What Our Campaign Is All About

"We can do anything that we want to. We just need to want to."

There are so many things that are happening around us which we don't like, which we can fix, which we can change. We can do everything to have a better world to live in because we have that choice, the ability and power to change the bad to good. The Jago Yuva Bharat Campaign is a 61 day journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir the sensitize the youth of our magnificent country about the power they hold in making the change they want to see.

A team of about 25 of us traveled the length and breadth of the country holding programs, presentations and interactions with young people at each place we stopped. We passed through 18 states and held interactions at schools, colleges, public gatherings. We wanted to learn about the people in each region, their way of life, the amazing treasures of their cultures, the problems they face. In our own way, we wanted to offer some insight, support and inspiration to all that we interacted with and make a mark on their mind. We had 3 main areas of focus:
1. Youth for Peace & Harmony through Dialogue and Mutual Understanding
2. Environment Conservation and Climate Change
3. Youth Led Development

This video was made to introduce what our campaign was about. You can check it out for more details.

We traveled in 2 tempo traveler buses. You couldn't miss us.

Our campaign was basically a mission undertaken by the Youth Activ8 Foundation and the Indian Catholic Youth Movement. Our team was a motley mix of people from all over the country.

Fr. Alwyn D'Souza (Mangalore, Karnataka)
The Executive Secretary of the Youth Activ8 Foundation and Director of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) led our team from Delhi and joined us in our programs in Nagpur and Calcutta. Guiding us throughout, he was the main support behind the entire campaign.

Sr. Edleburgh (Kundapura, Karnataka)
National Lady Animator of the ICYM. A formidable force on the journey with us, leading us with her wisdom and experience. Sr. Edleburgh has been a principal of a number of educational institutions, and used her expertise in interacting with the youth throughout the campaign.

Rakesh Singh, 30 (Baripada, Orissa)
Public Relations Officer at Youth Activ8 Foundation, Rakesh has interests in practically everything. Extensively traveled, he get along with people from everywhere, knowing about many cultures, learning about others along the way. He always had a way to make everyone feel comfortable and enjoy everything.

Jomon Vellapally, 29 (Manimala, Kerala)
Jomon was Program Coordinator at Youth Activ8 Foundation, and one of the  quieter members of the team. He wasn't as flamboyant as some of the rest of us, but when he did speak, it was from a wealth of experience. The good part was he held no qualms in sharing that with all.

Ravi Rounak Robin, 23 (Muzzafarpur, Bihar)
Always keeping the mood light with his antics, the President of the ICYM would deliver the 'inspiring' speeches at our programs. He has a brilliantly sharp memory and always had some trick up his sleeve to amuse anyone he's with. Tall and lanky, he always towered above the group.

Joice Mary Antony, 23 (Katappana, Kerala)
As the General Secretary of the ICYM, Joice is a blend of a strong, mature young lady and sweet, childlike, innocent girl. Alongside Ravi, she helped lead the team in the programs. It was interesting to talk to her because she always viewed things with a childlike wonder and enjoyed learning about the things around her.

Solomon Gomes, 23 (Kolkata, West Bengal)
The ever eloquent Spokesperson of the ICYM, Solomon was a natural in speaking in front of large crowds and engaging them into entertaining interactions. One of the most humble and gracious people on the team, he was always helpful and friendly to each person, whether he'd known them for a while or just met them.

Deepika Kujur, 22 (Durg, Chattisgarh)
Deepika is Treasurer of the ICYM. One of the happiest and funniest personalities of our group. She would be perpetually content no matter where we were. She also had a strong, responsible aspect and people would tap into that and trust her to take care of things or get stuff done. She also had the best fashion sense of anyone on the trip.

Prashanth D'Souza, 23 (Mangalore, Karnataka)
Prashanth, the 1st National Volunteer of the ICYM, was perhaps the most selfless among our team. Ever willing to help anyone who needed it, he work tirelessly and at each place we stopped. He always had a way to keep the situation tension free, and would jovially joke around with all. He was also part of the 'Tall Guy' club, and along with Ravi and John would loom high above everyone else.

John Kujur, 30 (Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh)
One of the National Volunteers of the ICYM, John was one of the most hardworking among the team. He was also the mind behind the designs for our creative posters and other visual content for the campaign. He was also one of the very helpful ones on the trip, people making good use of his solid strength. He too, walked a world taller above the rest.

Melwyn Saldhana, 23 (Mangalore, Karnataka)
Another of the National Volunteers of the ICYM, Melwyn had the enthusiastic spirit needed to be on a journey like this one. He was always interested in learning about the places we visited and the people we met. He had a great ability to share, whatever he had and in whichever capacity, with others. Whether it was food, or photographs or just his energy and will power to get the job done. A great asset on our team.







Our dancers from Nrityarpan Dance Academy in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh:

Jennifer, 22 (Bangalore, Karnataka)

Nimisha, 23 (Dhamola, Uttarakhand)

Heera, 18 (Naini Tal, Uttarakhand)

Savita, 20 (Kashipur, Uttarakhand)

Kiran, 20 (Jaspur, Uttarakhand)

Monika, 17 (Isanagar, Uttar Pradesh)

Shikha, 13 (Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh)

The youngest member in our team.

Our Production Team (handling all the video recording, were all from Shillong, Meghalaya)

Alan, 37: Director of the project

Raihun, 25: Cameraperson 1, fondly called Roy by everyone

Kles, 32: Cameraperson 2, the one who loves to laugh and pull pranks

Dap, 23: Production Assisstant. His real name was Paulus, but he never said anything till halfway through the journey

Our Drivers, both from Kerala (Chetta means 'elder brother' in Malayalam)

Driver Swami Chetta, 25

Driver Jaimon Chetta, 27

And I'm Nalini, 25. Production Manager at Youth Activ8 Foundation. I'm part-Bengali-part-Oriya-part-Punjab/Sindhi-part-Uttar Pradeshi coz both my parents are from different places. But I say I'm from Delhi coz we've lived here for like 10 years.. And it's easier than explaining everything above :)









We would also take on a some locals in each place, who would assist us and guide us along. They were especially helpful because if we didnt know the language of the region, it would become a handicap. But they were such blessings.

At each place, we held a program where we introduced all of us and interacted with all the people there. It was generally Ravi, Joice, Solomon or Sister who would start the program off with a speech/introduction. Our team of 7 dancers would also put up a show dancing on the themes of environment conservation, saving the girl child, the inspiration or Mother Teresa, and, India being the most profound country and being proud to be Indian. Rakesh would lead the interactive part of the program. He'd take up certain topics for discussion, sometimes orchestrate some games through groups, and ultimately help get our message across through a debate or discussion.
Each program, of course, would be different with all the unique elements of the place we were in. But with the diversity within our own team, we'd do just fine.

I always considered India to be a bunch of countries thrown together. Every 200km you'll find practically everything different - Language, weather, geography, food, customs, traditions, song, dance, dress, features of people, you name it - distinct and diverse. Here was our chance to experience just that.

Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu - 12th Jan 2011

So the day begins with idli-sambhar breakfast at the canteen of the Pillar hospital where we’re staying. Everybody is upbeat, looking forward to the 1^st day of our campaign and what it holds in store.

We visited the tip of Kanyakumari before the main program later. Oh wow! What a sight! The Indian Ocean sparkled in all its glory with a sprinkling of boats here and there. You could see Vivekananda Rock in the distance, towering over the waves.. We’d be going there soon.

There’s this beautiful church where we are. White and so exquisitely built. We’ve clambered on to the 1^st level to get the view of the ocean.

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But just standing there, drinking in the sweet n’ salty ocean breeze, you can help but forget about everything else. It just actually helps you live the moment coz staring out into the expanse, your breath is all there is. Sigh.. I could stay here for hours.

Now we’re on to literally our 1^st steps of the journey. We start off on foot to where the boats are to ferry us to Vivekananda Rock. Loooooong lines, but we’re given a little special treatment coz of our campaign. We get to jump the whole snaking part of it and head out with the front of the line. But what a crowd! Before boarding the boats, everybody has to take a life jacket and get on. Rakesh joked that he doesn’t need one because he knows how to swim and out of everyone, he’ll be the only one swimming for shore. Savita said that that may be so, but we’ll all grab his leg and it wont matter that we cant swim.  So the image would be like 20 people hooked on to Rakesh’s leg while he swims to land. You can’t outsmart us, Savita expressioned. You should have seen Rakesh’s expression.. It was such a quick response and he didn’t see it coming.Hehehe..

At Vivekananda Rock, we all went to the mandapas and looked around trying to take in the piece of history we were standing on. The whole place had a very peaceful vibe to it despite being so crowded. And the wind was something else, whipping on at top speed, especially in the center of the rock, probably because it was the most open space. But even that felt pleasant here. Enjoyable even.

At the main mandapa, everyone sat and meditated for a while on our campaign and prayed for its success and positive outcome. Those 15 minutes were very special.

We’re all wearing coordinated t-shirts of our campaign and it felt like a photo-op you couldn’t miss!

Community lunches are always fun. It’s never really about the food, but the company is what makes it so enjoyable. And here, most of us were having food we haven’t had before, or food we haven’t had here before (Like the original dosa or idli). It was fun to see people stuff themselves because they were served too much and didn’t want to waste food. Plus the coconut chutney was something else.. It’s probably so ordinary out here, but I really enjoyed it more than the normal person. Especially the khushboo of green chilli that came with every bite.

I hope, one day, we get into a food fight. Like all out. That would be the funnest.

After lunch, Rakesh got a few red bananas for us. We had seen them all over and kept wondering what they were like. Peeling them, Deepika, Joice & I were anticipating something kind of magical. And they tasted almost like regular bananas. But everyone was watching us holding the red skins, and we made all the appropriate faces, so it was still kind of cool.

The very first program of our campaign was in the evening. We had called all the locals in the area and it was encouraging to see they were a looooooot of kids. Our girls put on their dances and that was a wonderful kick-off to the event. We released some doves, as the ever graceful symbol of peace and liberty they are. Some of the kids also put up these really cute dances. All the while, everything stayed on the road of our message – Let there be peace.

There was this moment when some of the kids went up to Joice and started interacting with her. These young ones didn’t know anything else except Tamil, but it didn’t stop them from trying to forge communication with this new friend. It gave me a really happy feeling. There is no age to friendship, nor is there need to prescribe a language.

Towards the end, we lit a candle and handed it over to our compatriots here. It was the K2K candle, meant to spread our message and let the light of that message spread far and wide. This was one tradition we were gonna continue in each place.

Finally, Bishop Leo flagged off our campaign like people do when they wave a flag in front of cars when they’re starting a race. It was then that it truly felt like the beginning.

Neyyattinkari , Thiruvananthapuram & Kovalam Beach, Kerala - 13th Jan 2011

It was truly like a royal welcome. A cavalcade of technical supporters met us as just as we crossed the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and escorted us with a speaker system and announced us through the city as we followed. People on the streets actually stopped and stared as we passed through the streets. It created some intrigue in everyone we passed and it was like they were trying to take it in before we went out of sight. It kind of felt like we were celebrities. Just a little bit.

Here, it felt like Joice had come into her own. We stopped in the market place and used the speaker system to address the people there. It was the most random thing, but the force and drive in Joice's voice really shone through. People stopped to listen and you could see the rapt attention they were paying. Rather awesome..

Our first program was at St. Thereses School in Neyyattinkari. Solomon got the crowd revved up and Ravi put on his “ole le” routine for everyone (For those who don’t know, Ravi’s “ole le” routine is an action song which he performs and everyone copies. It’s a real crowd entertainer and gets them to lose their inhibitions a little bit.) Rakesh spoke to the young students about our message of peace & harmony and the Millennium Development Goals and about the UN and about the environment and about climate change and about their state AND about women empowerment AND about how it is so cool that they have a great girl to boy ratio than other states AND  about how it is important to use the opportunities they have to make a difference AND  about why it’s so important. And all within 15 minutes. Also, I never noticed, he rocks back and forth on his feet when he gives speeches. But somehow that made what he was saying a little more interesting..

Some student of this school also put up a few dance pieces. One was a very beautifully depicted dance on the environment and how people aren’t preserving it and what the consequences of those actions are. There were no words, but the message came out so clear, it just really hit you. And especially the expressions. They did all the talking.

There was another dance, more on the traditional side, by some other students here. Honestly, if have never seen that kind of coordination, presence of timing, energy, expression and pure passion in people so young who have performed. They were even better than most professional groups we’ve seen. Their dance must have been somewhere between 10-15 minutes, but their energy never dropped even once, despite being such a vigorous dance. I truly salute them for their art and dedication to it.

Just managed to capture the end bit.

In the evening we visited Kovalam beach. I don’t know about other people, but something happens to me when I’m around an ocean or a sea.. You just stop thinking.. And just live.. In that moment and everything is just beautiful in the waves and the breeze and salt air and the light spray that flies in your face and mists your spectacles.. And being caught by surprise when you’re expecting a calf high wave and the tide comes and hits you on the waist.. And spending time with your team and people you love... That experience can be put down in so many words, but it’s true experience is unexplainable.

On the way home (or wherever we were staying) Rakesh and Joice got into a heated discussion about dowry. It was so entertaining! It seemed like Joice was agreeable to giving her husband’s family something in gold or whatever. And Rakesh was saying “Arre no! You should not give! If you give one time, then they get used to it and will keep asking. Even after marriage. And they have no value for anything also. So you should not give.”

Joice – “But I will give 1 gold coin..”

Rakesh – “NO! Dont give! He will not love you! And he will keep expecting from you all the time.  In fact he should be giving you everything. If he loves you, he will not take from you, he will give.”

Joice – “Acha! You gave anything?”

Rakesh – “I gave! I gave lots of things..  What all we give no.. Gold, saris.. All that..

Joice: (Small face) Ummmm...

Exhausted, but happy, we all crash at the end of the day. The next day wont be the same. And we’re looking forward to that.

Thiruvalla & Changanacherry, Kerala - 14th Jan 2011

At breakfast, Jomon was telling us about the bananas they were serving and how they were boiled or something and they had enough protein that you could go the whole day without eating anything else. And he was trying to explain the hills in Kerala had houses on them. He pointed up to indicate the hill and said “Ulta” and then pointed down and said “Seedha” and then said that his house was at the top of a hill and that maybe we could visit when we reached Chanagacherry.

“Ulta?” I asked. He said, “Huh? What ulta?”

On the way to Thiruvalla we stopped at a church where we were fortunate to meet His Excellency Joshua Mar Ignatios, Bishop of Mavelikara and he spend some time with his and take his blessings for our journey. He also quoted a whole bunch of well known leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa and all. But what struck me was that each thing he said was fitting our message, our journey and out spirit completely. So many times you hear people say stuff that they ‘remember’ but it isn’t necessarily apt. “To help the least, the lost and the last – Mother Teresa” Really yaar.. Wow.. Just so profound.. How come soooo few people think like this now days?

There was this one time when Jomon  was speaking in Malayalam, in full flow and Ravi was nodding along as if he “understood’ every word. It was so funny to watch! It sounded like “Winsdofughognarggh CBCI Youth Commission agjbaigjafjzldkfjvhaugharug K2K Jago Yuva Bharat areiufnbsagfiuinalsjfnbsaidupui Kerala gfrjanfgioarghoandgkj Youth jdsvnfauigfn Peace & Harmony nfdspfuan Development cndsjifaiudjfnvajkfnpfjgbsnljg vajfngiapg najfnpgjanf najngfpuagfp afgn gvadfsigj India gfnapigunong Bishop asgnpoiagn vnfdogng ansdfgaosp Father Alwyn fhausdpfuiog napsidugh asngpuhgap apushgpga.”

And Ravi was like, ya man. Absolutely.

When we reached Thiruvalla we visited this Church which was CIRCULAR! It was so peculiar, but so awesome and interesting and beautiful at the same time.. Found out later that they had incorporated the architecture of many other religious places of worship like temples, mosques, gurudwaras and even influences of Chinese and Japanese religious architectural symbols.  And inside it was soooooo beautiful and  the energy was sooooo peaceful.. Just check out the pictures..

In the evening we had a program at Changanacherry Archbishop’s House with some spectacular dance performances by our girls and some local youth showing us some of their traditional mind blowing stuff.. Shucks.. The balance and energy they have.. And even with fire and stuff. And how they sing and speak in Malayalam that fast is beyond understanding. I cant figure out one syllable before it’s already the next sentence.  At least I think it is...

Our very own Jomon was the star of the evening, being honoured by his own people for becoming the Asian President of FIMCAP. It was a very proud moment for all of us as well..

Kottayam, Kanjirapally & Kattappana, Kerala - 15th Jan 2011

Originally we were to have interactions, talks and sessions at Kattappana, but we got news of an accident that happened  in Vandiperiyar. A Hindu Pilgrimage Holy Light Makara Sankrati was happening where a stampede took place killing more than 100 people. Because of this, our program for the day was cancelled. We also passed through here and found the whole town silent in mourning for those who lost their lives.

We saw many ambulances on their way for the rescue ops, and visited the hospital to pay respects to the victims and pray for them.

It was insane at the hospital. There was a huge crowd and the air was thick with panic and grief and we were just trying to keep it together. We did get into the center of it all and were talking to people and offering support and condolences.

Our girls are comparatively younger than the rest, and it was quite a moving experience for many of them. It’s always hard to see a dead body, but at that age, it’s even harder. When we came back to the bus, everyone was shaken and a little thrown off course emotionally. It was more than Shikha could handle, especially at 13. I remember Rakesh taking her out of the bus and walking with her a bit.. I’ll never know what he told her, but when she came back she looked more stable. I didn’t experience it directly, but could see what difference it makes you fall apart and someone cares. Sometimes, having an arm around your shoulder and some comforting words is just the balm you need.

But we still went to Kottayam and interacted with Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolekattu, Bishop of Kottayam Archdiocese and Member Bishop of CBCI Youth Commission along with some youth leaders of Kottayam Diocese with the Director Fr. Jinu.

At the Kanjirapally Diocese, we all had lunch with Mar Mathew Arackal, Bishop of Kanjirapally. After lunch when everyone else went to sleep, I hung out with our production crew and took random photos and told jokes and listened to music and laughed a LOT. Check out the photos..

Plus - Snippets: 

Jennifer: Tum ne sab ko chocolate diya aur mujhe ek bhi nahi diya..

Prashanth takes out a piece from his pocket and gives it to her. “Maine bhi nahi liya. Last piece hai.”

Jennifer: Aadha kaat ke doon?

Prashanth: Kisko?

Joice: (In her Malayali accent)

Ragesh! (Rakesh)

Shiga! (Shikha)

Deebiga! (Deepika)

Giran! (Kiran)

Moniga! (Monika)

We are all on this trip from Gey2Gey (K2K)

Ray-vee! (Ravi)

We were having lunch at Bishop Ji’s house and Solomon really liked the food, so he asked what the word in Malayalam was for ‘good.’ Someone said ‘Kolaam.’ So he said, “I will say this in the vote of thanks that the food is “kolaam.”’ Then Jennifer happened to mention that that word does mean good, but it isn’t used for describing food. And in fact, it means good in the sense that its bearable. Solomon was sooooo grateful that he found this out before thanking the Bishop in front of everyone. He eventually said that that food was “nalada.” (Which is the right word to use here).

We were fortunate enough to visit Joice’s home here in Kerala and meet her family. After dinner we ventured out to the surrounding area which, in the dark, was a complete jungle with all the foliage.  We saw pepper trees and cardamom trees. By torchlight. Really interesting how the stuff was just hanging there in bunches. And on the cardamom tree they grow from the bottom of the tree and they look sooooooo different than they way we’ve always seen them. Undried and fresh green with wet white seeds and all. It was something new for everybody.

Solomon happened to ask if there were snakes here because everything was so thick, and our guide said, “Ehh.. Not really.. Just a few poisonous ones..”

Jennifer shrieked!

“What???!”

“Arre don’t worry.. It’s not that many.. Sometimes u just might see a python or something..”

Her face was like she was watching a horror film.

We started moving back and from behind, Solomon kind of poked her.

I honestly wish i had my camera to capture the way she jumped....