By A. Subramanian
Place: Hyderabad
Belief:
"Young minds can make this world a better place to live"
Philosophy:
"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier"
Mother Teresa

19th May 2011

Photo

This day 18th May 1991   One score years ago to the date, 18th May 1991 when the future was a question mark for many young people. The political agenda that led to the madness of Mandal Commission recommendations being dusted up and proposed to be implemented in a cheap political stunt for political survival. Hopelessness, gloom, despair driving many a youth to self immolation and other defeatist reactions… Yet it was the day a little lamp was lit.   A few weeks earlier…    A year since we began to be inspired by Sri Eknath Easwaran. We were having a casual conversation at a friend’s house. When our friend brought up the subject of how the future was looking bleak for his teenaged daughter and others of similar age. We all shared the despondency. It was a nagging pain. Can we do something? Not on a grand scale but for a few youngsters at least? Our memories went back to our own college days. And those two clubs - Young Orators’ Club and K Circle - that taught us to teach ourselves. What the founders of those two clubs had done, can we do it now? Why not try to replicate that experience?   Once the idea sparked, things moved swiftly. We broached the idea to that little girl? Can you gather a group of friends who will be willing to help themselves? Enthusiastic and energetic that she was she swung into action and in a few days got over a dozen boys and girls to come together to listen to our plan.   A plan that was simple in concept and simpler in execution. At least so we thought!    After some teething trouble we could fix a venue and date for the exploratory meeting, 18th May 1991, HAL Union Room. We told the assembled group of boys and girls that wanted the young people of HAL colony, Balanagar, Hyderabad to form into a self help group to develop their self confidence, public speaking, interpersonal and organizational skills.    And they agreed and formed the club - Young Challengers’ Club. YCC, for short.   The process consisted of meeting for two hours every Saturday evening and have programs of debate, quiz, Group Discussion, Book Review, Mock Interview etc. Organised by the members themselves; for themselves, each member took turn to organise a program and evaluate the performance of the rest. We had not heard of the ‘peer review’ then!   Looking back, it is amazing what these young boys and girls could do. Essentially they dug deep into themselves and brought up latent inner resources and let that turn into performances. Initially it was a struggle. Some wilted but most survived the ordeal. There were a couple of already good guys. But most others had to achieve progress by sheer determination and toil. Competing with their own image of themselves. YCC’s motto was “We can’. And they did.   For three years we kept a tab on what was going on and how well. After that we moved away to let them grow on their own exclusively.    Twenty years on, we can look back with quiet, genuine satisfaction… over a thirty of those youth are today well placed in career and life. All of them are models and inspiration to the next gen.    The 18 yr old teenager, er… 38 yr young man, the first President of YCC called today to declare that Young Challengers is now Old Challengers!   True, the club, YCC, does not exist anymore. But it had achieved its purpose. Like Swami Vivekananda said it is ok to be born in the church but it is not ok to die the church.    N.Srinivasan & A.Subramanian 

This day 18th May 1991

 

One score years ago to the date, 18th May 1991 when the future was a question mark for many young people. The political agenda that led to the madness of Mandal Commission recommendations being dusted up and proposed to be implemented in a cheap political stunt for political survival. Hopelessness, gloom, despair driving many a youth to self immolation and other defeatist reactions… Yet it was the day a little lamp was lit.

 

A few weeks earlier… 

 

A year since we began to be inspired by Sri Eknath Easwaran. We were having a casual conversation at a friend’s house. When our friend brought up the subject of how the future was looking bleak for his teenaged daughter and others of similar age. We all shared the despondency. It was a nagging pain. Can we do something? Not on a grand scale but for a few youngsters at least? Our memories went back to our own college days. And those two clubs - Young Orators’ Club and K Circle - that taught us to teach ourselves. What the founders of those two clubs had done, can we do it now? Why not try to replicate that experience?

 

Once the idea sparked, things moved swiftly. We broached the idea to that little girl? Can you gather a group of friends who will be willing to help themselves? Enthusiastic and energetic that she was she swung into action and in a few days got over a dozen boys and girls to come together to listen to our plan.

 

A plan that was simple in concept and simpler in execution. At least so we thought! 

 

After some teething trouble we could fix a venue and date for the exploratory meeting, 18th May 1991, HAL Union Room. We told the assembled group of boys and girls that wanted the young people of HAL colony, Balanagar, Hyderabad to form into a self help group to develop their self confidence, public speaking, interpersonal and organizational skills. 

 

And they agreed and formed the club - Young Challengers’ Club. YCC, for short.

 

The process consisted of meeting for two hours every Saturday evening and have programs of debate, quiz, Group Discussion, Book Review, Mock Interview etc. Organised by the members themselves; for themselves, each member took turn to organise a program and evaluate the performance of the rest. We had not heard of the ‘peer review’ then!

 

Looking back, it is amazing what these young boys and girls could do. Essentially they dug deep into themselves and brought up latent inner resources and let that turn into performances. Initially it was a struggle. Some wilted but most survived the ordeal. There were a couple of already good guys. But most others had to achieve progress by sheer determination and toil. Competing with their own image of themselves. YCC’s motto was “We can’. And they did.

 

For three years we kept a tab on what was going on and how well. After that we moved away to let them grow on their own exclusively. 

 

Twenty years on, we can look back with quiet, genuine satisfaction… over a thirty of those youth are today well placed in career and life. All of them are models and inspiration to the next gen. 

 

The 18 yr old teenager, er… 38 yr young man, the first President of YCC called today to declare that Young Challengers is now Old Challengers!

 

True, the club, YCC, does not exist anymore. But it had achieved its purpose. Like Swami Vivekananda said it is ok to be born in the church but it is not ok to die the church. 

 

N.Srinivasan & A.Subramanian