Go with the Flow: Vraj's Reflection from Gramya Manthan

Contributor: Vraj Chauhan

When I was leaving for Gramya Manthan from my home, I was not sure what exactly will happen?How will it help me to explore myself? My main intention behind being part of Gramya Manthan was Self Exploration. I was going through low and confused time of my life,when my beloved friend Samyak held my hand and said you should go for Gramya Manthan. Attending GM 10 was actually an accident for me, I thought the deadline to fill the form was over but luckily I had three days to fill the form before submission.My trust towards Samyak and as his faith on GM, made me believe that there something awesome coming up next, which will help me to conquer something new in my life open a new door for me. But, I was not sure how will it happen. With lots of confusion, I boarded the bus and all the questions were roaming here and there. 

I was excited about this 10 days journey but those questions were just not allowing me to feel that excitement. And, suddenly I whispered within,Vraj “Go With The Flow” Don't think much, it is going to be an amazing Journey. I travelled from Chennai to Ahmedabad which is my birth place but never lived there for quite a time, though reaching there covers me with positive vibes and home like atmosphere. But, when I reached Safai Vidyalaya and Sabarmati Ashram, I was able to feel 10 times of that positivity. I am not sure what was there but I guess the soul of Gandhiji and other like-minded people nurtured that place for me. 

From the 0th minute of reaching there, I started observing new people, and I was able to see the same excitement, same hope and same intention I was feeling. The place was so positive that talking to other cohort members, I was not feeling I am talking with them for the first time. The way we were open to each others ideas,perspective was so awesome that I was really interested in talking to everyone. All of us were from different backgrounds but still, we shared something common which helped us to connect with each other in a very short span of time. I remember how the conversation was coming so normally without any effort to talk inspite of me being an introvert, who who pertains selectivity but those 10 days were like, i was not me, I was interacting with each and every person. In those 10 days, I was able to feel inner me, to whom I was not listening to, but GM helped me to understand him and to find what inner me is looking for.

Currently pursuing my undergraduate degree, where I was trained to think linearly and where i was trained to mark things right and wrong. But in GM, some sessions were very strange for me and it was constantly challenging my belief ? After some sessions, i was blank, I had no clue What to say and what I was feeling. I was confused, meanwhile i was looking for Wrong and Right. For example,In one of the session, the speaker Mr. Ashish Kothari gave the definition of ‘Development’ which was not resonating with mine and maybe it happened with lots of people. I was confused and surprised but as I heard him, I was at that critical point, from where I was able to see both the‘Development’ without any bias. It was life-changing for me. I saw a big block in front of me on that road where I was travelling with my development’s definition that I was following since many years. That unnecessary thing we do to improve our lifestyle, but at the back, it is harming us more than we think of.

While i am writing this, every event is just coming and whole process is happening again inside me. Each process and conversations had something deep, which helped me to go deep and helped me to explore myself. From first day, YA team did an awesome job with the trust building. Every one of us was trusting each other and sharing what we felt at that moment and some instances which i never wanted to share. It helped me a lot exploring myself and to find what is deep inside me. I can't summarise those 10 days i spent with the most amazing people. Every day was new and exciting. Whatever event, the process was going on, I wanted it to last longer. Whether it was sessions, a journey on a bus, talking with people, or making Bajre-ka-Rotla with the women during rural immersion. For me, everything was a comfort zone. I don't know how 10 days fled away. The fun and learnings I had in those 10 days were next level. If someone will give me right to edit geography textbook then I will edit that the smallest days in the year is when you are in Gramya Manthan :-) Honestly, i was not sleeping properly but still that energy meter was always full which helped me to experience each and every moment effectively. 

I have met here the most inspiring person, who are swimming against the flow of society. Who wants to live their life by their own. Listening to them was just amazing. How they see the world was eye opening. Everyone of us was doing something different, but same things we all are seeking for.

It all had begun from filling the long GM application form that helped me introspect myself. The long call just helped me to know myself better and those 10 days changed a lot of things within me and resultant was immediately the next day inspite of planning another trip to a new place directly went to my parents and almost surprising them reaching home,expressed immense gratitude for being the backbone behind this journey, and trust me the happiness and emotions i saw and felt, i had never felt it before,they are beyond words.

If you are a person who is going/willing to participate in Gramya Manthan, I just want to say only one line dear “Go With The Flow” in those journey of 10 days. You will find something unique about yourself.