CM Pema Khandu Joins Gandhi Jayanti Clean-Up at Itafort
Synopsis
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu marked the 157th Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October 2026 by joining a cleanliness drive, the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' plantation campaign, and a public interaction programme at Itafort Ward No. 10 in Itanagar.
Key Takeaways
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu participated in Gandhi Jayanti civic events at Itafort, Ward No.
10, Itanagar on 2 October 2026 .
Activities included a cleanliness drive , the national 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' tree-plantation initiative, and a public interaction programme .
The occasion marked the 157th Gandhi Jayanti , aligning with the annual Swachhata Hi Seva campaign.
CM Khandu described the efforts as 'the best tribute to Bapu' — grounded in civic action rather than ceremony.
The event reinforced local campaigns #CleanItanagar and #GreenItanagar , tying national drives to Arunachal's capital.
On the 157th Gandhi Jayanti, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu stepped out of the ceremonial and into the practical — joining a cleanliness drive, a tree-plantation initiative, and a public interaction programme on Friday, 2 October 2026, at Itafort, Ward No. 10 in Itanagar.
The event brought together the Swachh Bharat mission's grassroots spirit and the Centre's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' plantation campaign under one roof — or, more precisely, under one open Itanagar sky. CM Khandu framed the occasion not as a photo opportunity but as a civic obligation, noting that 'the best tribute to Bapu is not merely in words, but in clean surroundings, a greener environment and responsible citizens working together for the community.'
'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' takes root in Itanagar
The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' — One Tree in Mother's Name — initiative is a national campaign encouraging citizens to plant a tree as a tribute to their mothers, embedding personal sentiment into environmental action. Ward No. 10 at Itafort served as the day's focal point, with the Chief Minister personally participating in the plantation drive alongside residents.
The public interaction segment added a direct democracy dimension to the event — a format that lets elected representatives hear community concerns on the ground, outside the assembly chamber. For a hilly, ecologically sensitive state like Arunachal Pradesh, where deforestation and urban cleanliness remain live challenges, these symbolic drives carry practical weight.
Gandhi Jayanti as a call to civic action, not ceremony
Gandhi Jayanti has long anchored India's annual Swachhata Hi Seva — Cleanliness is Service — fortnight, with leaders across parties deploying brooms and saplings for the cameras. What distinguished today's event was the trifecta: sanitation, greening, and direct citizen engagement, bundled into a single ward-level programme. Small in geography, deliberate in message.
The Chief Minister's hashtag trail — #CleanItanagar and #GreenItanagar — signals a local branding effort that ties the national campaign to Arunachal's capital specifically, pushing ownership down to the neighbourhood level.
If Gandhi's legacy is to mean anything beyond a national holiday, it will be measured ward by ward — one clean street and one planted sapling at a time.
Point of View
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam — to visible, photo-documented local action on symbolic dates. For a frontier state where the Centre's developmental optics carry political weight, such events reinforce both party loyalty to flagship schemes and a CM's accessibility narrative. The trifecta format — sanitation, greening, public interaction — is deliberate: it signals multi-dimensional governance in a single outing. Whether these drives translate into measurable urban cleanliness improvement in Itanagar is the question that will outlast the hashtags.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Pema Khandu do on Gandhi Jayanti 2026?
Chief Minister Pema Khandu joined a cleanliness drive, an 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' tree-plantation initiative, and a public interaction programme at Itafort, Ward No. 10 in Itanagar on 2 October 2026.
What is the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign?
'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' — meaning 'One Tree in Mother's Name' — is a national initiative encouraging citizens to plant a tree as a tribute to their mothers, combining personal sentiment with environmental action.
Where was the Gandhi Jayanti event held in Itanagar?
The event was held at Itafort, Ward No. 10 in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
What is Swachhata Hi Seva?
Swachhata Hi Seva, meaning 'Cleanliness is Service,' is an annual campaign linked to Gandhi Jayanti that mobilises citizens and officials across India for sanitation and cleanliness drives.
Which Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated in 2026?
2 October 2026 marked the 157th Gandhi Jayanti, commemorating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
