Quick Notes from Indore – Part II
Continued from Quick notes from Indore
8th July: Have been sleeping an average of 5.5 hrs a day for the last 8 days. Am completely exhausted and drained…but feeling very positive and hopeful – more than ever before that change can happen
7th July: The last few days feel like an incessant series of phone calls/ meetings/ discussions; I have found myself talking for 14-16 hours every day; Throat finally succumbed on 7th July afternoon; LK pitched in for part of the interactive session at Vivekananda Institute.
Later in the evening, finally gave in to the temptation of “Chaat” at Vijay Chaat House (Sarafa, Indore); Topped it with “Fresh fruit juice” served in a glass infected with a million microbes…Stomach gave up by 7th July evening.
Highlights of the visit:
- Interaction with 50-odd vilagers in Simrole (a rural area on the outskirts of Indore)
- Presentation to students at IIM-Indore
- An extempore speech in Hindi at Abhyas Mandal, Indore (my Hindi is at its best in the last several years)
- Presentation to employees of Impetus
- Interaction with a small group of very active and extremely well-read politically conscious citizens (Lok Maitri Samooh)
- A private dinner with a select group of 20 very successful professionals, businessmen and businesswomen in Indore
- A presentation to Indore Management Association
Other notable meetings:
- A combined meeting with Young Jains of Indore, Jain Engineers Society & JITO – very interactive
- Discussion with students of Daly College and 3 other schools
- Discussion at Kothari Institute with some bright and energetic students from Indore and nearby towns
Total time spent online in the last 7 days: 3 hours.
Surprise of the week: The sarpanch of Simrole Panchayat concluding his speech with my tag line: Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Best Vote of Thanks: Dushyant Kumar’s unforgettable line:
कौन कहता है आसमान में सà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤–़ नहीं हो सकता, à¤à¤• पतà¥à¤¥à¤° तो तबियत से उछालो यारों
Kaun kehta hai Aasman mein surakh nahin ho sakta, Ek paththar to Tabiyat se uchchalo Yaaron …
Rough translation: Who says you can’t make a hole in the sky, how about hurling a stone at it with conviction?
Saddest Sight of the last 8 days: A young girl of 8 or 9 yrs of age, selling balloons at a traffic crossing in Delhi; Time: Midnight.
Most Inspiring Meeting of the last 8 days: A brief meeting with a young physically handicapped school teacher who commutes 40kms on his mobike each day to teach children at the government school in Simrole village (He does not have to. The government in MP offers physically handicapped teachers a choice of schools in any city/town they wish). There is hope.
Related Posts:
Some news coverage here.
I forgot to add:
Biggest casualty of the visit: Email backlog (at least 50+ that must be replied to)
Awesome.
Are the folks in India being unbrainwashed by media etc or are we getting worse?
Your account of th egroups you have talked and interacted with fills the readers of your Blog with hope and happiness.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
nishka ,i want to thank u from the bottom of my heart for ur commentary on the role of diamond firms in worldwide terrorist acts . we need more people like u in india to save this country from going to the dogs . i hope u will highlight the role of DTC (diamond trading company ) and its executive miss varda shine in the recent mumbai attacks to enlighten our readers .
@Tarique,
Thanks man. Unfortunately, what I know is only from reading and it is general knowledge amongst many folks who are concerned about India.
Debeers is corrupt as hell and involved with India which would give any normal person cause for worry given Debeer’s history in Africa – they have wrecked most of the continent.
The attached link pretty much sums up the impact of MNCs (new neo colonial models) in India.
http://www.portraitofindia.com/liberal1.htm
(Indias liberalization – boon or curse)
nishka , add the n.m rothschild owned rio tinto mining to de beers DTC combine and u will fill find no place on earth with expensive natural resources is safe in this world . nearly 1400 policemen and paramilitary forces have lost their lives fighting rio tinto sponsored naxals and it has gone mostly unreported .
Tarique,
You know a lot.. Maybe a website will help
This is a great effort Shantanu.
I have one complaint, jut vijay chhat house, what about Sarafa at night and Nagori shikanji. Ajay didn’t take you there.
Key Learnings from the outreach initiative:
I would also take this space and opportunity to formally and sincerely thank all FTI members, particularly Ajay and LK without whose support and effort, this would have remained a pipe dream. I am also truly grateful to everyone who contributed and supported in whatever way they could.
*** COMMENT EDITED ***
hi shantnu
good that u leave mp its not a land of devlopment of young mind
u mised only
…
evry where chutput neta
kiling of mother by son for 4 rs (4.07.10 raj express)
rape and live burning of a 12 yr girl by four boys (11.05.10)
100 of mba and engineering college producing chain snacher and bike chor gang
rest of other on poha shop the worst of ever seen nashta
not last and not the least statment by cm of mp “digvijay singhâ€
we cant make road it will effect the tyre industry in mp
hope mp should be stated same as like vihar in india
it is not minni mumbai, it is minni vihar
@Raman
Interesting thoughts Raman..I take offense when you referred Poha as worst ever Nashta, that has nothing to do with post. Where are you from? and Why hate Poha for tha poor condition for MP.
I was in MP last December and I see lot of improvements..I drove at least 1200 KMs in MP and I see develoment, a lot has changed in last 8-10 years.
Anupam