Gramya Manthan 2014

Contributor: Shashank Kalra

I just sat down to write an account of Gramya Manthan 2014 and it became too long, thought at each point whether I should go in detail or not, but just decided to tell a little more each time. Though in the end I ran through a lot of things. I hope it doesn't bore you because I had a great time writing it. :) 

Gramya Manthan was definitely a high point. There were just 16 participants in total, we seriously need to think why our numbers are falling with each program. Anyways, we decided we shall work as hard as we would have if the number of participants were 30. The team dynamics were very different this time around. We were 6 of us. Ajay had grown several miles since last year, his attention to detail and keeping the word and creating an environment of warmth and care was just so amazing, Pranshu had just walked the difficult path coming away from love and it meant that he was a little withdrawn in the beginning but time and again he brought in several out of the box ideas and shouldered great responsibilities. Divas was all aiming for excellence and high quality and focused lot more on documentation. Neharika was a great great add to the team, she is also a powerful executor, she knows what it takes to get things on ground from idea level. For me initially I thought I will keep working on Onus Curriculum and play some role in GM, but days before we went to Kanpur I realized I got to pull up my socks and be on my toes each moments and give my best in GM. Prakhar Bhaiya's role was different, although all relationships in Kanpur depended on him still but from within the team he was more of guiding force and constant push, although he still had to hold the program together, we tried to shoulder a lot of facilitation responsibilities from him.

So GM became an epicenter of newer experiments, a lot of them. As you would know, Shiksha Niketan denied hosting us for the first two days. Some just a few of days before GM began, Prakhar Bhaiya was able to get CSA to host us. Chandra Shekhar Azad University. And it meant more cost compared to Shiksha Niketan in terms of food, there fore we decided we would move to the villages the first day itself. All this uncertainty made us explore a new territory, we had sort of fixed that the first 2 days should be in Kanpur and never looked to change it. Newer possibilities arose due to us moving to villages the first day.

12 of the 16 participants arrived on the night before. It rained beautifully on the night of 13th and 14th morning. The registrations happened in style this time. We had set them up in the ambulance. Neharika sitting inside it and people walking in and sitting to get themselves registered. Kind like, guys consider yourself patients here, and take the medicine that we give, with no ifs and buts :P Ice breakers, Trust fall, human pyramid and takhta palat were superstars as usual. We were just praying for the rains to stop so that we can have the activities in the open. CSA campus suited this kind of activities. And rains stopped half n hour before 11. People had a blast. We did a very small circle around ambulance tire with introductions of participants and the team.

This time, we also focused a lot on aesthetics of the room, and doing tiny things to make the experience special for the participants. We had a beautiful conference room for the sessions, we decorated it beautifully. Neharika did a wonderful rangoli, rest of us supported her. Find pictures of the room here. We also set up resources session wise on the table behind.

It all started with the session on gifts and what you seek. I had the responsibility to conduct it. I knew what it was, but wasn’t as clear about how shall it flow plus I was cautious that I shouldn’t make it too complex for them. Sadanand Ji’s story of the village and soup was the starting point straight after silence. I made my own facts. And told the story with a lot of passion and suspense. I loved it completely. We asked them to take some moments and think about the gifts that they have. They were given a heart shaped colorful paper for the same. They were to write it down and put it around the circle with a thumb pin. Introducing the notion of collective responsibility in GM, and holding space for each other and cultivating the soil together for each one’s nourishment, we asked them what is it that they seek from the experience or in general. What are they looking for. They were given post sticks for the same. And a minute later we asked them to get up with ‘what you seek’ and go around the circle reading the gifts that the circle has and quietly put the post stick on the gift that shall help them achieve what they seek. Both the gifts and what you seek were to be kept anonymous. I had a blast in the session, it sort of made me come alive and gave me a solid kickstart to GM. We believe it had set the tone for the participants.

Community agreements was similar, just that we also focused on underlying values. Avadh Dubey sir had to take a session right in first day, we were very concerned that it might set the dynamics in a different way, but from participants feedback it was a good session. Listening was done in a different way too. But it didn’t work out as well. We know that but participants found it decent. The activities were exciting but the points may not have been conveyed as well as we thought. This time, we wanted that the sheet gets utter importance in the life map session. And participants really made beautiful life maps on the sheets, ajay did the life map from the team. Late at night, around 10 we left CSA for Indus College.

Life maps were still left. Day 2 began with them. After that we did a race from canteen till the baghs of Mangoes right in the end of the boundary of Indus. When they reached we told them, it was just to make you guys come here in little time. :p We had empathy exercise’s role play activity in that place. Completely awesome. Natural, breezy and very open. The rest of the session happened in the conference room. Beyond the way we usually do it we combined it with knowledge about empathy also. A snippet of RSA’s empathetic civilization and another movie.

Model villages session was replaced with Village imagination session. Khayalon me, Khayalon se. Wait, so this time, Divas made the structure, one amazing thing that he did was, give hindi names to all the sessions. So life map was called jeevan ek safar, morning reflection was called savere savere, discussions were called samvaad, and so on. Village imagination session sought to capture in art forms the idea that participants have of the village. And people made such awesome accounts, from poems to couplets, to theatre to drawings all of them were brilliant. Don't have pictures of them, Will ask divas to send you. 

This time opening ceremony was to happen with the villagers. We had a hard time inviting them, all males came. 28 from palia just 4 from Tishti. A murder had happened in tisthi a few days ago, all of them were apprehensive. Ram Sir (Rang De) did a moving session on Entrepreneurship and working in rural areas. He shared his story in a striking way. He is a passionate story teller who would appeal to all kind of intellectual audience. Opening ceremony was brilliant. Neharika and Divas hosted it really well. Though it had to be shortened a bit. That day we planned to move to Kilkaari. And create a sharp contrast between well lit Indus and completely dark villages. But as it happened there was a wedding in the school, we only came to know when we went to invite the villagers. At the last moment we changed the plan and decided to stay in Indus only for the night. And participants seem to not be tired at all, they wanted the sessions and activities to go on. We had a long Q and A session with Ram sir till late.

​

The Next two days were Village Immersion. We had a small orienting session, about it. That had Jayesh Bhai’s walk video and some discussion. It happened the previous night.

One of the things we did this time, was to hold short daily review and planning meetings each day. Where we did a run through for the next day, assigning roles and resources. These discussions mostly stuck on line. And did not hower so much.

In village immersion, we had sessions with kumhar, kisan, anganwadi and a differently abled couple managing solar lamps In tisti. Neharika made them happen.

Day 3 summer camp was to be held by the team. Unlike last time we felt lack of individuals. Pranshu was to take care of education in Tisti and hence the summer camp. Neharika was to look at Health and Sanitation in Tishti and Ajay and Divas were to look at Health and Sanitation in Palia.

We had three issues. And we applied them as above. By the way, Ajay’s sister, Sandhya was also one of the participants. I think summer camp was a little unstable in the beginning, with Pranshu not understanding the need to plan. But it took off well later.

So Divya Didi (Gupta) and Ashish Bhaiya were there for the first 5 days. They didn’t explicitly take any session until the last day but brought a lot of positive energy in the group and great insights to team discussions. Rahul Bhaiya and Ridhi didi were to come on Day 3 but Ridhi Didi wasn’t well, they could on Day 8 only. May be because both these visitors (not the right word) were experienced they brought great insights to the group and their and the participants experience became deeper.Abhilasha was also to come for entire GM but some how could come on Day 9. b came in on Day 8 and brought her own creative instincts.

Back to Village immersion, this time they had to find a family to live with themselves, instead of us allotting it. Palia was amazingly warm. Yeah at the opening ceremony, we had dinner for villagers also. Participants served them, and all of them were touched. Since most of the villagers were from Palia, they waited for GMers to arrive and wanted to host them.

In the end of village immersion, we went to a brick kilm nearby. When Divas had gone there were 250 people working together in hot sun but by the team all of us reached they had a break. Though it was little different than expected but just the idea of going to a brick kilm and knowing how our houses are made, and witnessing tough working and living conditions was quite something.

The evening they had to come back to Indus. We welcomed them with nice snacks and nimbu pani. And decorated the conference room like anything. With Diyas and rangoli and some wall decoration and so on.

Picture.

​

I tried visual minuting the session issue specific experience of the participants in the village.

Haan the same day we introduced Secret Angel. We pasted starts in a circle. Everyone was to come and sit near a star and at the end of the session we introduced it.

I don’t know clearly how it happened last time. We tried to use a lot of videos, small videos here and there. High Line, Mr. W (during life map), Story of Change (before action project), Nitin Das’s Video, The time you have (once to convey the importance of time), RSA, Nimo Patel’s songs and some more.

Ravi Bhaiya added several new elements to trust and cooperation game, Red and Blue one. I did the visual minutes for the entire debrief, loved it completely and it was a revelation for me.

See the picture. Ravi Bhaiya used a lot of small group large group this time. He also got excerts from Game Indian Play that were to be read by participants in breaks. As always, the session hit all of them hard.

Ajay organized a live FB chat and people asked questions and in breaks Ravi Bhaiya would answer them. He was very particular with the words that were used; whenever Ajay would write something on his own while the discussion was on, he would come in the break and modify sentences to convey exactly what he meant.

BTW a lot of blues were thrown this time in the game :D

​

Didi, we have videographed a lot of sessions. We had an intern who is sort of a professional and we hope to see a nice video of GM soon.

Neharika would put up schedule for the day, the previous night without fail.

We also introduced coffee chats here. Although we could not have it for all of them. But about 8-9 happened.

It was Ragini’s birthday (one of the participants) in the middle somewhere and Ajay went all crazy and made her feel so special. There were several videos and gifts and kheer and photos and what not. :D

Pranshu managed the summer camp well to give the participants their space. This time all of us, facilitators in the village did not the front seat. The participants took the lead.

Palia group organized a community gathering on the first day. They talked about general awareness issues of health and sanitation and tried to take out from the villages to together create a solution. It worked very well with women, Not as much with men.

Sanitation Drive: Cleaning the drains happened in Tisti. Beyond the community gathering, cleaning major drinking water areas happened in palia, handpumps and wells.

The participants made handmade cards for villagers before they came for opening ceremony dinner. And also for the houses they stayed in. Gave them during the gratitude walk.

One of the classic things that happened was the idea of a momento suggested by pranshu. It was to make cow dumg uplaas. We went to visit Swaraj Center of Day 6 and each one of us took cow dung with our own hands and made uplas of various shapes, some made hearts, some made ball, some made a pyramid, a circle, and so on. We thought we would pack it and give it to them as momento, but it rained the next day and most of them got spoilt. But it was quite an experience for them. And for us too.

The second idea for momento was thrown by Pranshu, on Day 8 while everyone was returning, pranshu and me jumped in the neher. And PRanshu found a oyster/ mollusca. And we thought this is it. We found 16 more. And that became the momento for the group along with Hind Swaraj with a personalized message.

​

Ashita Di painted it beautifully. But as it happened it released some water and the paintings got spoilt. But we gave it and everyone loved it.

Some of the new sessions that we did were, gratitude at the end of day 4. Appreciation at the end of day 6. Nero’s guest was screened in Day 4 I think. Some of the participants were tired, but for others it was brilliant in all. We gave them time to individually reflect and write about it post that.

One of the things that happened was that we observed that a lot of focus was on action and community of the participants. There were sessions happening for individual learning also but we gave very little time for them to sink these takeaways in. So on Day 7 and till Day 8, we gave them a lot of time for just that individual reflection. Morning reflection was around how have I transformed in the last 5 days? Individual writing was there, participants said it was concrete because they were able to pin down their leanrings in their own words. Ofcourse some of them didn’t do it properly. Or were indifferent.

We really push people and defy all logics of sleep in GM and in top of that we ask them to be on time. All the time, in packed back to back sessions and activities. Like it happened last time, people keep getting late for sessions and timings also shifted time and again by the team. But on Day 7, when everyone came really late. We decided to push the bar on them and make a statement. Prakhar bhaiya gave an hour long lecture about time, made them feel guilty. And We used the video, the time you have. 3 min brilliance. And you won’t believe from the next session till the end everybody each one of them was bang on time. Sandhya would come at 4.45 in boys hostel and bang each door to get up. People would put lunch for their partners so that they don’t get late. And so many such things happened.

This time, Volley Ball lost its sheen. The court shifted to behind the main building from close to the canteen. There was just one person who knew how to play properly and it happened that people played a little just to relax but unlike last time when people would wait for it and keep exceeding time, that didn’t happen.

We made buddies too. But it did work out a little. But we did not connect it with larger flow to keep its energy going.

Along with that there were some processes that we opened but could not close. I wanted to close gifts and what you seek wala process by letting them do a reflection on the last day.

Somewhere in the middle we introduced Expressions, to use any art form to record their journey of GM. And present it on the last day. People didn’t have time to make it and last day was packed fully to do anything there.

We redesigned feedback session, Divas designed a heavy document having questions about sessions specific, facilitator specific and generic. And to our surprise, people kept writing and writing.

Post Program opportunities also happened, but it had to be rushed through. 

Journey of Youth Alliance, we thought we would do in much more detail than we usually do. We gave it about 2 hours, I tried the visual minutes.

Divas proposed some knowledge based sessions like Why misery exists, Consumerism, Simulation of government, but none of them could happen, because they were great ideas but they couldn’t be developed into sessions. Also there was paucity of time.

The session of letter writing to myself, was preceded by 80th birthday session. It left them on high energy.

And another classic part. We planned a fake feud within the team where neharika, pranshu and me all of us came late. And Pranshu entered into heated argument in front of all with prakhar bhaiya. And just as we left the room, music played. And that was the beginning of Gaala Night.

Lastly, we found another person to replace Deepak Bhaiya. I am missing his name at the moment, but he is from Palia, seemed tough and passionate and straightforward too. We will invite him to Delhi soon! Delkhte hain!

All in all, GM was a fulfilling experience. Each one of us pushed ourselves to the maximum and created a worthwhile experience for them.

The photos shall be uploaded on FB soon. :D

I can observe that I have tended to focus a bit more on things that I was directly part of and somehow I had pictures of them. I am aware of that and shall work on it. I have to write to you about some others things also. It shall follow soon.