K. Annamalai, founder of ‘We the Leaders’ organisation takes part on beach cleaning activity in Kanniyakumari.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Founder of ‘We the Leaders’ organisation K. Annamalai on Sunday launched a 175-km beach clean-up drive from Kanniyakumari to Thoothukudi.Addressing volunteers in Kanniyakumari, he said the organisation’s goal was to ensure that the entire 175-km coastline remained completely clean after a year. “When anyone visits the 175-km stretch from Kanniyakumari to Thoothukudi, they should say, ‘look at the transformation ‘We the Leaders’ organisation has brought about in 365 days’.”He appealed to everyone to form groups and return on upcoming Saturdays and Sundays to continue the clean-up effort. “Today’s work is only the beginning. We have removed bottles, large pieces of broken glass and a great deal of plastic waste, but there is still much more to be done.”Stating that sustained clean-up efforts on the beach would build confidence in the ‘We the Leaders’ organisation, he said:“They should say, ‘these youngsters do not just talk, they act. They get down to work every single week’.”Mr. Annamalai further emphasised that the organisation has no single face. “If you keep calling me leader or if my photograph becomes the focus everywhere, it means I have failed somewhere. Whenever we come together for a cause, we all work as equals and that is the philosophy of our organisation,” he said.From Kanniyakumari district alone, 73, 245 people had joined the organisation. “We must activate all 73,245 volunteers and provide them with opportunities to serve,” he added.Mr. Annamalai further asserted that he was confident that the number of volunteers in the district would soon grow to one lakh and eventually two lakh, stressing that the numbers were not what mattered the most. “What matters is our purpose. We must always remember that our mission is to build a healthier Tamil Nadu.” Published - August 02, 2026 09:13 pm IST
