What do you expect when 2,000 college students assemble at a gathering? Cacophony and chaos, right? Think again.
MUMBAI: What do you expect when 2,000 college students assemble at a gathering? Cacophony and chaos, right? Think again, because the students who gathered at the MMRDA grounds at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Thursday were not only peaceful, but were listening to the speakers with rapt attention. And no, the speakers weren't Bollywood personalities or cricketers, but two simple men who were preaching the means of seeking happiness and fulfiling our social obligations.
The huge turnout of students for Utsav — an event organised by the World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE) under the aegis of 'Art of Living' — is reflective of the stress levels that the youth are subjected to these days.
Speaking to DNA, Khurshed Batliwala, one of the two instructors at the event, said that young people live a stressful life. "Youth don't have a role model, nor do they get proper guidance about their responsibilities towards society. However, without a relaxed mind, you cannot take up responsibilities. Therefore, we begin with teaching them how to be at peace with themselves," he said.
Batliwala, who is an alumnus of IIT, Mumbai, added that the students from different colleges in the city volunteered themselves for the four-day workshop.
The workshop began with Batliwala and Dinesh Godhke, who is also an IIT, Mumbai alumnus, giving instructions about the breathing techniques and yogasana. And both the instructors kept the participants in cheerful mood with their witty one-liners and laid-back attitude.
The workshop though, goes beyond meditation and happiness. During the four days, the participants will be given a social responsibility. "They will would be encouraged to do a concrete project that would be beneficial to society," Batliwala said.
As a part of this, groups of participants would be adopting roads of Mumbai, to ensure they are free of litter. "The government of Maharashtra has lent its support to this initiative. We expect these participants to reach out and spread the message of civic responsibility," Batliwala said.
k_dhananjay@dnaindia.net
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