Silent Saturdays
“Silent Saturdays� was a project initiated by the Community Service Avenue of the Rotaract Club of Jai Hind College. The project revolved around the theme of Gandhigiri, a concept popularized by cinema in recent times. Every Saturday of March, RCJCites took to the streets 6th March Global of Mumbai, to silently protest a cause. Being in Warming th 12 March No its second edition, the event was bigger and Smoking better! Each Saturday had a theme, as illustrated th 19 March Road Safety alongside. 25th March
Ban on Plastic
A Rotaract Club of Jai Hind College Initiative
The first of them all... 6th March: Global Warming Silent Saturdays started with a bang with the launch and a human chain against Global Warming that took place at Marine Drive. The event poster was unveiled by Rtn. Mehul Sampat, Rotaract Committee Chairperson of the Rotaract Club of Bombay. Then, the street play followed. The play encapsulated the themes of the four Saturdays- Global Warming, No Smoking, Obeying Traffic Rules and Banning Plastic Bags. It was a short but impactful display of the thought processes of the youth of Rotaract.There was a huge crowd that gathered to see the play. Posters stressing on the causes targeted by the event were flashed at an interval by people participating in the chain. Passers - by too stopped at the sight of the human chain. By that time the canvas was open for people to express their views regarding Global Warming. This too saw a number of people from every age group wanting to voice their opinions. From grafitti to picture representation everything that one could imagine was on the canvas. This part of the launch saw people from different countries participate and share their thoughts on the same. The event saw many young people who came out and expressed themselves. It was evident that the youth of our city are a smart and powerful force, who not only want ‘change’ but strive to achieve ‘change’
A Rotaract Club of Jai Hind College Initiative
And then followed‌ 12th March: No Smoking It was finally the time to pull up peoples’ socks and fight against evils inflicted upon our mother earth. As 12th March arrived the participants were ready to take on the chain smokers in and around Churchgate area. People came in large numbers to participate. Participants were segregated into teams of 7 and scattered in areas of South Mumbai. Places mainly focused on were the areas around colleges like Jai Hind, KC, HR and St. Xavier's as the youth think that smoking is the only solution to their stress and problems in life. Places also targeted were those around Inox theatre and many more. Rotaractors from Jai Hind College accepted the means of Satyagraha to fight the problem. Silent protests against smokers were carried out successfully by the participants. These banners were made to cater to all the types of masses, from the illiterate to the highly literate. Participants were provided with banners in Hindi and English as well. Banners with various slogans were sported by the participants. There were a few citizens who were relatively easy to convince about the risk factor in smoking. And for the others a little following and public embarrassment was in order. This event saw a few people dropping unlit cigarettes while a few were seen emptying a whole pack of cigarettes.
19th March: Road Safety The times have eroded the use of road safety, slowly and steadily. Rules are no longer followed; precautions are rarely taken, resulting in a rapidly climbing rate of road accidents and deaths. Officials are continually bribed into letting offences slip. However, there is no prce on a life. One mistake treated lightly can lead to an unmitigated disaster. Thus for everyone’s
A Rotaract Club of Jai Hind College Initiative
safety, it’s time we adhere to road safety rules. RCJCites took to street corners and signals to emphasise on the theme. They braved the scorching heat to let their voices be heard. Many people appreciated their effort and poured in their praise. Another Saturday, when RCJCites lived up to the theme of the day and didn’t let the Holi festivities come in their way!
And finally... 25th March: Ban on Plastic
It’s time we took serious care of our planet. The evils of plastic are knowwn to all. Laws are in place, but blatantly disregarded. Silent Saturdays, in its finale, broached upon the ban on plastic. Keeping in mind the spirit of the event, RCJCites traversed the city in a bid to convey to their fellow citizens to shun plastic. In order to enhance their protest against plastic, they sold cloth bags at a reasonable price. Support to this cause poured in from everywhere. Silent Saturdays got the end, it truly deserved. It sensitized Mumbaikars about the perils that face the planet. It also got them to be more ecofriendly, thus achieving the true purpose of this project. Community Service @ RCJC Directors: Rtr. Priyanka Chauhan Rtr. Kamya Sanghvi Coordinators: Rtr. Priyanka Kamble Rtr.Tarang Gupta
A Rotaract Club of Jai Hind College Initiative