New Delhi:
Gandhiji believed in creating from among the youth a cadre of inspiring and competent role models. These change agents, he believed, would have the courage of conviction to trigger the process of building a healthy nation.
Many generations later, the youth of this emerging superpower are struggling today to make this dream come true, with a vast majority blindly joining the rat-race instead. They follow the trend of the day; health, engineering, government service, mass media, corporate - every field is flooded with young aspirants.
Only a courageous few take the road less traveled, and some among them take a step further and find ways to support the needy while earning a modest livelihood for themselves.
One such young one is Harshit Sehdev, who took a similar risk and is today contributing, in his own small way, towards a better world.
Hailing from the hills in Uttarakhand, Harshit is actively involved in the process of bringing a transformation in the education system through life skills and value education programs in different schools and colleges in India.
He had spent two years with the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, conducting workshops and training programs across the nation, and also actively participated in the charitable activities of the Ashram such as medical camps, flood relief camps et al.
From the life changing experience he received while participating in these activities, Harshit knew he would not find satisfaction in any other work. In 2012, he started his own organization "Tvam" that, apart from focusing on life coaching and life skills, works for education for the underprivileged and development of the rural areas.
"Initially, Tvam started providing life coaching services in Dehradun. Life coaching is a powerful method to empower people. Today, when so many people undergo frequent trials, stresses and strains in life, life coaching helps them to resolve dilemmas and gain clarity.
Unlike 'counseling', which focuses on digging and grasping the psychological roots of a problem faced by a person, we focus on unfolding the innate potential of the person," said Harshit, citing several cases where he and his team has helped students from various schools overcome their inhibitions and follow a path of hope.
"I remember meeting a boy of Class 11 in a Government School who had failed successively in his exams and was completely shattered. He had given upon his dreams, his life. I worked with him for a month and with time; he overcame his fear showing remarkable improvement. He managed to clear his final term exams and was ready for a bright future," shared Harshit, adding that such positive results are rewards which money cannot buy and satisfies his soul beyond measure.
Recently, Harshit was invited as a resource person at the ASEAN (The Association of South East Asian Nations) Disability Forum which was held in Myanmar from 15th to 17th December 2014. The only representative from India, Harshit gave a presentation on Effective and Efficient Education and Public Services for the ASEAN Disability Society.
There were 200 delegates from the ASEAN countries i.e. Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma; some of the delegates had come from USA as well and there were 20 resource persons that were invited to give their views to the august assemblage. Of the 20 resource people, two were from the non ASEAN countries - one from Japan and the other from India.
The Association of South East Asian Nations is an influential political and economic power that has about 100 million population and 1,500 billion dollars in GDP. On the other hand, there are about 60 million citizens with disabilities living in this region, according to UN estimates. Though ASEAN is an economically emerging region, most of the population is still marginalized.
It was a wonderful experience to be a part of the international group and the learning was immense, claims Harshit, who brought a whole new dimension to the discussion by challenging the audience with the understanding of word disability. "I met some physically and mentally challenged people in Myanmar. I told them that I do not see them as disabled people. Rather, they are the people with special abilities who can do amazing things in life," said Harshit, adding that he does not want to look at them with pity and sympathy. He wants society to treat them with warmth and compassion as they would treat any other citizen.
His ideas were highly appreciated by the participants, especially the disabled themselves. Harshit responded to queries about the Indian disability context by giving the example of his mother, who cannot walk properly and has a disability certificate. "I do not see her as a disabled person, perhaps because she herself never believed that she is disabled. She instilled faith and confidence in so many people who worked with her," said Harshit, explaining various schemes and policies that the Government of India has designed for physically and mentally challenged people.
He also talked about the influence of movies and the awareness they are now bringing in Indian society by giving the example of how movie star Aamir Khan highlighted the issue of dyslexia through his movie - Taarey Zameen Par and also through his television serial, 'Satyameva Jayate'.
The Charkha Development Communication Network feels that the greatest psychological need of a human being, irrespective of caste, colour, creed, gender, age, ability or disability, is the need to be understood. Having a background in non-directive counseling and life coaching methods of listening, Harshit demonstrated to the audience how effective a few moments spent in understanding others can be
