What the Yatris have to say at the Jagriti Yatra 2012?

Jagriti Yatra is an ambitious train journey of discovery and transformation that takes hundreds of India's highly motivated youth on an 15 day national odyssey. The aim is to awaken the spirit of entrepreneurship. It is a journey aimed at awakening the inner soul and entrepreneurial spirit of youth both in social and economic by exposing youth to individuals and institutions that are developing different solutions to existing and unknown problems of the country. The vision of Jagriti is to inspire young Indians living in the middle of the Indian demographic diamond (Rs 40 - Rs 120 per day) to lead development by taking to enterprise. By doing so, they can turn from job seekers to job creators.

The currently ongoing fifth edition kicked off on December 24, 2012. Aditya Bhushan from YourStory is on the train and this is what the Yatris have to tell him about the epic journey:

During the yatra, I am experiencing the huge diversity ranging from east, west, north and south parts of the country meeting with various people from different professional backgrounds with aim from completely social to pure enterprise motive. The uniqueness of the people is regularly experienced in terms of the vibrance of the participants. The Planned sessions ensure rigourous team participation

and engagement .

- Bhaskar Singh, Patna

This unique life enriching experience of ten days so far on train transformed me into a new human being, who will become the 'Change Agent' and ensure change for sustained growth and development of my people and my country.

- Dr. Atul Jaiswal, Varanasi

It was a great experience to meet people having different kinds of expertise in the social sector, people have different ideas for upliftment of society in different ways. Something which is really surprising for me is the team effort of the Jagriti team while organizing any event. From seeking permission from Indian railways to logistics of every event is amazing. Pantry team has really done a great job in their part of feeding around 500 people 3 times a day with high quality food and multiple times refreshments.

- Mandeep Singh, Patiala

I am a part of ICICI fellowship program and currently posted in a village near Allahabad. Today I brushed my teeth with mineral water it was difficult for me to do as I couldn't stop myself thinking of my village people. Maybe I have started to value things more. But I also realized there is a disconnect between our rural and urban worlds, it was also obvious from the visit to Bhrampur, a nearby village we visited. We behaved like tourists in our own country. We need to know and learn about our country more.

-Ashwini, ICICI Fellow, Allahabad

One of the most interesting lines that was said on the inauguration day by shashank mani (founder- jagriti Yatra) was "Mahatma Gandhi discovered the nation in a train and so will you all". It was so amazing to see the young yatris with so much energy and excitement to make a difference, with so many negativities around the country! It is refreshing to meet the role models who have sacrificed so much for the sake of the country. I met some really interesting people in the train, some of them have been through real tough times in their lives, yet they have the will to do something for the society.

- Suhani Mohan, Mumbai

Stay tuned for more detailed coverage from the Jagriti Yatra.

image credit: Laura Valencia