Noted producer and educationist Latha Rajinikanth officially launched 'Makkal Medai' for citizen-led social welfare on Friday. The initiative introduces a grassroot movement which is aimed at uniting citizens from all walks of life as well as experts for several community-driven social welfare projects.
Operating under the Bharat Seva and Dhaya Foundation umbrella, the initiative (Citizens’ Platform) prioritises waste management, water body restoration, education, and rural agricultural preservation.
During the event, Latha Rajinikanth unveiled the platform's website and ID card for members. Further, she announced a large-scale “plogging” (picking up plastic while jogging) and clean-up drive across 50 locations in Chennai scheduled for this September.
Makkal Medai has set an ambitious goal of restoring and desilting 7,000 ponds across Tamil Nadu within a year by bringing together volunteers working on water conservation, Latha Rajinikanth said.
She also highlighted the progress of the organisation’s ‘Cow Care India’ initiative, which has partnered with 22 goshalas and is currently supporting the welfare of more than 15,000 cattle while encouraging organic farming methods.
Explaining the vision behind Makkal Medai, Latha drew inspiration from India’s traditional system of grassroots self-governance. She said the initiative aims to unite people beyond social or other divisions and encourage them to work towards improving their respective communities.
While Makkal Medai will have a physical presence at the street and village levels, its digital platform is intended to connect contributors and volunteers from across India and abroad.
Addressing questions about implementing large-scale environmental initiatives, Latha said the organisation would bring together the work of individual social activists under a common platform. Their efforts would then be consolidated into structured proposals that could be presented to the government for necessary support and implementation.
Later, she was asked about Rajinikanth’s statement in 2002 that he would contribute Rs 1 crore towards the Cauvery–Vaigai–Gundar river-linking project. Responding to the question, Latha Rajinikanth said that whenever the project moves forward, Rajinikanth will definitely fulfil his promise. She also stated that Rajinikanth has his complete support and blessings for the Makkal Medai organisation.
(With inputs from PTI)