bore the message of one of India's biggest icons Sardar Patel along with his prominently displayed photograph as Iron Man.
But to the Selfie centric crowd consisting of youth, school children it did not matter. They threw the pamphlets in jubilation and than ran towards India Gate. Many of them were holding aloft placards of Sardar Patel.
A dejected government employee who was part of the preparation sniped, "I don't know when we will learn to respect our real national heroes."
Aware of littering, the lady compere of the event announced, "Please pick up the pamphlets that are strewn on the Rajpath. You are responsible citizens of India and you know the meaning of Swachhata. Let us keep our country clean." But it had little effect on the participating crowd conveying how difficult the task to usher a clean India is.
A government-sponsored event, the Run for Unity was amply supported by government organisations like Delhi Police, DDA, NDMC and Delhi unit of BJP. Besides, several schools and colleges also participated in the event.
Delhi Police alone had sent over 2,000 of its young jawans to participate in the event while the Delhi Developed Authority (DDA) had sent 1,000 of its employees to join the run. NDMC that takes care of Lutyen's zone cleanliness had also sent 200 employees who later, after the Run for Unity stayed back to pick up the litter.
After the Run usually a spic and span Rajpath looked no different than the rest of Delhi that is witnessing a strike by the Safai Karamcharis of Municipal Corporation and has turned into a garbage dump.
After the event was over, a ragpicker, Chhanu, joined the battery of NDMC workers joined the NDMC workers to clean up the mess. He was busy picking plastic bottles strewn all around.
When asked why isn't he picking up the paper (pamphlets bearing Sardar Patel photo), Chhanu said, "I won't get much money from this. Plastic is more expensive."
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