KARUKACHAL: Every day is akin to Gandhi Jayanti for Karupuswamy. The motto of cleanliness has been ingrained into him from childhood. As he says, it is only through cleanliness that we can thank our motherland. Every dawn, when the clock ticks 5:30 am, Karupuswamy will reach Thottakadu town in his auto named ‘Madaswamy’. The auto stand area and the surroundings will be swept clean using a broom. At 6:30 am, the piled-up waste including dry leaves will be burnt in the nearby corner.

Karuppawamy (56), a native of Tenkasi, has been working as an auto driver in Thottakkadu town for the past seven years.

“It's been seven years since I got into this cleaning mission. No one forced me into this. I don’t expect any dividends from this as it is a service to the motherland.” Karupuswamy said.

Karupuswamy came to Kerala as a small child with his father. At first, he worked in a vegetable shop in Thiruvananthapuram. Later he became a lorry cleaner. In his run to earn a modest living, Karupuswamy came to Thottakadu along with his father’s brother. And for 23 years now, Karupuswamy has found his home in Thottakadu.

Seven years back, Karupuswamy endured many health ailments and it was at this point that he decided to buy an autorickshaw. During the initial days, he had trouble being at the auto stand, because of the distress caused by mosquitoes. It was only later he realized that it was the piled-up waste in the area that offered an abode for mosquitoes. It was at this moment that Swamy felt the need to revamp the area and he cleaned the stand alone.

There were many people who mocked Karuppuswamy for his 'heroic act' but Swamy didn’t falter. At one point, he was hospitalized with a kidney ailment. After returning healthy from treatment, Swamy adopted his older mission of cleanliness with pride.

Swamy's family consists of his wife Ramalakshmi and five children. Recently, Swamy bought a five-cent plot with a long-cherished dream to build his own house. His house is now in the final stage of construction after being included in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“ There are still people mocking me. I won’t stop this, and will continue till my health allows me to” Karupuswamy said.