Afroz Shah , the face of Versova beach clean-up, speaks his heart out hours after Mirror reported that he had suspended the citizen initiative

Afroz Shah

Don’t give up @AfrozShah1. You inspire a productive public participation that few in this country have achieved or… https://t.co/NsFIhbpWXI — Dia Mirza (@deespeak) 1511173157000

Mahatma Gandhi

Afroz Shah has claimed that for the last few months, the garbage collected by his volunteers from Versova beach remains piled up near the Kolis colony with the BMC not cleaning the trash. Photo by Satish Malavade/BCCL

Afroze you are a Mumbai hero. You never lose until you give up. Take it from me... when the apathetic officials are… https://t.co/wjD0wQO3a1 — Bittu Sahgal (@BittuSahgal) 1511151694000

Mumbai Police

I have been defeated, despite the fact that I was only trying to do something positive for our country, city, and the environment.” A bitter, disappointedtold Mumbai Mirror hours after this newspaper broke the news about Shah suspending the Sunday cleanliness drive at Versova beach after 109 weeks.Shah is the face of the Versova beach clean-up – one of the biggest citizen initiatives the country has seen and which is hailed as Mumbai’s international success – citing “abuses to volunteers” and non-clearance of the garbage gathered by the citizens.After remaining incommunicado for more than 24 hours after announcing on Twitter that he had “suspended” the beach clean-up, Shah told Mumbai Mirror that he was willing to reconsider this decision provided the authorities ensure the “anti-social elements” who create trouble for the volunteers are removed, and the BMC ensures garbage gathered during the clean-up is promptly removed.When asked to identify the people abusing the clean-up volunteers, he said they appeared to be outsiders. “Last Sunday, our group was heckled by a few people at the beach. I don’t know who they are, but this has been going on for a few weeks now. We wake up early on Sunday to clean the beach and have been doing this for 109 weeks. But these goons heckled our volunteers. I tried calling up the police but couldn’t reach them,” he said, adding he was convinced these people were not local residents as Kolis of Versova have been supporting the movement and would have identified them had they been locals.“I suspect these groups spend Saturday nights drinking on the beach and litter it with alcohol bottles. They obviously find it tough when our volunteers arrive early on Sunday to clean up the stretch. The situation had reached the tipping point on Sunday and I decided that it was enough. I couldn’t take it anymore,” Shah said.He has already alerted the Versova police, who have promised all help. Regarding his other grouse – the BMC purportedly not clearing the garbage his volunteers collect – Shah said for the last few months, the garbage collected by his volunteers remains piled up near the Kolis’ colony.“The BMC is taking a lot of time to remove the garbage. If they are saying there is plenty of sand in the garbage we collect, hence the delay, they should segregate it or ask us to do it. Someone will have to do it after all,” Shah said.When asked why he didn’t complain to the civic authorities about this problem, he said it was not his nature to complaint. “I believe in doing things on my own,” Shah, who practices law, said. “I could have filed a public interest litigation in the high court regarding filth on Versova beach and just waited for something to happen. But I stepped out and began cleaning the beach on my own, not waiting for anyone. I never filed any complaint and will not do it now. I choose to walk on the pathshowed us. Soon, the beach clean-up became a movement. The BMC must figure out a way to make sure the garbage is not piled up outside the Kolis’ homes. Again, I am not blaming anyone. There are many factors and I really felt defeated by the way things were happening,” he said.Shah insisted that he was not in any “Us vs Them battle”. “I reiterate that I’m not blaming anyone. After 109 weeks, I felt that I failed to make my country a better place. This was a personal journey, there was no NGO or any organisation involved. We were common citizens coming together as volunteers. It’s just that I couldn’t complete this personal journey,” he said.Shah said the Versova beach clean-up was now a citizens’ movement, and it will live on. “I have only suspended it, not cancelled it. If the issues of security and garbage collection are resolved, of course we’ll be back. Why will be stop after 109 weeks. I will be back at the beach for the 110th week. Even if no one is there, I will carry on the mission, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.He said he has been receiving calls to launch the clean-up campaign at other beaches in the city. “Many people have been calling me to start the clean-up campaign at other beaches but I don’t have the time. Citizens must take up the initiative and I am always there to support them. I assure you that I will be back and the clean-up at Versova will continue if the issues are sorted out. I’m sure there are people in the system that will help us, like they have in the past,” an emotional Shah said. On suspending the movement, he termed it a “personal call”.“We tried to change people’s mind set and we failed. It’s a personal defeat. The goons who heckle us, for instance. Whoever they are, I feel I couldn’t change their mind set. If we wake up at 7 am on a Sunday to clean up a beach and people still heckle at us, it’s not fair. This cause is much bigger than any NGO, company, or individual. People don’t understand it is a bigger mission,” he said.So, can we tell our readers that Afroz Shah will be at Versova beach on Sunday, as usual, doing his bit? “Yes, if the police start patrolling the beach at night and early mornings on weekends to keep a check on anti-social elements that drink and gamble there, and the BMC provides us with two trucks on weekends to clear the garbage”.Over to you,and the BMC.