They call themselves the “Broom Brigade” and they struck again on Sunday. But this is no “bromance” as such and there are no “broom fights”. They are a group of 20-odd students of the English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) who are keen on cleaning up the 200-year-old heritage well on the campus.
This time, they ventured into the well and fished out all the stuff thrown by fellow students and perhaps, some careless staff. Guess what they found? About 50 beer and whiskey bottles, a wooden chair, a couple of iron chairs, air-cooler frames, a football, tubelights, coconuts, Ganesh idols and a lot of plastic!
The students belong to Theatre Hanukkah - a group which had earlier in January taken up a similar clean up drive.
“A few of us when we joined the university noticed that there are various social and cultural groups but nothing to protect our heritage on campus. We are basically a theatre group. One day, when we were sitting by the side of the well, we asked ourselves why cannot we clean up the well and help protect it,” explained Roshnara, a member of the team.
According to her, the process does not stop here. “We are approaching archaeology groups outside after a signature campaign to protect the well, apart from forming a students’ committee dedicated to keep vigil and also sensitise students,” she added.
The students cleaned up the premises taking away plastic and burning the dry leaves. Two students entered into the knee-level water in the well. “Using nets and sticks, we could pick up around 50 beer and alcohol bottles, a wooden chair, a couple of iron chairs, air-cooler frames, a football, tube lights, Ganesh idols, coconuts, and a lot of plastic,” said another student.
They also held a candle light vigil in the evening for the heritage of the place and also in memory of Chinua Achebe, the father of African literature whose revolutionary novel, Things Fall Apart, many of them study.