Independence Day: Four events to watch out for in Mumbai today

Four ways in which the city is celebrating I-Day

Mumbai will celebrate Independence Day with various events lined up, ranging from environment to rights for transgenders. Here are some picks:

A 6km-long Freedom Run will be organised in the morning in Matunga, in which 700 students from 10 Colleges, including Khalsa, Podar and VJTI, will take part. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT)

Freedom Run

Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha will inaugurate an exhibition on the 70 contributions India has made to the world. Achievements as well as failures will be displayed in a balanced way. A 6km-long Freedom Run will be organised in the morning in Matunga, in which 700 students from 10 Colleges, including Khalsa, Podar and VJTI, will take part. It will highlight programmes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat and health in general.

Rally in Support of Transgender Rights

A rally supported by members of the Akhil Kinner Seva Samiti will march from August Kranti Maidan to Girgaon chowpatty and back to further the cause of Transgender Rights from 2pm to 5pm. It will demand shelter for senior citizens and the differently abled, and for HIV-positive people to be integrated in the community. Other issues like drug addiction and reservation under government schemes will be raised.

Juhu Beach Clean-Up

Lead by NGO Juhu – Soul of The City, residents will come together to clean up a 4.5km-stretch of Juhu beach. The event, which has been going on for the past 3 years, will see 300 participants for now, and is set to attract many more, according to Renu Hansraj, the secretary of the NGO. The clean-up will start at 6.30 in the morning and is to last for about 2 hours.

Aarey Chhodo Andolan March

At 10am, tribal residents and NGOs will hold a silent protest from Marol police station to Aarey picnic spot. They will protest against reservation of land for the Metro car shed and other construction activities at Aarey Colony. Since Aarey is a no longer a development zone, they will demand that its environment be preserved. Over 150 residents will join the protest.