Hearing ear to Heart

Life often brings us at  a juncture, where we are left stranded by the ones who have promised to help and ones who even initiated steps along with us for the common goal, the goal which some of us call as the dream and  some passion. This inflexion in the curve of life perhaps cannot be captured by any polynomial equation derived by even the best of the best mathematicians of the era. We stand with two choices, either to leave the dream and passion because the major supporting hands are gone or to move ahead and make another try.

This is where lies the truest test of  our belief on our own dreams, belief that god will either give us a pedestal to hang on or will teach us to fly, belief that even if the door of opportunity has closed and there is no sneaking possible from the opaque window, there is something called 'hope' which sees beyond the wall of hurdle, belief that if there are great people and best institutions who can leave us in between there are at the same time common friends and teachers whom we have perhaps forgotten but who still believe in us and believe in our dreams, belief that there is a greater picture in making which just needs drawing a small dot by us and once that dot is put on the paper the picture is complete.

This belief is very special, special because no test of rationality will ever testify it has true, special because no logical arguments for or against will ever be conclusive and even more special because it comes only when we give a "hearing ear to the heart".

Are we hearing!!

Sharing the dreams

Perhaps last few days had been the toughest phase of my life in person and as development professional for the cooperative experiment in Mayurbhanj. Sudden resignation from the organization I was employed with, retrenchment of the two field staffs from their existing set up, arranging salary for them and looking for some suitable job to hang on.


As they say, whatever happens happens for a reason and its always for our wellbeing. Things have started settling down. Friends, batchmates, juniors, seniors and Professors supported the initiative and while I was thanking each of them one reply which touched me to the core was
"

me: thanks for coming out for help at this crucial time dear

10:34 AM Robin: this is not help dude...

  this is sharing the dream ... n we are doing the easiest part :)

  God is with you...we are nothing ..

10:35 AM me: :)"
Perhaps this makes it truly the people's initiative where on one hand villagers pool in small money and produce to get better returns from the market mechanisms and at other end individuals from their small savings contribute so that facilitation of this first time process happens smoothly.
 I was just thinking over what Robin (my batchmate in IRMA) said "Sharing the Dream". Should we not take this beyond. I was blessed to have wonderful agents (read friends) of God who supported me and pulled me out of this odd situation. I would have definitely quit if this support hadn't come. I am sure there would be many such initiatives going on elsewhere and its quite possible that the facilitators there might not be having such network and caring friends. I was discussing with few of my friends and will soon register a trust fund which will be "by the community and for the community owned initiatives". This fund will not work with NGO's but directly with initiatives owned and controlled by community (example cooperatives, producer company etc.). It will have a clause whereby community initiatives which are left stranded due to gap in donor funding will be supported directly and once the community owned enterprise/organization stabilizes they can contribute back to this community fund so that it can be used again by a new set up. This fund will also be accompanied by professional assistance to the community owned institutions.
This trust fund will assist Marshal Disha Cooperative as its first experiment and will gradually try to evolve across geographical areas of the country. Just initial thoughts, will decide something firmly soon!!
ना  हार  से  ना  जीत  से
बस  केवल  एक  उम्मीद  से
वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ
गीत नया गाता हूँ

Not Jobless but Salary-less !!

Not Jobless (Disha moves on) but definitely Salary less:) -Resigned from Winrock!!

It was 30th May 2007 when I had put papers with General Motors to take on career in the development sector . Yesterday took another baby step towards the objective. With Winrock deciding to discontinue its support for the Cooperative experiment,I decided to discontinue from Winrock. Thanks to one and all who have and who are supporting the Mayurbhanj experiment in this transition phase.

The Saga at the backdrop!

               Last 4-5 days I had been travelling across all the villages where village cooperative branches are formed. I interacted with them, shared with them that I might have to return back to Delhi towards month end due to some official reasons. 11 villages out of the 15 villages, out-rightly said that they want to continue with the collective movement as they have started seeing the benefits at the village level collective sale itself and now they have realized how they can collectively do the business but since this is a new path, they need support for a year atleast. One person commented “we were potential seeds lying in deep mud created by existing market systems, and now your team has taken us out of mud, cleaned the seed and now when we are ready for plantation, you cannot leave without putting us in soil and watering us till we are capable enough to face the wrath of nature on our own as a new plant”.

My professional ethics was in question. I was in dilemma if organization has decided will I be able to continue the work?. But Will it be morally and professionally right on my part to leave these villages in between? Should I not give a last try? Should I leave just because the person from Mayurbhanj who had requested me to stay here, 4-5 months back has backed out  due to reasons which to my understanding are unjustified and immoral (if I had bowed to the request of that person it would have been the biggest wrong I would have done to the cooperatives)? Will my escape  not mean that I am also no different from the lot who just performs the “said” work even if s/he feels that there is a need of extra bit for the people for whom we claim to work for? Should I care only for my ‘career’ and take very ‘safe’ decisions? If I take a decision which is good only for self, do I have a right to stay and work in the development sector? Lastly Will I ever be able to call myself a true IRMAn, if I escape?

I didn’t have an answer and  in such situations I often get back to  “guiding statement” of Mr. M.K. Gandhi which I had used when I decided to leave the promising career with General Motors. The statement says “"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melt away."

As I had shared  at the time of my relocation to Mayurbhanj that I don’t claim that experiment will necessary be successful but I don’t want it to become unsuccessful because of reasons which Almighty has bestowed within my control.  And I think things are still in the domain where I can and I must give a try. I have decided to continue with the experiment of Mayurbhanj.

Some of my friends and professors have offered financial support through which I can meet the expenditure of the two field staff, till any institutional funding comes in. I am looking towards some suitable job in bhubaneswar/kolkata/jamshedpur (nearest towns to Mayurbhanj) so that I manage my expenses on my own and on weekends come down to Mayurbhanj and support the two field staff.

इरादा मन में ठान कर रखना, 

दुआओं का दामन थाम कर चलना,

ऊंचाई से गिरकर जमीन तक आने में जो वक़्त मिलेगा ,

उस वक़्त में गिर कर टूटने से पहले फिर एक नयी उड़ान पर चलना.