Ripu Daman Bevli - I Wanted to Make a Change and Get Runners to Stop Littering (Plogging Ambassador of India | Wellness & Happiness Coach, India)

Instagram - @plogmanofindia

1. Tell us more about yourself and your life.

I was born & brought up in Delhi. I have a very simple, middle-class upbringing. I am an engineer by education and then was with tech companies, MNCs & start-ups for about almost eight years. Three years ago, I decided to leave all of that to focus full-time on the mission to make India litter-free. It’s my dream, full-time commitment and work.


2. What led you to social activism?

I don’t think of myself as an activist or environmentalist, just a simple man trying to live in harmony with nature and giving back to my country. In 2016, I started running long distances, and that's when I saw how at running events there is a blatant misuse of resources and there's a lot of plastic pollution. 

l wanted to make a change and get runners to stop littering. Not just runners but get the entire country to stop littering. I introduced ‘Cleanup’ to my running group. As we were runners, we organically started jogging while picking up. Soon, I added various exercises to the cleanups. 

And our mission statement became ‘Make Cleaning up other people’s litter the coolest thing to do in India’. Thus we created the country’s first eco-fitness movement, combining running and fitness to fight the garbage crisis in India.


3. What is that one cause you care deeply about and why?

Humanity and Sustainability are deeply interdependent. And so, Nature and Humanity cannot exist without each other. While our world is at war, there are conflicts and human right violations, we will never be able to live in harmony with nature. I hope we realize it before it’s too late.

Another cause I care about is single-use plastic. It’s the one thing that is destroying our health and the environment at the same time. We have been running our campaign ‘Plastic Upvaas’ for the last 2 years where we ask people to start by shunning just one single-use item. 

Even the Honorable PM took the pledge during our conversation. We intend to take our Plastic Upvaas message to a global level. It will be a very powerful message that India gives out to the world.


4. If one wants to contribute and make a difference in social causes, how can one do it?

• Walking or cycling to go to the market
• Make it a point to Charge the phone once a day only
• Only Switching on the lights that are needed
• Shorten your baths
• Join the Trash workout workshops
• Practice ‘Plastic Upvas’ and educate others to do the same

Just take one small step. And then another, and another. Just one step, if all 7.8 billion people take, we will have a better, greener world.

5. Who is your role model and why?

My mother, forever. Being a single mother, She's my inspiration & the strongest person I know and whatever little good that I have, I believe it's from her. Even the travelling bug or the cleanliness bug is something that I have got from her.

Also, I draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and his Satyagraha struggle. He fought against the British for our freedom and he fought against our people’s unclean and littering habits. We won the first fight against the British, India got its independence in 1947. 

A century later we are still in the shackles of our littering habits. It’s an onerous mission I have taken up and I draw inspiration from the Father of the Nation to strive to make the dream of a Litter Free India a reality.


6. What are some of the challenges and roadblocks you have faced along your journey?

When we started out it was a whole new concept because cleaning up our streets, parks, markets, etc. is ‘not supposed to be our job’. It is supposed to be rag pickers or a sanitation workers job and it is looked down upon. So first, trying to change the mindset of society. , our message was people who come and clean up your streets and we call them ‘Kachrewala’, they are not. 

If anyone is a ‘Kachrewala’ then it is we who trash and litter. They are "SafaiWalas’. I thought if I can make ‘cleaning up other people’s litter the coolest thing to do in India’ then I can change this. Initially, the people’s participation was low, but as we were able to make this activity cool, the numbers started increasing.

Also, when I was doing it alone, I used to get chased by dogs, monkeys many times. And used to run for my life, sometimes. These challenges kind of gave me the conviction that we need to build a strong community across the country.


7. Your opinion about social media activism.

It’s wonderful that regular people are taking up causes they are passionate about. However, I would like to just say that the extremity of anything is bad. So choose your causes wisely and always strive to do the right thing, no matter the opposition. Love and light to our world.

If you want to join this fight for a Fitter and Litter Free India, you can follow my handle @plogmanofindia on Insta, Twitter and FB.

- Interviewed by - Nandani Gupta