Vineet Karlapalem

My reflection:
This was my third chinna shodha yatra. I have learnt just as much, if not more in this yatra than in the other two yatras. I feel that the yatras provide a very good opportunity for people to really understand, by actually experiencing and collecting first hand information from villages about the culture, heritage, innovations and philosophies of the rural side of our country.

I have learnt from the yatra that development in rural areas of our country is indeed very much necessary. But what many, assume is that rural areas are more backward and that they need more welfare schemes and developmental plans than the urban areas; this I felt was a big misconception many of us are making.

I have learnt in these three days that one can learn a lot in just three days. I am just wondering how much we all can learn in our lifetimes, and why we are choosing not to. Every yatra I have been to so far, have all been unique experiences not just because of my fellow yatris and the atmospheric change, but also because of the different villages. Every village in our country, I feel has so much knowledge and information that we are committing a sin by not recording the knowledge and letting it die right before our eyes.

I have learnt, especially from this particular yatra that our country, India is known for its rich culture and heritage and that our culture is our heritage. Unfortunately, people are not realizing that our country is in a cultural crisis which can has the potential to be extremely dangerous.

The yatras, I feel are extremely necessary and important for exposing people to the real India or the other side of India and help in developing both, the urban as well as the rural sides of our country, keeping in mind our rich heritage and protecting it.