Into the heart of India
Life on a train. Photo Courtesy: Jagriti Yatra
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As 2011 ends the yatris onboard the Jagriti Express take time to introspect. Kasturi Ramanathan, a yatri, takes us through the first phase of the journery which ends on January 8.
In search of a new India, hailing from different backgrounds but with one goal, with knowledge trying to gain experience, networking for the future, learning forever and living the current beats, the Yatris aboard the train know the responsibility that their generation holds. Half way through their journey, merging the soils of Kashmir and Tamil Nadu, they yearn to know India in all its glory!
Motivational journey
The Jagriti Yatra 2011 intends to teach a person how to fish, not provide the fish. “Jagriti” means “kindle” and this is what the journey is all about. It kindles the entrepreneurial spirit. It aims at investing and including. It looks at the transformation from job seeking to job creating. It motivates the human dimensions!
As this train travels through 12 cities in 16 days covering 8000 km, 450 budding entrepreneurs (out of 15000 registrations) take this awakening call — 40 per cent are female and 60 per cent are non-urban! The 24 states of India and 23 countries are represented (50 international learners are on board)!
They travel into the heart of India to feel its pulse. They meet role models and mentors who will mould their mind and meld their heart to make a better India.
Norm, Storm and Form teams — be a part of the inner and outer journeys. Disseminate the sensory overload. Interact among the cohorts. Innovate. Collaborate. Transform! This really is not a pleasure trip, for one will remain a yatri for ever. Every yatri is here to use the Role Model's advices, interact with fellow passengers, absorb during the panel discussions and perform during the Biz Gyan Exercise.
Emotions are varied throughout the journey — you will see many sitting by some rocks writing their journals, a few sketching out the hues, a hundred capturing stills of colours that tell a different story, smiles that express the heart's joy, songs that speak of happiness, dances that show the carefree spirit and the intense conversations that convey seriousness — these scenes will remain etched in their memory. Documenting all that one has heard, learnt, unlearnt and absorbed when they remain fresh in the mind; blogging and networking; telling the outside world about the journey so far as they look forward to the rest.
Tips from mentors
The youngsters here bubble with enthusiasm and new ideas and burn with the desire to lead a free India! And during their journey, they had the privilege of listening to a dozen motivational speeches and stirring stories. Here are a few snippets:
Mr. Mashelkar, National Innovation Foundation: “An entrepreneur is one who does not know that it cannot be done. Innovate with compassion and passion”. His formula to creating a human force is simple – “when ‘n' people connect, the power so released is n(n-1)/2!. The parameter for progress is not statistics; instead it is the smile on every citizen's face! With speed, sustainability and scale, we will reach the pinnacle”.
Ms. Nandhini Vaidhyanathan, CARMa: “Make sure that the business is profitable – relying on charity just detaches the child from you. And necessarily, have a mentor – that is the best way to gain a new network and a lot of experience”.
Mr. Narayana Murthy, Infosys: “Build support around you - have a mutually exclusive and a collectively exhaustive team working with you. And when you have to step down, it is like letting go of one's daughter's hand during her marriage – the hope, anxiety, pride, momentary sadness and the joy that life will still continue – if fresh blood has to enter an organization, let it flow in”. “The market space inside India is unexplored – explore it for Ram Rajya! This eon will be known for its innovations – don't be left behind – move with the spirit of development and create opportunities. Just do it – our country has the reciprocating power”.
Ms Gowthami, Travel Another India: “Boundaries are varied – but, everywhere it is drawn by mankind. It is an invisible wall that could make or break our future. Man has made it, man has to destroy it”.
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New Year Party
These Yatris improvised on the use of bathrooms, berths, communication, methods to eat and live life during the Yatra in general. Cleanliness and efficient usage of the limited resources were top priorities. The personal hygiene aspect of life here would seem weird to the outside world! Chair cars bacome make shift bathrooms. Innovators are aboard, after all.
An interesting aspect of the train The control room: It is home to the lost and found box, the suggestion box and the PA system. Most yatris love the PA system. Not only for the wake up calls, but for its booming music too – one can listen to Kolaveri at least 10 times a day. You can make dedications, share some interesting facts, explain your innovations and keep the crowd in splits!
As the New Year approached, a medley of songs from every language known was played. Yatris danced from between the berths and the aisles. Where is the party tonight? In every bogie and every heart!
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