Jagriti Yatra 08-09

A journey that began as an experiment and that finished with an imprint in the pages of history, was the journey of a lifetime. From Kanyakumari to New Delhi and from Jamshedpur to Tilonia, this Yatra sent the message across India that Youth is the power of today and tomorrow. Not only did it bring people from as diverse backgrounds as scientists to radio jockeys, from politicians to automotive engineers, from cardiologists to social entrepreneurship students and from businessmen to social workers, together, it also enthused their morales to an unprecedented high. They knew that the Yatra has changed them as human beings, changed them as citizens and changed them as entrepreneurs. On one side where Elango is working day in and day out to develop a localised self-reliant economy of villages, Ashu Gupta on other side is struggling hard to reach out to the poorest of the poor to cover their naked shivering bodies with clothes deemed to be useless. Even Dr. V never retires to inspire the spirit of watching India from the eyes of all Indians and Bunker Roy never pauses to provide the poor with the skill to earn food in the deserts of Rajasthan. Yatris found the story of Tata Steel to be as intriguing as the enthusiasm of Joe Madiath working in the tribes of Orrisa.
At 09:40 am on 11th Jan 2009 at Mumbai Central, when the train receded to its yard for the one last time, not to be seen again with the Yatra, tears trickled down the eyes of the Yatris. Wet eyes bid a final see-off to the Yatra with a promise to be the Yatris forever, to be the learners forever and to be the agents of change. For ever.