Schoolchildren Use Diwali Greetings to Highlight Muzaffarnagar's Civic Issues Before Officials

Muzaffarnagar: Students of Shri Girdhari Lal Jain Memorial Public School came up with a thoughtful initiative ahead of Diwali by meeting elected representatives and senior administrative officials to extend festive greetings while drawing attention to several pressing civic issues affecting the city.

As part of the initiative, students met Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) Kapil Dev Agarwal, Muzaffarnagar Municipal Council Chairperson Meenakshi Swaroop, former chairperson Anju Agarwal, District Magistrate and Collector Umesh Mishra (IAS), and Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Amrit Jain.

The children presented beautifully designed Diwali greeting cards prepared by them and conveyed their festive wishes to the dignitaries.

Diwali-Themed Outfits Add Colour to the Initiative

The students arrived wearing specially designed Diwali-themed shirts featuring colourful illustrations of traditional lamps. Their outfits reflected the festive spirit and added a creative touch to the meeting.

However, the initiative went beyond the exchange of greetings. Through handwritten letters, the students highlighted several public concerns and urged elected representatives and administrative officials to take appropriate action.

Which Civic Issues Did the Students Raise?

The children highlighted four major concerns affecting residents:

• Traffic congestion outside schools: They pointed out the disorganised traffic situation during school closing hours and requested special arrangements to ensure smooth movement.

• Growing substance abuse among children: Students called for extensive awareness campaigns, effective monitoring and necessary raids to prevent the sale of intoxicating substances and restrict children's access to them.

• Frequent school holidays: They expressed concern that repeated and unnecessary school closures were affecting students' education and requested authorities to avoid declaring holidays without sufficient reason.

• Waterlogging during the rainy season: They urged officials to find a permanent solution to waterlogging on city roads during the monsoon.

Building Responsible Citizens Through Education

The primary objective of the activity was to develop social awareness, civic responsibility and a sense of accountability towards the city among students.

Through their creativity and written messages, the children conveyed that becoming an aware and responsible citizen begins in childhood.

The school principal described the initiative as an important step towards the holistic development of students. She emphasised that education should extend beyond textbook learning and focus on shaping sensitive, informed and responsible citizens.

She added that when children begin understanding civic problems and raising their voices for solutions at an early age, it marks a positive step towards building a more aware and responsible society.

The Diwali interaction proved to be a memorable experience for the students. Their handmade greeting cards, festive outfits and thoughtful letters combined the joy of the festival with a meaningful message about social responsibility.

Reported by: Rohit