Monday 8 April 2019

Stepping into the realm of Responsibility...

An old wise man once said..."With Great  Power Comes Great Responsibility".

Here power does not refer to any kind of supernatural power or superhuman strength; rather it’s the power to do greater good, power to work for the well-being of mankind, power to bring some action-oriented changes, that are in accordance with the welfare of the society.


But at the same time, the meaning for the word 'responsibility' remains the same: To serve Humanity.


This realization of ‘greater responsibility’ happened to me on the breezy cold night of 14.02.2019 (Chances of getting such ‘realizations’ are always higher, as compared to the possibility of getting yourself a valentine) when I took my first step of ‘independence’ (Well…sort of).


The first occasion was Empowering for Inclusive Summit 2019 at Delhi, a national level summit on new technologies in disabilities which was organized by National Association for Deaf in collaboration with Microsoft, where I represented CORD or Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development, an organization that helps with rural development throughout India and South Asia. It is also known for its extensive contribution in the disability sector.

It was an honor for me to represent CORD because I have been associated with it since I was a kid.

There were quite a few ‘Firsts’ this time….
  •   It was the first time that I represented someone besides myself :-D
  •  It was  the first time that I went out of station all by myself without my parents.
  •  It was the first time  that I shared my hotel room with someone unknown  (Now this Mr. Unknown  is a very good friend of mine).
  •  It was the first time that I set off  to evaluate the length and breadth of Delhi roads and traffic with my new found friends.
  •   It was the first time that I celebrated my birthday without my parents.
  • My first meeting with Ms. Nidhi Goyal, India's first visually impaired female comedian. 
By the end of summit, my long- awaited dream of working for disability advocacy and be a change-maker also became a reality.

The  second occasion was a Two Days Partner Meet on the issues of people with disabilities, RPWD Act 2016 and National Trust Act 1999 at CORD Training Centre Sidhbari, Himachal Pradesh.

It was yet another learning experience for me, but with a difference, or to say a 3D difference.


Shocked right???


Well, it simply means that I gained experience in 3 different dimension viz :

  •   Personal
  •   Professional
  •   Spiritual


Personally and professionally, there was a lot to learn about the issues of people with disabilities, the government initiatives taken towards well-being of this community and how the society is becoming not only sensitive but also inclusive for the specially-abled.

Talking about spirituality, staying at CORD premises itself  feels like living a dream full of spiritual awakenings and contemplation of the conscious. It reinforces your faith in the ‘One’ while assisting in the attainment of ‘inner peace’.

The movie has just started gaining its momentum…..there’s lot more to come…..


So don’t go anywhere :)


Here are some memories from my 'Realization of a Greater Responsibility' :)

A  brother beyond blood....

With the bigwigs of disability sector 

At the Summit

The Terrific Trio! 

My gang of change-makers

During an interaction with the audience 

At CORD Centre, Sidhbari 
My Fanboy Moment with  Ms. Nidhi Goyal