YEAR: 2005; LOCATION: ASMS, FILM CITY NOIDA; INCIDENT: ARRIVAL OF NEW BATCH FOR GRADUATION IN MASS COMMUNICATION
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This new batch comprised of students from various strata of society with different aims and aspirations. Among all of them there were few students who were aimless, not at all serious in life. They bunked classes, involved themselves in so called “college life ki masti”. They were a group of ten friends between the age of 18 to 22 yrs. – Amit, Jagroop, Ankush, Vineet, Swadesh, Sakshi, Ashim, Krutika, Saloni and myself (Souvik). Our life was just going on without a path, without a motive.
Suddenly I started suffering from waking up to mornings of thoughts and frustration. There was one question in my mind which repeatedly boggled me- “where am I leading?” “What am I doing in life?” To get rid of my frustration I started reading novels, books, biographies- to understand the intricacies of life, to get self satisfaction. During this course I came through the books of swami Vivekananda‘s life. His philosophies and conduct took my attention instantly. I got habituated to reading such stuffs and I could feel the slow advent of change in me- a ray of hope towards the change from negativity in me to positive energies- building confidence, diminishing ego, development of consideration towards others. These changes somehow irritated me as now I wanted to do something but WHAT? & HOW? Yet undiscovered.
One day I decided to share my thoughts with my roommate & closest friend Amit Singh. I asked him, “Why do we have so much of ego? We are proud on what? As a human being what are we doing for human race? Will we die silently, exactly as we took birth? MONEY, NAME, FAME- for what? It will go to dirt with us. To leave a mark behind us we have to do something extraordinary, above the common men’s thinking ability and beyond its horizon.”
On this note we called all our ten friends at my flats to discuss the same. Result- we decided to experience real life, to visit slums and witness the atrocities of lower section of society which we read in books, magazines & newspapers. We need to feel it, we need to experience it. We need to understand what ‘hunger’ actually means, beyond words.
Reaching Bhangel (village at Chalera, Noida) was the first step towards making of the history. It was a step forward, taken by these 10 students, towards their ‘yet undiscovered aim’. It was our first setback, face-to-face with reality, first interaction with hunger, frustration, humiliation, pain & a lonely life. It made us realize the real life- an insight to the real world. We saw, there was no one to listen to then, to share their pain, and make them light-hearted. The so called society looked down at them, always through a distance, keeping the wall of hygiene, social discrimination & self obsession between them.
I was standing there amidst thoughts of despair, when a 6 yrs old girl, Mehnaz, without clothes, came running to me, held my hand and said, “ Bhaiyya please give me some clothes” This statement hit me directly. A chill ran down my spines and made me realize that thousands of such children are deprived of basic necessities, waiting for people to come & rescue then out of this perpetual misery. This marked the beginning of a new movement in every ten heart. The unofficial plan for a combined effort towards providing basic necessities to thousands & lakh of Mehnaz, in every heart. This shaped our aspirations at that very instant. We moved separately to our homes with a single dream in eyes and same determination in heart & soul.
However, next day itself we woke up to reality. The meeting at my place landed us to a realization that it was not possible for our pocket to support our dreams & efforts. There we decided to initiate donation programme in our vicinity. We took donated clothes from people around us and distributed it in that slum-as the initial steps.
Every day one member visited the slum and taught the kids there, under the trees on a blackboard and tried to fulfill their daily needs according to our capabilities.
Our daily visit brought us more closer to their hearts & increased the emotional attachment between us and the slum dwellers. This bonding motivated us more. Every member contributed Rs. 100 per month from or pocket money and we provided those slum kids with soap, slate, comb, pencil, copies, sharpener, eraser, hair oil etc. our efforts got noticed in and around noida, in our college ASMS. Yet, till that time we did not had any knowledge about NGO. We never knew that for doing social work we have to get registered first & that is known as an NGO. We just had a vision, passion & dream to help people to make them smile. On knowing this, we gathered more information, about the documents needed & other requirements to be fulfilled. 22nd December, 2006 was our day of registration as a national NGO.
It was Saloni Gupta, who called me at 1:30 am & suggested a name YES for our organization, which meant a positive response & stands for Young Energetic Society. Every member liked it the moment it was broken. Thus the name YES was decided. Slowly the organization started spreading its wings in more areas. The vision started shaping, the path got clearer.
We started with one slum, moved to another then from two to three, from three to four; we finally adopted SIX slums by 1st Sep, 2007. This effort had already made few more members by that time.
We realized we needed more volunteers, so an inauguration on a larger scale was required, by which we can tell the people what is YES all about, what all we do & what have we done till date. YES members had ideas, plan and members to execute it. The only, yet major, problem was the fund. This delayed the decided upon date of the inauguration, which in turn blurred the confidence and determination of the members. Frustration engrossed us. Then something struck my mind & I suggested approaching the man, who is the mark of inspiration for us. The director of our college, Mr. Sandeep Marwah. Next day I met him with full concept & proposal in a drafted manner. I had a vision that sir will surely help us as a guardian. Nervous to talk, yet confident for result I entered his office. As always, above expectation sir forwarded his helping hand for his students, whom he takes as his own family.
The one room at Marwah Studios, sector 16/A of film city witnessed the writing of the future of YES. The happiest & the most successful moment was when in that room Prof Sandeep Marwah gave his consent for helping YES, in any way or so. He promised that not only he, his college, his entire staff & each student will be with YES from that day onwards. He decided that the inauguration of YES will be held in Marwah Studios itself on 1st Sep, 2007. During that meeting it was proposed and honored to see Marwah Sir as the Chief Patron of Young Energetic Society. The proposal was gracefully & graciously accepted by him.
The members on knowing this got over excited, happy beyond limits. Their energy level, happiness & confidence reached a stage which can never be described in just words. I wish it was captured in video so that everyone can witness the moment any time. For sure, the result was over-whelming and I came out of that office with flying colors. It gave me an added support, a sense of power, a sight of victory and a dream for reaching the goal.
At last the much awaited day came. 1st Sep 2007- the second day of college annual fest. The one day from the history of YES, that can never be repeated, ever again.
No member realized the silence before the tempest. The moment was waiting. The clock was ticking. No member could realize the drift of YES, the changing fate & state of YES, just after one hour.
One generation, on the stage, has already worked for YES for a year. That day marked the preparation of another generation, sitting in front of the stage, to put in their heart & soul to take YES to another unreachable, unexpected level. The inauguration’s presentation made every eye teary, melted every heart, and moved each soul. It attached another 600 college students & staffs to YES. They all joined YES at that moment, entered into the family, hugged each other, shared happiness, increased each other’s level of encouragement & appreciation and finally danced away to the celebrations.
This was the most unforgettable moment in the history of YES which gave YES a name, an existence in society, a noticeable mark. No single member can forget that day. 1st Sep, 2007 can be written in golden words in the history of YES- cherished for lifelong.
Mr. Sandeep Marwah made his first kind contribution to Young Energetic Society of Rs. 1 lakh. We are thankful to this great man, because of Sandeep Sir, everyone started developing a belief, awareness and trust in YES.
Among that new generation, there were few such people who came forward with the same zeal, ideologies, philosophies, same understanding for the struggle, support & stand of YES. Their joining gave YES new strength, new power. Some of these names are Abhinav Lal, Neeraj Sauda, Shamael Khan, Sapna Choudhary, Chetan Sharma, and Yogesh Joshi. Now they are the face & pillar of Young Energetic Society., who are carrying loads of responsibilities towards YES and fulfilling it with apt capabilities.
That was the day and today is a day, YES has never looked back, instead it kept on marching forward, reaching new heights, getting to new destinations, expanding vision, spreading wings……making of a ‘KAARWAA’
There are three names which are not much highlighted in the history of YES, but cannot be left without discussing. They have set an example of dedication and have carved a path for other fellow members, teaching them the methodologies of completing any work or fulfilling any responsibility in given time constrain. They are the hole and soul of YES who have sacrificed a lot in life for its betterment. They are none other than AMIT SINGH, JAGROOP SINGH ATWAL & ANKUSH SHARMA, who takes YES more precious than their lives. They have sacrificed their career, their other dreams in life to see one dream together- the dream for Young Energetic Society. Lakh of members will come go and play their part but nobody can surpass the contribution of these three young guns, in the organization. They are the founder member of YES whose name can never be forgotten, whenever the history is remembered.
