Phew! 33 days....10 flights....6 states....endless adventures....1 unforgettable experience! To say my recent visit to India was hectic would be an understatement. I had gone to visit several service projects which are being run by Sewa International and its partner organisation Sewa Bharti. I began my trip in Bangalore and subsequently visited Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu - North, South, East and West India!! Though it would take far too long to detail everything that happened during my journey, I will focus on a few experiences which still stand out in my mind.
Firstly, I was very fortunate to be able to go to the North-East region (Assam & Meghalaya) as this was a thoroughly unique experience and quite unlike anything I had ever come across in any other part of India. Visiting this area, one can get a sense of just how isolated it is. In one village which we visited (Mandipur) in Assam a local teacher, addressing a gathering of the villagers said: "...these area are so remote and isolated that not even wild animals come here! We don't even see people from Delhi, let alone all the way from the UK!"
On a more worrying note, kidnapping, banditry, militancy, insurgency etc. are rife in this area. In fact, at one point, the coach which we were travelling on had to be escorted through the region by local police, just to ensure our safety! Of course, it wasn't until I reached back to Delhi that I read the foreign office's advice not to travel to this area.
In Meghalaya, as we were travelling to a place called Borkona in the Garo Hill, said to be just 10km away from Bangladesh, we saw hundreds of cows being led past us. The local workers who I was with revealed that on a daily basis cows such as these are illegally smuggled across the border where they are slaughtered!
A further element in the North-East is missionary activity which, owing to the remoteness of the region, is widespread and unchecked. Some parts of the North-East, for example Nagaland, are almost 80% Christian now and even in Meghalaya the presence of Christianity is very visible - big crosses greeted us almost everywhere we went. Here, we met a Sangh worker whose role is purely to counter the effect of missionaries in 2 of the local tribes in the area. When I asked him whether the missionaries knew about this he replied (with a smile on his face, I should add!) "Yes. They've threatened to 'eliminate' me". Imagine working under such circumstances!!
Finally, in Jammu we visited a place called Katra where we visited a hostel. There are many such hostels all over the country which enable children who otherwise would not be able to go to school to do so. What was particularly interesting about this hostel was that though there were a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist children, they were all singing a prarthna (prayer), omkars and bhajan's together! Speaking to these children you get a sense of the kind of environment in which they have grown up - one of war and violence. One child even saw his own sisters being killed by militants in front of his very eyes. Perhaps it is unsurprising then that around 60-70% of these children said they wanted to be soldiers when they were older...
For anyone doubting the effectiveness/impact of these various projects, the story of another student at the Disha hostel in Katra is revealing. After seeing his father, a terrorist, being killed by police this student came to our hostel. Naturally, his thoughts were still centred on revenge at the time. 6 months later, when we visited the students, I asked him what he wants to become when he is older. Back came the reply: "I want to be a soldier."
I don't think there's a better example than that. Sewa work changes lives...
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Monday, 17 December 2007
Progress
One of the two* questions that I am most commonly asked while I am on vistaar is whether I miss my family. In Hindu scriptures it is said "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", which means 'the whole world is one family' and thus, with this spirit in mind, I regard the different people and families that I interact with as if they were my own. Indeed, people have been warm and welcoming and have generally made me feel at home, wherever I am.
However, is this sentiment felt both ways; just because I consider someone as part of my own family, do they interpret the situation in the same way? The answer, in the majority of cases, is no. Though people will naturally welcome and treat a guest with respect, that is still how they see me - as a guest.
Hence I was both pleasantly surprised and genuinely touched when, while at a swayamsevak's house recently, his mother said (casually, in conversation) that I was not a guest but part of the family and that I should feel as though their house is my house too. Though this may not initially seem to be quite so profound, to me it indicated something deeper - progress. If, just by spending some time with a family, they start to see me as one of their own, then this is massive progress.
In fact, this is the only way in which our Sangh work will progress, the only way our samaj will progress; imagine a society in which everyone treated each other as if they were part of their own family - a society where people would overlook each others faults, where people would encourage and support each other through tough times, where people think beyond their own interests and where people would love each other unconditionally. Imagine how strong and united such a society would be!
Such is the beauty of our philosophy......
* - the other question most people (usually elders) ask when someone introduces me to them is whether I am from India! The implication is almost as if only people from India choose to give up time and selflessly work for an organisation or an ideal. As someone born and brought up in the UK, I hope that by doing vistaar, I can successfully challenge this stereotype.
However, is this sentiment felt both ways; just because I consider someone as part of my own family, do they interpret the situation in the same way? The answer, in the majority of cases, is no. Though people will naturally welcome and treat a guest with respect, that is still how they see me - as a guest.
Hence I was both pleasantly surprised and genuinely touched when, while at a swayamsevak's house recently, his mother said (casually, in conversation) that I was not a guest but part of the family and that I should feel as though their house is my house too. Though this may not initially seem to be quite so profound, to me it indicated something deeper - progress. If, just by spending some time with a family, they start to see me as one of their own, then this is massive progress.
In fact, this is the only way in which our Sangh work will progress, the only way our samaj will progress; imagine a society in which everyone treated each other as if they were part of their own family - a society where people would overlook each others faults, where people would encourage and support each other through tough times, where people think beyond their own interests and where people would love each other unconditionally. Imagine how strong and united such a society would be!
Such is the beauty of our philosophy......
* - the other question most people (usually elders) ask when someone introduces me to them is whether I am from India! The implication is almost as if only people from India choose to give up time and selflessly work for an organisation or an ideal. As someone born and brought up in the UK, I hope that by doing vistaar, I can successfully challenge this stereotype.
Monday, 10 December 2007
Hurdles
Last week I had the opportunity to meet several people who were originally from Kenya in Eastern Africa but who are now living here in the UK. The first person I spoke to rarely went to shakha himself, but had a nephew who was heavily involved in Kenya. On numerous occasions this person mentioned the immense level of commitment his nephew had for shakha and how, at times, he would even prioritise going to shakha above any family events! He spoke in almost admiration at such a high level of commitment and dedication.
The second person who I spoke to was the father of one of the teenage swayamsevaks here in Coventry. We spoke about his experiences growing up and as a swayamsevak in Mombasa. Even though he hadn't been to shakha for about 16 years (since coming to this country!) he spoke with so much passion, enthusiasm and fondness, recalling events and incidents as if they just happened yesterday.
That evening I began thinking about these two conversations. What was it that has made all these swayamsevaks who originated from East Africa have such commitment and dedication towards shakha? What has influenced them such that, many years on, they still speak with passion in their eyes and fire in their hearts? As I stood there listening to the joys of Mombasa life, the answer came to me - having daily shakhas; by having shakha every day it became a part of their daily lives, rather than just a mere hobby or passing interest.
This revelation reminded me of something which I had recently read in P.P. Guruji's "Bunch of Thoughts":
"This is the unique feature of the Sangh work, wherein the 'means' and the 'end' have coalesced. The 'end', i.e. the ideal of an organised society, is being gradually realised day after day in practice by the 'means' - the day-to-day process of bringing together and moulding persons for an organised life."
Furthermore, I also recalled something which was said by Jeffrey Armstrong, the chief guest at NHSF's (National Hindu Students Forum) recent Dynamic Spirit conference. Jeffreyji suggested that "in India you become a Hindu by 'osmosis' " - because you are permanently in a Hindu environment, following Hindu customs, rituals and culture, this will naturally permeate into you without any conscious effort on the part of the individual. In contrast, here in this country, we are not "on campus" and thus, by being so passive and making little conscious attempt to preserve and practice our dharma, our 'Hinduness' will naturally permeate out of us.
Thus, the conclusion is that we need to stop relying solely on a single weekly shakha session if we are to achieve our aims. Because we do not have the luxury of having daily shakhas, we need to hold other events and visit swayamsevaks regularly; because we do not have the luxury of being in an environment that is conducive to our goals we must work twice as hard and be proactive rather than passive; because we are not able to combine the 'means' with the 'end', we have to pay even more care and attention, devote even more time and effort and work with even more passion and commitment!
The second person who I spoke to was the father of one of the teenage swayamsevaks here in Coventry. We spoke about his experiences growing up and as a swayamsevak in Mombasa. Even though he hadn't been to shakha for about 16 years (since coming to this country!) he spoke with so much passion, enthusiasm and fondness, recalling events and incidents as if they just happened yesterday.
That evening I began thinking about these two conversations. What was it that has made all these swayamsevaks who originated from East Africa have such commitment and dedication towards shakha? What has influenced them such that, many years on, they still speak with passion in their eyes and fire in their hearts? As I stood there listening to the joys of Mombasa life, the answer came to me - having daily shakhas; by having shakha every day it became a part of their daily lives, rather than just a mere hobby or passing interest.
This revelation reminded me of something which I had recently read in P.P. Guruji's "Bunch of Thoughts":
"This is the unique feature of the Sangh work, wherein the 'means' and the 'end' have coalesced. The 'end', i.e. the ideal of an organised society, is being gradually realised day after day in practice by the 'means' - the day-to-day process of bringing together and moulding persons for an organised life."
Furthermore, I also recalled something which was said by Jeffrey Armstrong, the chief guest at NHSF's (National Hindu Students Forum) recent Dynamic Spirit conference. Jeffreyji suggested that "in India you become a Hindu by 'osmosis' " - because you are permanently in a Hindu environment, following Hindu customs, rituals and culture, this will naturally permeate into you without any conscious effort on the part of the individual. In contrast, here in this country, we are not "on campus" and thus, by being so passive and making little conscious attempt to preserve and practice our dharma, our 'Hinduness' will naturally permeate out of us.
Thus, the conclusion is that we need to stop relying solely on a single weekly shakha session if we are to achieve our aims. Because we do not have the luxury of having daily shakhas, we need to hold other events and visit swayamsevaks regularly; because we do not have the luxury of being in an environment that is conducive to our goals we must work twice as hard and be proactive rather than passive; because we are not able to combine the 'means' with the 'end', we have to pay even more care and attention, devote even more time and effort and work with even more passion and commitment!
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Half term = a full week!
In conversation with one of my friend's recently, I made the startling observation that when most people are busy I tend to be free and when most people are free I tend to be busy! Thus, it was no surprise that the recent half term week was one of my busiest so far; in the space of a week I had spent time in Stoke-on-Trent, West Bromwich, Rugby, Coventry and Birmingham, staying with an entirely different family each day.
My week began in Stoke-on-Trent where I met such a wide range of interesting people। Firstly I met a GP who is originally from Gujarat and was part of a government medical team which was dispatched to a region of the state which was devastated by an earthquake in 2001. He gave his harrowing account of how all the team had was an ambulace and their medical kits and so even though they could hear cries of help from beneath the rubble, they were powerless to do anything; people were dying all around them and there was nothing they could do! I also met a recently retired university professor who was Dean of his faculty in Baroda university for over 30 years. He told of how Baroda is the only university in Gujarat in which the medium of teaching is English (thus giving these students a distinct competitive advantage over their peers who are not so well versed in the language). Even the family I stayed with had an interesting story to tell, having narrowly missed being caught up in the tsunami which ravaged much of Sri Lanka and Southern India in 2004 by just one day!
Likewise, almost every place in which I go, I meet such a wide variety of people with different backgrounds, of different ages, with different origins and with different thoughts and views that I naturally end up becoming a lot more open- minded. And, for a Londoner, that can't be a bad thing......
My week began in Stoke-on-Trent where I met such a wide range of interesting people। Firstly I met a GP who is originally from Gujarat and was part of a government medical team which was dispatched to a region of the state which was devastated by an earthquake in 2001. He gave his harrowing account of how all the team had was an ambulace and their medical kits and so even though they could hear cries of help from beneath the rubble, they were powerless to do anything; people were dying all around them and there was nothing they could do! I also met a recently retired university professor who was Dean of his faculty in Baroda university for over 30 years. He told of how Baroda is the only university in Gujarat in which the medium of teaching is English (thus giving these students a distinct competitive advantage over their peers who are not so well versed in the language). Even the family I stayed with had an interesting story to tell, having narrowly missed being caught up in the tsunami which ravaged much of Sri Lanka and Southern India in 2004 by just one day!
Likewise, almost every place in which I go, I meet such a wide variety of people with different backgrounds, of different ages, with different origins and with different thoughts and views that I naturally end up becoming a lot more open- minded. And, for a Londoner, that can't be a bad thing......
Saturday, 20 October 2007
A 'wealth' of speakers
Last Monday I was fortunate enough to attend an event in London on the topic of "India at 60 in a Changing World" - an event which sought to discuss how far India had come since independence and look at the various challenges and opportunities faced over the next 20 years. Naturally, with the event taking place at the LSE, the assembled panel comprised of some of the biggest fiscal decision makers in the world, including Kamal Nath - India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr YV Reddy - the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, OP Bhatt - the Chairman of the State Bank of India and Mervyn King - the Governor of the Bank of England!
While all speakers spoke very eloquently and in general very positively about India's prospects in the years to come, it was OP Bhatt who was most objective. He warned about several factors which would hold India back if not addressed, including:
While all speakers spoke very eloquently and in general very positively about India's prospects in the years to come, it was OP Bhatt who was most objective. He warned about several factors which would hold India back if not addressed, including:
- the lack of necessary infrastructural development, which will eventually choke/restrain growth - though money is being invested in this slowly, it is not enough
- India's current demographic advantage (a high proportion of youth compared to the elderly) could turn into a "demographic disaster" if there is enough targeted investment in education, something which is vital in the current knowledge-based economy
- public health, particularly with regards to things like sanitation, clean drinking water etc. needs development
- India's banking system lacking in scale and size
- financial disparity growing between the rich and the poor
He closed on two, almost profound, points which struck me for their outward outlook. Firstly, he said that for India to be truly considered a global power it should be tackling global, macro issues such as alleviating poverty, tackling climate change, fighting terrorism etc. and ended by saying: "India should breathe the concept that the world world is one family - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"
I'd love to hear what you all think so feel free to add your comments!
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Up on cloud 9!
So I finally did it!! The weather held out just about long enough for me to actually get the skydive done after it was postponed the first time.
After being rebriefed and kitted out (whilst also earning the nickname "Ribena Boy" - you'll see why from the photos!) there was a (surprisingly not so) nervous wait while we all became acquainted with the instructors who we were going to be jumping with. The plane journey up to 13,000ft felt like forever (which did nothing to ease the nerves!) but it was only till I was actually sitting on the edge of the aircraft with my legs dangling out that the reality of what I was about to do hit me! Before I knew it I heard from behind me "3-2--" and we jumped!!
The first few seconds of freefall were exhilarating and such an incredible feeling. As the g-force built up and the wind started rushing up at me I could feel my stomach tightening. However, everything after this point was totally not what you'd expect - though we were falling at approximately (I later found out!) 120mph, because there was nothing else around us there was nothing to use as a reference and so it didn't feel particularly fast and wasn't scary at all. At this point I looked up and saw blue sky in the horizon ahead of me and a whispy sea of clouds below me - it was a sensational feeling!!
Then, the parachute opened and we slowed down quite considerably. After a few twists and turns we drifted ever so slowly back down to earth (no pun intended! Honest!) One dodgy landing later and I was back on the ground, still pumped from the adrenaline rush!
As many of you know, the point of this skydive was to raise money for charity and to date i've now raised over £1000 (my original target) for the two selected charities (McMillan Cancer Research and Refuge). Also, as a team, we've now raised over £30,000 collectively! Thank you massively to everyone who have been so generous in sponsoring us...
The last few things to say are that it was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone - aside from the inital jump, it wasn't scary at all! Secondly, if this account of my skydive was not vivid enough for you, I got a DVD done too (which you'll all get to watch in good time...)!
After being rebriefed and kitted out (whilst also earning the nickname "Ribena Boy" - you'll see why from the photos!) there was a (surprisingly not so) nervous wait while we all became acquainted with the instructors who we were going to be jumping with. The plane journey up to 13,000ft felt like forever (which did nothing to ease the nerves!) but it was only till I was actually sitting on the edge of the aircraft with my legs dangling out that the reality of what I was about to do hit me! Before I knew it I heard from behind me "3-2--" and we jumped!!
The first few seconds of freefall were exhilarating and such an incredible feeling. As the g-force built up and the wind started rushing up at me I could feel my stomach tightening. However, everything after this point was totally not what you'd expect - though we were falling at approximately (I later found out!) 120mph, because there was nothing else around us there was nothing to use as a reference and so it didn't feel particularly fast and wasn't scary at all. At this point I looked up and saw blue sky in the horizon ahead of me and a whispy sea of clouds below me - it was a sensational feeling!!
Then, the parachute opened and we slowed down quite considerably. After a few twists and turns we drifted ever so slowly back down to earth (no pun intended! Honest!) One dodgy landing later and I was back on the ground, still pumped from the adrenaline rush!
As many of you know, the point of this skydive was to raise money for charity and to date i've now raised over £1000 (my original target) for the two selected charities (McMillan Cancer Research and Refuge). Also, as a team, we've now raised over £30,000 collectively! Thank you massively to everyone who have been so generous in sponsoring us...
The last few things to say are that it was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone - aside from the inital jump, it wasn't scary at all! Secondly, if this account of my skydive was not vivid enough for you, I got a DVD done too (which you'll all get to watch in good time...)!
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Verbally Challenged
One of the best things about being on Vistaar is the wealth of different experiences you have and different people you meet. For example, last Friday I went to a shakha in Birmingham, on Saturday I went to shakha in West Bromwich and on Sunday I was up north in Oldham for a Sports Competition for all the shakha's in the North! The Sports Competition itself was fantastic and there were over 100 people present during the day. It also gave me an opportunity to meet people from as far afield as Bradford, Leeds and Bolton!!
The second, more visible (or should I say audible!) example of this was yesterday. My day began in Telford and ended in Birmingham, and almost the entire day was conducted in a mix of Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati (most of which, naturally, I didn't understand!)
The second, more visible (or should I say audible!) example of this was yesterday. My day began in Telford and ended in Birmingham, and almost the entire day was conducted in a mix of Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati (most of which, naturally, I didn't understand!)
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