New Year – A great time to make a fresh start. Outline vision and goals for the year ahead and create an action plan towards making the vision a reality. We have plans for our work, health, family. This year let’s add one element in which all our plans exist – INDIA.
Inviting you on a journey to creating a happier & kinder India. No. You don’t have to join the army or any org. Wherever you live in India you can start right there! If you live overseas you can be #IndiaPositive by giving digitally / supporting causes.
One action. Once a week. Every week.
Action can be simple.
Give a packet of biscuits or a tetrapack of milk to a needy person.
Plant a sapling.
Mentor a student.
Ditch plastic.
Get together with friends and clean up an area.
Donate clothes..
Actions can be endless…
One action. Once a week. Every week.
Once action done (If inclined) share your good deed on social media with #IndiaPositiveChallenge .
Goal is not to brag. But to inspire others to join in.
One Indian. 52 #IndiaPositive actions
One billion Indians. 52 billion potential #IndiaPositive actions
A nation that is truly Sare Jahan Se Accha .
We live increasingly busy lives. Traffic in most cities takes away precious time. As a result one may not be able to volunteer for a cause or engage in a structured way. Due to this giving / doing good becomes an occasional event. With #IndiaPositiveChallenge you can do good as you go about your daily life – whether you are a student, home maker, working professional, senior citizen or someone who travels extensively. All you need is yourself and the intention to be of service.
We all have something we can give – time, expertise or resources – financial or material.
Most of us can give all 3. But at least one of these is possible by every citizen.
Some people may be able to give financial support to a cause. Some may be able to volunteer time. Some may use their expertise to help others e.g. career counselling of students, helping someone to get insurance or start investing. At the very least most people would be able to donate objects (that are in good condition) to someone who needs it. Simple, doable ways in which we can contribute to the nation. Weave good karma into everyday living.
A group of working women pack extra rotis and subzi while preparing their dabba. And they give the food to children who live near the railway station. Imagine the joy for the children – getting healthy, nutritious, home cooked food given with love.
2 senior citizens living in Lavasa make tea and place it in a thermos flask along with cups and box of biscuits in their garden. Anyone working in the area is welcome to come and enjoy the chai and biscuits. It saves them money and they feel valued as a member of the community.
Last year I had a green stole I wanted to give. Could not find any young girl in my commute from home to office. There is an old lady who sits outside a temple. I asked her if she would like to take the stole. She immediately accepted it with joy. As I was leaving from there she called me. She wore the stole on her head. Then she explained that she has recently had a cataract surgery. The doctor had asked her to stay away from sunlight. But as she sits with a cow outside a temple she did not really have the luxury of picking a spot in the shade. She has to sit next to the temple entrance. I was deeply moved. I never imagined that something I just wanted to give away would mean so much to someone.
One time I saw a NGO from Madhya Pradesh requesting for some books for a children’s education program. The books were available on Amazon. Contacted them for their address, placed the order. It took all of 5 minutes to complete the process. 2 days later they received the books.
In my family my cousins are based in different parts of India and the world. We started a tradition of gifting an #IndiaPositive action as a birthday gift. One cousin gifted 3 months school fees to her cook’s daughter. Another cousin in Muscat took 2 Indian labourers out for lunch. Since then he has become like a local guardian to them. So #IndiaPositiveChallenge is not limited to the geographical boundaries of India.
There are so many heart-warming stories. Each one inspires me to invite every Indian to be #IndiaPositive.
We need to make being #IndiaPositive a way of life in India. As a nation we don’t have compulsory military training like Israel. But we do need every citizen to be mindful of their responsibility towards the nation.
As a nation of 1.30 billion we face many challenges – social, civic, economic, environment. They cannot be solved by governments and civic bodies alone. We need every citizen to participate.
To give a simple example. An average urban household that uses polybags to store vegetables in the refrigerator will use around 800-1000 plastic bags in a year. A suburb of 1 lakh homes will therefore use and dispose 8-10 crore polybags that will either choke land or pollute water and air. So an #IndiaPositive action of citizens choosing to eliminate plastic bags from their homes can lead to radically cleaner and safer cities with better air quality for all.
How can you become a part of this? Start doing any #IndiaPositive action. Wherever on the planet you are. One action . Once a week. Every week. Building a great nation one #IndiaPositive action at a time.
On our facebook page we share an #IndiaPositiveChallenge every week . Join us at https://www.facebook.com/Indiapositivelive/
With our mindful actions this New Year let’s create #NewIndia .
Savitha Rao
WhatsApp us