CM launches campaign to revive pollution-free Manja pai
CHENNAI: ‘Manja pai’, which was a key trademark of the common man in Tamil Nadu till a few decades ago, has made a comeback with Chief Minister MK Stalin launching a mass movement to ensure that everyone carries it again. This is also part of the State government’s efforts to shun use of single use plastic covers.
In his address at the inauguration of ‘Meendum Manjapai Vizhipunarvu Iyakkam’ (Back to Yellow Cloth Bag Awareness Campaign) awareness movement, the Chief Minister said, “Yellow cloth bags should not be looked down upon and carrying such bags is a symbol of environment protection. Tamil Nadu, a forerunner in all departments, should also be a pioneer in environment protection.”
Tracing the tradition of the environment-friendly bag, Stalin recalled that people, who would invite friends and relatives for weddings and other functions in the past, would invariably carry the invitations only in the yellow cloth bags as yellow was considered an auspicious colour. But with the passage of time and advent of plastic, people carrying yellow bags were slowly being viewed as ‘uncivilised’. This disregard further spread as films and serials also portrayed people, especially from rural areas, with yellow bags as ‘uncivilised’. With such a trend catching up across the State, people started avoiding yellow bags and changed to designer plastic bags.
During the occasion, Stalin also launched a documentary starring actor Vijay Sethupathi propagating the importance of eliminating plastic bags and embracing the use of yellow cloth bags as an effective alternative to plastic bags. A cultural programme stressing the importance of the bags was also presented as part of the inaugural function.
Stalin later distributed yellow carry bags to women and policemen and school students. He also inaugurated an exhibition of ecological alternatives to plastics at Kalaivanar Arangam organised by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests.
The State, in 2018, issued a GO banning 14 types of single use plastics. The Chief Minister announced that so far electricity connections have been severed to 130 plants manufacturing single use plastics in Tamil Nadu.