The Change Within- Experiences with I_VBI

The 2 months with the VOTING DRIVE was a life-changing experiences with me. From meeting with the ERO to the drives in colleges & colonies, from training session to late night wake ups for database, it was awesome. So, here, m penning down my experiences.

              

 THUS THE JOURNEY BEGINS: 

                             After the successful launch of vbi @ ichalkaranji, by a awareness drive of LAKSHMI TARU PLANT, the plant which gives highest amount of oxygen, on 15th of august 2013, it was time for IVIC project(i vote_i change), as described by my teacher NEHA DI. but personally, i was not sure about it. How can registering people for voting will change the future of my country?. Well it was true. The condition of INDIA with all this corruption, scams, crimes was worst. but how can by voting it's going to change. After all, its all about money in election!!.. SO, YOU GIVE ME MONEY, I GIVE YOU MY VOTE- ideology which is on floor from last 50 years of history of INDIA'S ELECTION can be changed by just some awareness camp??.. really??.. I was not sure.

                            So, post YES!+ celebration with NEHA DIDI @ a coffeehouse with my yes!+ gang, where we was making plans for next activities to do in ich,. when neha di announced about a  YOUTH LEADERS MEET @bangalore ashram, I never gave a thought to attend the same. I was surrounded by some personal problems back then. So, a mere thought of leaving ich for 3-4 days to attend some meeting was not at all in my list. But, as fate could be, all of them announced me & my friend PRIYESH to attend the same.                                                                                                                                                      

                            I was stuck. I couldn't able to think. Permission from my parents was something that I can't get. Well, it was not that I don't want to attend. It was my first chance to visit ashram & even my first chance to meet GURUJI. Well, to tell the truth, I was in dilemma. But, when DHANRAJ , who was in
ashram for first time during that period, told me that he met guruji for almost 5-6 times a day, i cannot resist.I pack my bags & the next thing i remember, I was at Bangalore.

                              Thus, the absolute transformation from a ignore citizen of INDIA, to a responsible VOLUNTEER FOR BETTER INDIA began. 

THE TRAINING(MYLT):

                           I was overwhelmed to visit bangalore ashram for the first time. The beauty of Vishalakshmi Mandap, the tasty juices, blissful Yagashala,...& never-to-explain kitchen food.
                         
                           The very purpose of my visit, the vbi training session with 300 youths from Maharastra was something I can't explained.

                          Guruji, Anna Hazzare, Kiran Bedi, General V.K. Singh the direct impact of my one vote to the development of my country. How I can make India better by imply voting!! The training session was done with Vashudha didi, Saileel Bhaiya, Mamta didi, Jainil bhaiya & all VBI mumbai team. The team work they did, every single bit of all to know about election & voting registrations, videos like KYCQ was awesome. It was nice experience where we got to know many unknown facts.

THE FIRST MEETING , THE FIRST TALK:

                       After returning from bangalore, me & Priyesh realized that  it to heart all our duties & responsibilities as a   citizen of India. So, now it was time to spread the same awareness. Just after returning from ashram, we had a meeting with our team mates HARSHAL, DHANRAJ, SHWETADI, MANISHA etc. Discussing with them, we drive to sangli to meet volunteers there & then to kolhapur. As suggested by one of senior teacher DIMPLE DI, we arranged a district level meeting with all teachers & volunteers. The meeting, where me & priyesh described all what we learnt @ Bangalore starting from why we need to have this project to how we will do the project was mind blowing. The respond of everyone was very nice. Everyone committed to work for the vision of Guruji . After that, we even have a volunteer convention @  ichalkaranji, & thus our DAY WITH VBI STARTED.

VOTE-ATHON,KYCQ ETC:

                    Our journey with vbi was not a smooth one. The first step was even critical. To get thevery permission of DyDEO was very difficult. He was not showing any kind of co-ordination to get the permission. But  our enthusiastic   voluntteers never give up & so, after a long span of 3 months, we got the permission.                                                                    
                                                                                                     

                   The first meet with the ERO was pathetic. The ERO was not even ready to give the permission. Moreover, he was making some silly excuses. I donot know how he thought that we would believe when he said that only those who are 18 on 2014 will be eligible to make voting card?..:). But, we was never in a mood to give up & will never be. So, when me & harshal, who went to meet him, said that we got all the neceesary permission from the CEO of maharastra NITIN GADGE itself, he became numb. Within a sec, he gave us all the permissions & promise us to help with all the neccesary needs.  Once we get it, no one was there     to stop us.

                  VOTE-ATHON ENROLLMENT & INTROTALKS:           This whole journey of vote-athon was really amazing. We went to DKTE to enroll it for vote-athon & their response was great. R.R. SHAH sir, register of the college, promised us with every possible help to make it done. Might be, his enthusiasm & positivity was one of the reason why we succeed in this whole voteathon & came out as the 1st rank.

           INTROTALK BY HARSHAL

                   The enthusiasm of our leaders was also great. The work so hard from day 1. When we first started the campaign, we was very small in size. But, the family grew so big day by day.
                   While going through classes to classes to give intro-talks, we found that the minimum knowledge of the students of how the system of our country works was absent. The video of KYCQ helps them to recall what the learn during the school days in just 10 mins. Even, this people was not aware of why election is important & why we should vote. When we take feedback from them about our talks, they said it was really a helping one where they got to learn many unknown facts about election & so they pledged to vote this election.

                                             
We set a booth for almost 10 days at dkte, where we collected almost 1240 registrations of new voters and also of all correction forms etc. Almost 40+ new leaders join in our campaign during various talks that we gave in classes. These leaders help us in various ways. How can we forget the help of Vikram, Snehal, Sagar etc who help us 24*7. Sagar & Snehal maintain the whole database of the voting registration, which is unbelievable. We used to collect at an average of 100+ regis everyday & Snehal would update the same in just one day. Hatss off to her commitment.
                               Vikram, also being a non-aol man, help us everytime. He was present in every seconds to help & serve for the country. Leaders like Harshal, Dhanraj, Pankaj, Anmol, Rakesh, Ajay, Priyanka,  etc missed their lectures & comitted to serve for the nation & make the differences.

                       We arranged the neighborhood drive in 6 societies with the help of dkte leaders & the society members. Almost 670+ registrations was collected from the societies. After the day long booth in dkte college, we used to go to societies & drive was contracted for more than 3 hours. Although all was tried enough to call it a day, we was so enthusiastic to contract the drive that none of our leaders never said NO in doing the same for a single day.
                       











                                     SOME OF THE PICTURES TAKEN DURING WHOLE VOTE-ATHON   

                                                       PLEDGE BY LEADERS TO VOTE:

                                             
                                                       STUDENTS DURING INTROTALK:

                                   
                                                       NEIGHBORHOOD DRIVE BY LEADERS:

                         
                                                        LEADERS GIVING INFORMATION TO STUDENTS:

                                                          SO BUSY THEY ARE... OUR LEADERS:

                                                        HOW TO REGISTER? INFO GIVEN BY ME TO STUDENTS:

                                                             HAPPINESS SURVEY @ DKTE:

                                                             LEADER SURVEYING HAPPINESS:

                                                           

                                                                            

      

     & Thus was an awesome life-changing journey. Today, with GURUJI vision & wisdom,  I feel for my country to heart content. This feeling is not just some INDO-PAK cricket match wala feeling. When everyone chants KUCH NHI HO SAKTA IS DESH KA, i commited myself to KUCH HONE NAHI DENGE IS DESH KA.
everyone  should come out of their home & pledge to serve for the nation. As someone said, to serve for nation you don't need to join politics or army. All you need is to boost up the patriotism in you.
this election lets that happen & we all commited for 100% voting.
jai hind..
vote for better india.                   

WANNA make INDIA BETTER?..VOTE?

If you think we're not going to tell you to vote (or encourage someone old enough to vote), you're crazy.Voting is a basic civic right and an important responsibility in the development of a prosperous and responsible democratic nation.  We as citizens of India cannot complain and hold others responsible for any wrongdoings if we do not participate in the democratic process – the first step of which is to vote.  This initiative aims to remove the apathy that has seeped into our social fabric and make individuals realize the importance of their vote.  The primary reason for individuals not registering and voting are (a) registration process is complicated and time consuming and (b) non-voters believe that their vote will not make a difference.  We aim to remove such obstacles and myths and thereby improve the democratic fabric of our country.

Voting is important for more than just reasons but we've narrowed it down to our favorites. You should vote because:

1.Voting is a way to speak your mind and let your voice be heard!.. Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we actually telling elected officials and law makers how we feel about education,public safety,social security,health care, and other important issues.
 2.If you don’t exercise the right to vote, you’ll be a hypocrite when you complain about politics (this includes healthcare and financial aid).
3. You vote for your favorite TV show, non-profit org, & sports team all the time.(Vote for andy,remember BIG BOSS7)
4. Whether you're from the The Rent is too D@#^ High Party or the Tea Party you live in a country where every voice can be heard. Exercise your right.
5. Politicians decide our financial future – how much government support we'll get for college tuition, how many jobs will be available, and who will pay more taxes.
6.ONE VOICE,ONE VOTE REALLY COUNTS! REMEMBER, there is power in number, and when we vote and get our family members to vote, we can truly make a difference. If  you don't vote for what you believe in, others will and you may not like the outcome.

   YOU SHOULD NOT FORGET ABOUT THE 2009 ELECTION WHERE A CANDITATE named C.P.JOSHI LOST HIS ELECTION IN JUST ONE VOTE. AND ON ELECTION DAY, HIS WIFE,MOTHER AND DRIVER DONOT FEEL TO VOTE..!!..YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF ONE VOTE, BUT C.P.JOSHI SURLY UNDERSTOOD!

 Only 30% of voters  go to the polls. If you go, that will make you cooler than 2/3 of the population. Not that you weren't cool already...
7. We need more sane people on the news. Reporters might be interviewing people at the polls, and right now, no matter your political party, it seems like the news only shows the most extreme protesters and activists. This is your chance to represent the sane.
8. Your grandparents will vote, and they’ll cast their ballots based on social security and Medicare. Are you gonna let Grandma out-do you?
9. When guys turn 18, they have to register.If you’re expected to defend your country, you should have a say about how it is run.
10. You need to beat out the single-issue voters. Seriously, some people only vote based on who supports one issue, kind of like how tweenh girls dominate the votes for the American Idol who they think is the cutest (i.e. Kris Allen).
11. Our children are depending on us to represent their voices too!!..YES!, it is true. becoz, our children cannot vote,we have to do it for them. That's how we make our concerns about schools,safety,housing another issues heard.When we vote, we actually looking out for our kids and their future,
12. VOTING changes communities! Do you ever wonder why one neighbourhood gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all!!.. ONE BIG REASON IS VOTING. When we vote, we can get results that we actually see.
13. VOTE TO EFFECT CHANGE.!! It was through that we voted in officials who were champions for civil rights. Voting is our chance to make the difference in our own lives and within the world.
14.BELIEVE IT OR NOT, VOTING IS A WAY OF HONOURING OUR HISTORY!!.. as long as our country existed, there have been people who donot want us to vote. There are several freedom frighters that stood up for the right to vote. Well, those times may seem ancient but there are still people today who donot want us to vote. Its now our turn to stand up and vote to preserve the honor of those wo went before us.
15. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BECAUSE IT GIVE YOU CREDIBILITY.!!.. Often times, we voice our concerns to elected officials. but if we aren't voting, our concern may matter at at to them. Voting can actually give you the credibility to make your concerns a top priority for legislators.
16. There are worse ways to spend  10 minutes.
What can you do?
Vote. Duh.and encourage others to vote

With all this talk of voting you might ask why you should bother to vote at all? Does your vote actually mean anything?

Many call voting a "sacred right," and it is one of the most important parts of our political system, a part that goes back to our earliest days as a nation.

When he left the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Ben Franklin is said to have told a local citizen that the founders had given the nation a Republic, if we could keep it.

By that, Franklin meant that as Americans it is our duty to keep up on what is going on politically, that we should arrive at an informed, logical position about what political ideas we support, and finally that we should be sure and vote our conscience on Election Day.

Many today complain about politicians not listening to the public. Of course, if we do not bother to vote our voice will not be heard by our elected officials in the first place. Our elected representatives are guided by what we say particularly when we vote. And if we don't vote we are telling our politicians that we don't care what they do and that is a dangerous thing to tell them.

If you want change, your first duty is to vote your conscience.

It gives you a say on important issues that affect you

 – everything from roads and recycling in your area, to education and climate change – You may think you don’t want to vote now, but if an issue comes up that you want to have your say on, if you’re on the register you’ll have the chance to vote on it. Remember, registering to vote doesn’t mean you have to, it just means you can if you want to.

donot just sit and complain,.. ITS TIME TO GO OUT AND VOTE!!.

LETS VOTE FOR BETTER INDIA!