Punekars to join The World’s Big Sleep Out campaign

Pune A group of academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social organisations working for the homeless in the city will host a World’s Big

Pune A group of academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social organisations working for the homeless in the city will host a World’s Big Sleep Out initiative in the city on December 7. The event is organised under the Centre for Youth Development and Activities (CYDA) initiative at Ambedkar college Grounds in Yerawada and is aimed at supporting and expressing solidarity with the homeless. The organisations participating in the programme are Maher; Sarva Seva Sangha (SSS); Mother Teresa Samaj Mandir; Work for Equality; Civic Pride; Poona College of Arts, Commerce and Science; and Dr Ambedkar College of Arts and Commerce. Wadgaonsheri Nationalist Congress Party MLA Sunil Tingare and corporator Sanjay Bhosale will attend the event.

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Prof Gulab Khan Pathan, the event co-ordinator, said that according to some estimates there are close to millions of homeless people in the country, including women, children and old people. The plight of the homeless is often ignored and they are discarded and pushed to the margins of the society. Their rights cannot be neglected and they deserve equal dignity and respect like other citizens of the country, he said.

On December 7, all across the world in 50 cities, including 24 cities in India, the sleep out event is held in solidarity with the homeless. It is a global campaign and people come out together for the cause of the less privileged. The idea of sleep out is to get an experience of how it feels to spend one night in the open in public space that the homeless face their entire lives.

“By joining the World’s Big Sleep Out event, we will be a part of the global fight against homelessness raising awareness on the issue in Pune,” said Pravin Jadhav, programme manager, CYDA.

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