If some students were busy with festive-eve shopping, some others came together and walked backwards on the Mahatma Gandhi Road to create awareness against illiteracy in Mangalore on Sunday.
They walked backwards for about 600 meters from Mangalore City Corporation office to T.M.A. Pai International Convention Centre under the auspices of Make a Difference (MAD).
The back-a-thon was part of the event conducted by the child empowerment organisation in 20 cities across the country to mark the World Literacy Day.
Students held placards and shouted slogans highlighting the objective of the event. There were a few who had symbol of MAD painted on their faces.
Anjali Rao, the publicity officer of MAD, said students who participated in the walk were the ones who have been conducting classes for young children in English and Library Science in children’s orphanages.
Rashmi Shetty from St. Aloysius College, who has been involved in teaching English to children, said such programmes highlight importance of literacy.