IMPRESSIONS - Vamsivardhan

My experiences with 21st Chinna Shodh Yatra (10-12-16 to 11-12-16)

My name is vamsivardhan. I am preparing for civil services in Hyderabad.

It was a great experience to be part of CSY-21. I came to yatra with no expectations. So I was ready to absorb any type of experiences. The yatra process remembers me one of the Upanishad Slokas....
ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Meaning: Om, May God Protect us Both (the Teacher and the Student);
May God Nourish us Both; May we Work Together with Energy and Vigour;
May our Study be Enlightening and not give rise to Hostility
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.

The entire yatra was filled with energy, vigour, enlightenment. Every moment of yatra filled me with interest and excitement and enlightenment.

It was a great opportunity to interact persons with different back grounds and sharing our knowledge travelling in unknown paths for “hidden treasures”.

Every person that I came across in yatra appeared as a teacher to me. I have learnt so many things from them. I have learnt humbleness and dedication to profession from Poturaju garu(ZPHS teacher) in Pesarlanka and burning desire to solve problems of fellow persons from his students and their virtues needs to be inculcated in everyone. I also observed harmful effects of modern technology in villages, looking down attitude of educated towards villagers and low esteem among farmers, negative consequences of government policies for rural development prepared by armed chair theorists

Conversations with co-yatris especially with Ganeshan sir was thought provoking. I found satisfactory answers from conversations with Bigadier sir for some of my questions regarding rural development-which have been haunting me for months. The conversations were thought provoking, inspiring and above all initiated the process of “unlearning” to change my false perception towards village community.

CSY-21 has changed my attitude towards villages, from paternalistic to that of collaborative. It exposed me to the immense knowledge in the villages that needs to be harnessed for development of the country. The yatra further strengthened my resolve to serve my nation.

 

In one statement, the yatra helped to rediscover myself. Thank you, Pallesrujana for making me part of this yatra