Tata Jagriti Yatra Participant-2008
18 role models/institutions, 13 cities and 18 days of train journey with 350 enthusiastic youngsters form the India and abroad that was TATA Jagriti Yatra.It was not an easy trip but meeting with every role model was an enriching experience. They are true leaders and their success story and life journey was lifetime learning in 20 days. In this article I have tried to discuss briefly talk about the role models who, according to me, are walking source of inspiration In this attempt I have also tried to list the qualities of these real time heroes that have ignited the flame of desire and quest to do it in me.
My first inspiring moment at the TJY was hearing Usha and Jaykumar from Thanal at Trivandrum.Their work towards environment and women development with awesome spirit to go on against all odds was truly stimulating.Individual or as a team anyone of us can make a difference if one cares. Aravind eye care at Puducherry is another motivating organsiation. Before that visit, for me Puducherry was all about a weekend break from Chennai with coolbeaches and good food. The Jagriti Yatra visit opened my eyes to the largest and the most productive eye care centre with a mission to eradicate needlessblindness[1] in Puducherry. They are making eye treatment accessible to economically backward people in rural areas too. All the treatment is done with the best of the technology available. They simply have a differential payment system to have sustainable revenues.
Visit to Kuthambakkam village near Chennai gave an opportunity to meet the true leader R.Elango.A Chemical Engineerby education, Mr.Elango is the president of village gram panchayat. It was impossible to believe that few years back the village fought with poverty, unemployment, casteism and severe problem of alcoholism. He encourages today’s youth to come forward and work with the government in its public welfare wing. He lifted up the entire village economy by consistently fighting against all the evils and creating avenues for employment within the village.
On the other hand Gram Vikas is an organization educating yongsters to understand their rights and use them. Their most popular movement is Jagoo Re campaign with TATA tea. They emphasize the need for regional perspective with a focus towards empowering local government. At the same time they urge the need to enable the local government while making them directly accountable. These leaders of the today’s change makers have three most important qualities namely, perseverance, belief and commitment.
Cooking vessels of the Naandi foundation kitchen.
I realized the importance of scale while hearing Manoj Kumar of Naandi Foundation at Hyderabad. The size of the Naandi kitchen was mind gobbling. They feed around 1.5Lakh children going to government school across India every day and the numbers are still growing.It was the perfect example of public private partnership. The obsession of Manoj to scale emphasized the importance of reach as well. His passion and obsession is straight from the heart and is infectious.
Spirit of the workers of the Lucknow’s Self help women’s association popularly knownas SEWA was unbeatable. Theirmotivational songs inspire women to stand up for their rights and help them seek empowerment. Rumna Banerjee’s warmth and passionate words echoed in the room and sent vibes of energies in each one of us. At the same time Ashoka fellow, Anshu Gupta of Goonjnever fails to inspire anyone who meets him. I met him for the first time on behalf of Pankhudi in 2007, after successfully completing our all Indiacollection drive for people of Kosi disaster. His simplicity and dedication was truly amazing that time too. Goonj does a mammoth task of collecting things from people who don’t need them and given them to those who do. This young man got his supply chain right.
The late night boardingfrom Delhi woke up the Yatri’s with the drums and dancing at the Tilonia station. When I thought it’s getting over, it seemed like the start. The old Indian and African women holding the soldering rods in their hands and meticulously working on the electronic equipments made me speechless. There is definitely no age and boundaries for learning. My box thinking of mothers and grandmothers as the holder of ethnic knowledge and far away from technology was thankfully broken there. Small village in Tilonia introduced me to ladieswho knew how to type on the computer, do data entry in excel and do basic calculations too, but they did not know how to use a pen. There is no typo here, they did not know how to hold a pen and write with it! They were making wooden toys, solar cookers, solar electricity, and solar heater, making beautiful handicrafts and attracting tourists. The village was self sufficient and there was no need for people to migrate! Unbelievingly going though the entire village made me restless. The question of how kept lingering in the head. Finally the meeting with the founder of the BarefootCollege, Bunker Roy left a lifelong mark on me. He is a true leader. He moved there and motivated them to work in the village and contribute to the village economy. He is creating leaders from those who according to educated people are uneducated. They might not know how to write but they are far more educated than a scholar.
A lady showing her typing skills but did not know how to type.
The Jagriti Yatra taught the most important lesson that the problems are not problems they are challenges, which you and me have to meet. Instead of asking for change we justly need to be the change we want to see. We all are the leaders of modern India. All we need to do is stand up.
Yaroon challo badalne ke rut hai….
Yaroon challo sawarne ke rut hai.
Anvesha Khandelwal
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