Youth awakening drive kicked off in city

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to create awareness among the youth for the betterment of the nation, youth awakening drive (Yuba Jagarana Yatra) was kicked off in the city on the occasion of Vivekananda Jayanti on Saturday. The 15-day campaign, jointly organised by several organisations and persons from different walks of life, would be culminated on the Republic Day.    

The campaign team began their awakening drive from Kalinga stadium after garlanding Vivekananda’s statue. The team covered several streets of Satyanagar, Kharvela Nagar, Budha Nagar, Station Bazaar and Laxmisagar with their street play troupe ‘Jagaran’ on its first day.  

The main slogans of the campaign were vote a must, oppose vote beggars, traders and company agents, no to alcohol, no to pollution, no to vulgarity and fight for farmers’ cause and slum development. The campaign would cover the lanes and by-lanes of the city within 15 days.

According to Utkal Bikash Juba Parishad president Debiprasad Prusti, they would cover six wards every day. During the 15-day programme, padayatra, roadside meetings and loudspeaker campaign would take place, he added.

Among others, Natabar Sarangi, Dr Ramakrushna Panda, slum leader Swayamprabha Sahu, Sumitra Jena and representatives of the India Against Corruption (IAC), the Adarsh Odisha Foundation, the Odisha Durniti Sangharsa Manch, the Jaya Kiran Trust, the Ekata Parishad, the Street Vendors’ Association, the Small Traders’ Association, the Bhubaneswar Bikash Manch were present.