Goa Governor Mridula Sinha is a Swachh Bharat ambassador appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Don't break your marriage, or send your parents to old age homes... Take a stand when you see women being exploited, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha made some unusual requests while addressing students at the 29th convocation ceremony of the Goa University, which was attended by President Pranab Mukherjee and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The governor took the students by surprise when she asked them to take four vows. "I want you to take four pledges. First, you will not send your parents to old age homes.
Vivaah anivarya nahin, awashyak hai. Aap vivaah karne ke baad nahin todenge (marriage is not mandatory but important and that is why you will not break it after getting married)," she said.
She also asked them to help women, even risk their lives, if they witness exploitation of women. "
Aapki nazar ke saamne jahan kahin bhi kisi yuvti ya aurat ke saath atyachar ho raha ho, wahan jaan par khel kar use bachayenge (you will risk your lives to come to the rescue of women facing exploitation)," she said.
She requested students not to litter and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. If you see waste or rubbish, you would pick it up and dispose it at an appropriate place, Ms Sinha said.
Earlier, she had asked students to shoulder the responsibility of cleaning 2-3 households in their neighbourhood. She also appealed to teachers to imbibe the importance of cleaning up homes and surroundings at a tender age.
"Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should go hand-in-hand alongside developmental issues and should not be treated merely as a cleanliness matter," she had said, adding that her dream was to ensure that Goa ranks first in the Swachh Bharat Mission, a pet project of PM Modi.
She also showed confidence in the potential of the youth and said it's crucial to channel it in a positive direction to take the country forward. "A university is not a machine to earn mere packages, it is a breeding ground for humans and humanity," she said.
(With inputs from PTI)