Someday Is Never Too Far

One doesn't become a social worker by self-proclamation of the same. Social work is not just orchestrating candle marches which die down as soon as the flames extinguish or sending invites to participate in a tree plantation activity. It is more than just throwing verbose at Municipal Corporation for not cleaning up the streets or garbage dumps. It is nowhere close to putting up an anti-rape display picture on our Facebook or WhatsApp accounts, or posting comments and sharing videos related to some burning social issues. Abusing and remonstrating against the Government and plutocrats, the aristocratic group of people for turning a blind eye to the woeful plight of the poor and needy is too good to be termed as a social work. On the contrary, social work is going out there and taking part in the protest/march yourself, burning your hand with the melting wax of the candle and ensuring that even when the flame dies down; it continues burning in our actions henceforth. It is putting seeds or young plants in the ground, even if you have to carry out this task exclusively and water it with your perspiration. Welfare work is taking a broom in your hands and cleaning up the streets yourself. It is helping the underprivileged with whatever resources at your disposal.

Gaurav Juyal, a voluntary social worker at MAD (Making a Difference by Being the Difference). But calling my own self a social worker would imply that I’m nullifying my own words. I belong to that category of social workers I just declared faux. In the virtual world of social networking sites, I impersonate as someone who has radical ideas of revolutionising orthodox norms and bring about a change in his society. I enjoy the number of likes I get on my status updates on Facebook related to social service. I urge people to join any protest/march for a particular cause, taking place in my city but never take part myself. I desire to stand head and shoulders above the others. I talk a lot about the change I'll bring in this world, once given enough money, power, and opportunity. But now, I realise it is reverse in order. Money, power, and opportunity will come to me after I've changed the world or I'm on my way to do so. The world may appear out of context at this stage, changing my own self would count as an achievement.

If you are as ordinary as any other person in the multitude, don’t expect anyone to join you for a certain cause. Masses follow the leader, a leader who stimulates and excites people to action. You should have the will to perform duties you are morally obliged to, the trait of being considerate and thoughtful of others, permanence by virtue of the power to resist any injustice and the nerve to never chicken out. This is all it takes to be a leader.

Joining MAD is just a start, a little push to the wagon, a stir to the sediment. But it’s the start that matters the most. For me, MAD is my family, an informal group of insane students scavenging the streets for garbage and scraps, distributing food among poor people and sprinkling a little smile in the lives of the impoverished, visiting old age homes, organizing health campaigns in slums areas and voluntary blood donation activities amongst college students, working towards reviving the streams of Dehradun, conducting both on ground and research oriented work for the beautification of Sahastradhara and Tapkeshwar, preparing reports on various issues like slums rehabilitation, revival of streams, garbage disposal, etc , engaging the Government in each of our projects and working with various like-minded groups and individuals. We organise mini marathon annually called Madathon, make paper bags and run anti-polythene campaigns, spend time with specially-abled children, propagate civil sense, et cetera. Et cetera has no limits. I’m proud to be associated with such an activist group, but more proud to be friends with people who actually do ‘something’ and not talk about ‘everything’. Teenagers, who cancel their parties and movie plans on weekends just to attend MAD activities; Lunatics, who never run out of jokes or miss a chance to pull someone’s leg; but when it comes to picking up foul-smelling waste matter from garbage dumps or stepping into the dirty waters to clean the streams, we never give it a second thought. We plunge into the dirt without paying even minuscule attention to what people say when they look at us, without expecting appreciation for our efforts. We believe in making a difference by being the difference, the latter part is more important for us. We, being the difference, different from others, can and sure will make a difference. A final full stop to my article and not to my unfading thoughts, I too hope to make a difference someday. And I believe, if you have the mettle, ‘someday’ is never too far…