रेप, बलात्कार, छेड़छाड़ ये सारे शब्द सुनते ही आप सभी को क्रोध आता होगा। हम सभी को घृणा होती है, निराशा होती है, गुस्सा भी आता है, लेकिन क्या हम इन सब को महसूस करने के अलावा कुछ और करते हैं। जवाब होगा हाँ, क्योंकि आपको लगता है कि सड़कों पर नारे लगाना, रैलियां निकालना, कैंडल मार्च करना यह सब इन समस्याओं का हल है। आप बिलकुल गलत सोचते हैं, इन सब को रोकने के लिए असल में क्या करना चाहिए, इसका उदाहरण हैं इंदौर की स्त्री रोग विशेषज्ञ डॉ. दिव्या गुप्ता। डॉ. दिव्या ने अपनी निराशा और क्रोध को ऐसे ही शांत नहीं होने दिया। उन्होंने इन सब घटनाओं से औरतों, लड़कियों को बचाने का अभियान शुरू किया।
इनकी प्रेरणादायक कहानी सुनने के लिए देखें यह वीडियो।
डॉ. दिव्या ने जस्टिस फॉर ज्वाला नाम के संस्थान को जन्म दिया, जो पीड़ित स्त्रियों के न्याय के लिए काम करता है, उन्हें खुद की आत्मरक्षा करना सिखाता है और उनके अधिकारों से अवगत कराता है। इतना ही नहीं यह संस्थान महिलाओं को शिक्षित करके उन्हें रोजगार भी दिलाता है।
ज्वाला के कुछ ऐसे किस्से हैं जहाँ उन्होंने साबित किया है कि वे औरतों को इन्साफ दिला रहे हैं । रमीला नाम की एक औरत जिसका पति उस पर रोज़ ही अत्याचार करता था, लेकिन पुलिस ने उसकी FIR दर्ज नहीं करी और फिर ज्वाला ने रमीला के पति को जेल की सजा दिलाई और आज रमीला ज्वाला का एक हिस्सा हैं। इसके अलावा ज्वाला ने एक 32 वर्षीय महिला सविता की मदद की, जिसका पति उसे पीटा करता था और मारने की धमकी दिया करता था। ज्वाला की टीम ने सविता को आवश्यक कानूनी सहायता, शिक्षा और परामर्श दिया। वह अब कॉलेज में एक शिक्षक हैं और स्वतंत्र रूप से अपना जीवन व्यतीत कर रही हैं।
यह एक थप्पड़ है समाज के उस हर व्यक्ति पर जो बस तमाशा देखना जानता है।
जस्टिस फॉर ज्वाला के पीछे डॉ. दिव्या का मुख्य उद्देश्य कमजोर महिलाओं को अधिक सशक्त और आत्मविश्वासी बनाना है। ज्वाला की टीम में कुछ प्रशिक्षित पेशेवर हैं जो लड़कियों को आत्मरक्षा के तरीके सिखाते हैं। ज्वाला ने अब तक 75,000 से ज़्यादा लड़कियों को प्रशिक्षित किया है और आगे भी करता रहेगा।
डॉ. दिव्या का दुर्व्यवहार करने वालों के लिए केवल एक सन्देश है- “जिस क्षण आप हमें छूते हैं, हम एक ज्वाला बन कर आपको जला देंगे।”
क्या आप किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति की कल्पना कर सकते हैं जो पोलियो होने के बावजूद भी अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर ऐसे खेल में भाग ले जहां अत्यधिक शारीरिक शक्ति की आवश्यकता होती है? राजिंदर सिंह रहेलु इस सवाल का जवाब हैं।
इंडियन पैरा ओलम्पिक पॉवरलिफ्टर रहेलु का जन्म 22 जुलाई 1973 को पंजाब के जलंधर ज़िले के मेहसमपुर गांव के एक नुक्ता कश्यप राजपूत परिवार में हुआ था। छोटे से परिवार में हुए इनके जन्म की खूब खुशियां मनाई गई, लेकिन 8 महीने के बाद इनकी माँ को इनके पोलियोग्रस्त होने का पता चला। एक ऐसी बीमारी जिसका पता चलने के बाद सारे परिवार में मायूसी छा गई।
इसके बाद लोगों ने उनके परिवार को सहानुभूति देना शुरू कर दिया, वहीं कुछ लोग यह भी कहने लगे, “ऐसी ज़िन्दगी होने से अच्छा तो ना होना है।” लोगों के इन शब्दों के जवाब में रहेलु आज एक अर्जुन अवार्डी हैं, जो उन्हे डॉ. कलाम द्वारा प्राप्त हुआ। इनकी यह कहानी इस वीडियो में देखें-
रहेलु का कहना है कि उनके परिवार का साथ और साहस, उनकी हिम्मत बना। पॉजिटिव थिंकिंग, आगे बढ़ते रहना, पीछे मुड़ के तो देखना ही नहीं है, ऐसी बातों ने रहेलु को इतना तो बता ही दिया था कि शारीरिक विकलांगता यानी फिजिकल डिसेबिलिटी उनके जीवन में बाधा नहीं है।
इस एहसास और उनके माता-पिता की हिम्मत के साथ उन्होंने 1996 में सुरेंद्र सिंह राणा से वेट लिफ्टिंग सीखनी शुरू की और उन्हें काफी सराहना मिली। इसी सराहना से मिले जोश से रहेलु ने कोच पवन गोनेल्ला के साथ मिलकर पंजाब के लिए गोल्ड जीता और एशियन बेंच प्रेस चैंपियनशिप दिल्ली में पहला अटेम्प्ट दिया। 1998 में वो नेशनल पॉवरलिफ्टिंग चैंपियनशिप के विजेता बने, एथेंस (ग्रीस) में 2004 समर पैरा ओलम्पिक्स में 56 किलोग्राम श्रेणी में भाग लिया, 157.5 किलो वजन का भार उठाने के बाद उन्होंने अंतिम स्टैंडिंग में चौथा स्थान हासिल किया। 2006 में उन्हें अर्जुन अवार्ड से सम्मानित किया गया और 2014 कॉमनवेल्थ गेम्स में वह सिल्वर विजेता रहे। इस तरह उनकी उपलब्धियों का सिलसिला बढ़ता रहा।
इस सफर के दौरान उन्होंने अनेकों कठनाइयों का सामना किया, जहां उन्हें आने-जाने में दिक्कतें आई लेकिन उन्होंने उस समस्या का हल ढूंढा और एक सस्ती सी व्हील चेयर अपने लिए बनवाई। उन्होंने हार नहीं मानी क्योंकि उनका मानना है, “कोई भी परिस्थिति आपको रोक नहीं सकती।” रहेलु आज ‘पंजाब सोशल आर्गेनाइजेशन’ का हिस्सा हैं और ‘पैरा स्पोर्ट्स एकैडमी पंजाब’ में वेट लिफ्टिंग कोच भी हैं।
“पैसे से ज़्यादा हिम्मत के दो शब्द इंसान को कहां पहुंचा सकते हैं”, इसका उदाहरण रहेलु खुद हैं। एक गरीब परिवार का विकलांग बालक आज इंडियन पैरालिम्पिक पॉवरलिफ्टर है।
बालिका वधु जैसे प्रसिद्ध टीवी सीरियल में सुगना का किरदार निभाने वाली अभिनेत्री का असल नाम विभा आनंद है। देहरादून के एक छोटे से गांव की विभा के सपने हमेशा से बहुत बड़े थे। भले ही गांव में रहते समय वे तेल लगे बालों में 2 चोटियां बना कर रहती थी, ज़्यादा खूबसूरत नहीं दिखती थीं लेकिन उन्हें इस बात का आभास हमेशा से था की वो एक अभिनेत्री ही बनेंगी। हालांकि मुंबई जैसा शहर और टीवी की ये दूर से रंगीन दिखने वाली दुनिया परदे के पीछे ऐसी नहीं होती। कढ़ी मेहनत, लगन और दृढ निश्चय ही आपको यहाँ आपकी पहचान दिलाता है। विभा ने भी मुंबई में खूब संघर्ष किया और आज वे बालिका वधु, कैसी ये यारियां और महाभारत जैसे कई प्रसिद्ध टीवी शो में काम कर चुकी हैं।
इनकी प्रेरणादायक कहानी इन्हीं की ज़ुबानी सुनने के लिए देखें यह वीडियो।
विभा आनंद देहरादून के एक छोटे से गांव में जन्मीं और वहीं उन्होंने अपनी शिक्षा ग्रहण करी। खुद को एक अभिनेत्री की तरह देखने वाली विभा अपने पिता के साथ मुंबई आ पहुंची। उन्होंने अनेकों ऑडिशंस दिए, और रिजेक्ट भी हुईं। कितनी ही बार री-टेक्स लिए, उनका मज़ाक भी बना करता था पर वे कभी-भी हताश नहीं हुई और अलग-अलग सेट्स पर जाकर प्रयास करती रहीं। फिर एक दिन उन्हें बालिका वधु के सेट से कॉल आई कि उन्हें सुगना के किरदार के लिए चुन लिया है।
यह उनकी उड़ान की शुरुवात थी, सिलसिला चलता रहा और आज वे कामयाब हुई। विभा इतने में रुकी नहीं, बालिका वधु के बाद उनकी पहचान सुगना जैसी हो गई थी, रोने वाली परेशां महिला जैसी, इसलिए उन्होंने निश्चित किया कि वे कुछ अलग किरदारों में आकर अपनी अलग छवि बनाना चाहती थीं। उन्होंने यह भी कर दिखाया कुछ साल बिना काम के रहीं लेकिन आज वे MTV के शो कैसी ये यारीआं में अभिनय कर रहीं हैं।
विभा का कहना है-
“शहर छोटा हुआ तो क्या हुआ,
मेरे सपने बड़े थे,
मौके कम थे तो क्या हुआ,
मेरी उमीदें बढ़ी थी,
रास्ते में आने वाली वो दिक्कते अनेक थीं,
लेकिन उनसे लड़ने की हिम्मत मुझमें कई ज़्यादा थी।”
Over the years, Bollywood has come to be known more for its entertainment value and less for its quality of cinema. However, there are still some who haven’t been carried away by its glitz and glamour. Anshuman Jha is one such name. His talent and hard work shines through in every film of his, be it “Love Sex Aur Dhokha”, “Bakrapur”, “Chauranga” or “Mona Darling”.
Make Your Own Decision
Anshuman’s mother wanted him to go to Delhi University. But he knew he had to go to Mumbai, for acting was his calling. His acting career began long back with Prithvi Theatre when he did his first play at 15 years of age. One thing led to another and he got his big break on the silver screen with “Love Sex Aur Dhokha”. His latest film, “Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain” won the Best Feature Film award at HBO’S South Asian International Film Festival in New York. How did Anshuman go from attending acting workshops at Prithvi Theatre in his summer break to making it big in Bollywood? Watch the video below to find out.
Don’t Live And Dream, Live The Dream
In the video, Anshuman reveals how he landed a role in the hit movie “Love Sex Aur Dhokha”. “I am from Delhi and I used to visit Mumbai to see my sister. She put me into the summertime acting workshops at Prithvi Theatre. During one such workshop, Ramnath Tharwal cast me in his play. Then it became an yearly routine. I soon completed my diploma acting course at Barry John’s Academy. I also assisted Subhash Ghai for three years. I went for a screen test for Love Sex Aur Dhokha and they selected me. The rest is history.”
He wants to try and work in different genres with different types of actors. “My next film is called Angrezi Mein Kehte, which is a romantic comedy. This was one genre I wanted to do and I am really glad I got a chance. This movie is a comedy with a lot of soul in it.”
Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out
Anshuman doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind, and the unconventional characters he has played on-screen prove that. In his debut film “Love Sex aur Dhoka”, Anshuman played a low-caste boy who gets killed for falling in love with a Brahmin girl. In “Chauranga”, he essayed the role of an uptight Brahmin man who thinks he owns the village. He’s clearly a powerhouse performer. His message in the video — persistence never goes unrewarded — is not career specific. It applies to everybody out there who dreams to make it big.
Dr Akkai Padmashali is a famed transgender rights activist from Karnataka and known for her bold and passionate voice in campaigning against Section 377, which criminalizes sexual minorities in India.
When Obama was recently in India, Akkai was present at the Obama Foundation Townhall to interact with the former President, where she raised a question about how she should raise her voice against this criminalization. She also asked him how the LGBTQ community should go about their movement since all they wanted was love and acceptance.
Obama, being the great leader he is, went on to answer this passionately without commenting on the legislature of the country. He did not refrain from telling her how to find her voice and to ensure that their voices are heard by the authorities. He stressed on the importance of sharing and spreading her experiences and her story. He went on to give examples of how the Black community have also faced similar situations in the past, and how art forms can also play a big role in changing the outlook of the majority towards such sensitive issues.
Akkai’s story is one filled with struggle. Having been forced to work as a sex worker, having to resort to begging to stay alive, Akkai was rejected by all layers of society because of her gender and sexuality. She highlights that all the LGBTQ community wants is peace and harmony. Akkai raises a very important question to the Indian government when she questions Section 377 and how ‘legal’ it truly is.
More power to you Akkai, we the people of India are with you!
A self-made aviation entrepreneur and cancer survivor, Kanika Tekriwal launched JetSetGo in 2013. JetSetGo is an exciting venture that has revolutionised the private aviation industry and put India on the global map.
What Is Life If Not An Adventure?
Kanika started working at the age of 17 against the wishes of her conservative Bhopal-based Marwari family, who wanted to get her married soon after she graduated from college. When she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 21, she realised that she had to live to please herself by living life on her terms. “It was indeed a blow. But I refused to give up. It took nine months of rigorous treatment with the help of chemotherapy that cured me. Yes, that time was tough, but the best part of that time was that on the one hand, it tested me beyond my limits, on the other hand, it gave me time to think about what I have to with my life because I knew I wouldn’t surrender and recover from this phase.”
Watch the video below as Kanika reveals what inspired her to venture into the aviation sector post an exhausting battle with cancer.
“Many customers asked why a trip should cost them as much as a Rolex,” Kanika remarks in the video. Such queries sowed the seed of an idea in her head to offer a service for booking chartered flights. Thus, JetSetGo aka ‘the Uber of the Indian skies’ was born. Eighteen months down the line, the company has 77 aircraft on offer and last month, and it recorded a 100% growth in revenue. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that JetSetGo has completely re-defined the experience for private charter customers in a span of merely four years.
Using Her Setbacks As Stepping Stones
Traditionally dominated by men, the aviation sector is not an easy place to break into. Kanika reveals that she faced sexism at her workplace. “The clients are aghast when I am introduced as the CEO. I receive remarks such as ‘you should take up baking cupcakes’ and the likes. Sometimes when I am assertive, I am considered arrogant whereas a man being more assertive than me is considered passionate. It has been a task, but I have taken it in my stride. I believe girls can make it happen.”
Her Winning Mantra Revealed
The taskmaster who made it to the Forbes’ Under 30 list last year, gives a very strong and clear message. “I think having faith in yourself, having courage, believing in yourself is 99% of the game when you’re starting anything. The 1% can be luck, chance, and knowledge. Because if you don’t believe in yourself, why will the world believe in you?”
Kanika’s story proves the age-old adage – where there’s will; there’s truly a way.
I recall reading a play in Class 12 titled “On The Face Of It” by Susan Hill. It revolved around a character named Mr Lamb, an army veteran who lost one leg in a war. The tragic mishap did not shake his unwavering courage and positivism. Instead of focusing on what he could not do, he shifted his attention to what he could do but never found the time to – reading and making jams. And that, by his admission, was one of his most fulfilling life experiences.
Devendra Jhajharia’s narrative bears some semblance to Mr Lamb’s. Born in Churu district in Rajasthan, Jhajharia was the victim of an unfortunate accident when he was merely eight years old. He lost his left arm after being electrocuted by a live wire of 11,000 volts while attempting to climb a tree. Ironically enough, his village then was among the 18,000 Indian villages that were electrified but had no electricity. The near-fatal injury forced the doctors to amputate his left hand right away.
A Rough Start
Jhajharia was devastated. “When I came from the hospital back to my village, the first thought that came to my mind was that now I won’t be able to go back and play with my friends. What will they say? Will they even include me in a game? Will they isolate me because I was weak? As a child, you fall prey to a lot of such thoughts,” he confesses. Watch the video below as Devendra further reveals the thoughts that kept him up night after night and at which point in his life did he decide that surrendering was not an option.
Staying true to his never-give-up attitude, Jhajharia pursued his passion for athletics unabashedly by taking up javelin throw at school. Since his family could not afford to buy him a javelin stick, the determined child used a bamboo stick and practised the sport in the fields surrounding his village. Nothing in the world could have prepared him, though, for what came next.
Fortune favours the brave
In 1997, he was spotted by Dronacharya Awardee coach Ripu Daman Singh while competing at a school sports day. Singh took him under his wings – introducing the athlete to the concept of para-sports in the country and guiding him on his early sporting endeavours at college and district level. From here on, there was no stopping the prodigy. “Since the other kids didn’t want to play with me considering me a liability, I decided to play a sport and be better at it than them,” Jhajharia says with a smile. At the Railway trials, he competed alongside able-bodied applicants to earn a job and upon winning served as Office Superintendent for 11 years.
Like any other para-athlete in the country, Jhajharia too has had his brush with struggles. His pleas for sponsorships from corporate houses did not yield any result and there was a time when even the government turned a blind eye.
Recognition Followed Suit
But all this changed when Jhajharia created history by becoming the first Indian to break his own record at the Rio Paralympics 2016, winning two gold medals. He won gold at Athens Paralympics in 2004 with a record javelin throw of 62.15 metres. At the Rio Paralympics, he broke the record throw with 63.97 metres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a moment of immense pride took to Twitter to congratulate him after his Rio win. The PM’s words, “India is very proud of Devendra Jhajharia” were met with warmth and glee.
It is no more a fight to fit in for Jhajharia. His staggering achievements are the stuff that legends are made of. As his contribution to sports became more and more widely known, both Government and private sponsors approached him. He is currently supported by GoSports Foundation– a nonprofit venture working towards the development of India’s Paralympic athletes.
Apart from being India’s flag-bearer at the 2016 Paralympics, Jhajharia was awardedthe prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award this year. To this day, he remains the only Paralympian athlete to have been decorated with the revered Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth highest civilian award.
A Powerful Life Lesson
The 36-year-old champion has a message for all Indians – dream big and remain focused. “When I go to camps, I never leave my javelin in the storeroom. I always kept it in the room with me. It is because I should see my target 24 hours a day. The problem is we tend to get distracted by other things in life when our mind should actually be locked into our target,” Jhajharia advises. He makes a great point.
The biggest takeaway for me from Jhajharia’s and Mr Lamb’s accounts has been this – there are an enormous number of people in the world who get knocked down by life because of one reason or another. Not many of them fight back, admitting defeat. The ones who hustle hard, make history. The question that arises is, which one out of the two do you plan to be?
Why is history relevant? If we approach it from the vantage point of our need for survival, support and security than time, then history imparts a crucial lesson to every entrepreneur. This wise observation by historian and leadership development expert Pradeep Chakravarthy reveals the genius that he possesses.
Using traditional Indian philosophy, art and literature, Pradeep has significantly improved the revenues of McKinsey by a whopping ₹300 crores in two years. His key to understanding the present and future behaviour is by understanding the past.
Pradeep’s talk cannot be simply cast aside as that history lecture you couldn’t wait to escape back in school. Watch the video below as he reveals why every budding entrepreneur should take history lessons very seriously.
In the video, the expert on ancient temples of Tamil Nadu exclaims that these temples are unique. “The temples have over 50,000 inscriptions – economic and socio-political records, useful today if our entrepreneurs could read the words of wisdom on how to run a business.”
Pradeep stresses on the lessons imparted to entrepreneurs by the organisational structure and operation of these temples. “If we study temples as organisations that employ people, that attract customers and that generate revenue, then what we see is that if you want long-term impact, if you want financial sufficiency, it seems to make a lot more sense to look at how we can connect with people not so much from the mind but from the heart as well. When we work towards fulfilling the needs of others, we consequently fulfil ours. If we do this, we can leave the same impact that a 2000-year-old temple left upon everyone!”
Gaurav’s transition into adulthood was marked by confusion and a general sense of lack of direction. He tried and yet failed to become a doctor, engineer and a singer. Like Sulochana aka “Sulu,” Gaurav craved to be in the spotlight. Though his unusual antics didn’t help him secure a spot in a singing reality show, it was at this moment he realised that he had a personality which best suited a career in radio jockeying.
The similarities between RJ Gaurav and RJ Sulu do not end here. Both Gaurav and Sulu are obsessed with attention and drama. Their rich voices are a reservoir of immense possibilities. They came from humble backgrounds and weren’t afraid to dream big. Eventually, their can-do attitude helped them break into the radio-jockeying industry. The love of their listeners has since established them in the field.
RJ Gaurav absolutely loves being pretentious, but never in his wildest dreams did it occur to him that he could make a career out of it. His stance is clear – there is nothing wrong with being “extra.” The film “Tumhari Sulu” also advocates that it is okay to not conform to all the pressures and norms of society. Watch the video below as Gaurav reveals how he went from being a nobody to India’s most beloved RJ.
In the video, RJ Gaurav exclaims that he learned an important life lesson while working briefly as a call centre employee who sold credit cards. “Your most important sale in life is to sell yourself to yourself. At this point, you might be thinking that you would rather sneak into your office every morning without being noticed than market yourself. If so, you’re not alone. While some people are relatively comfortable talking about their own strengths and achievements, generally people don’t like doing so. But here is a healthy thing to remind yourself: Selling just means to communicate your value to others. Secondly, selling can be done in an honest and ethical way. And finally, you have a right to take up space in this world like everyone else.”
His overly-persuasive persona and exuberant personality landed him a role as an RJ on 92.7 BIG FM. In popular perception, an RJ is somebody who “gets paid to talk a lot and play trendy music.” Sulu and Gaurav together aim to fight that perception. “A lot of people feel miserable about their 9 to 5 job and complain about how they’re left with no time for themselves. I believe the real reason behind their complaints is that they are not in love with what they do. I’ve had to stay back in office several times until 3 or 4 in the morning. Take note that whether rain or sun, I reach my workplace every day at 6:30. I love doing what I do and I have never felt the need to grumble about it.”
So, there you have it. Do what you love to do and give it your best shot!
How many times have you started something and then given up because it’s too hard? In the year 2015, Ratnesh Pandey almost made it to the peak of Mount Everest before a devastating earthquake in Nepal cut short his journey. But instead of letting failure bog him down, he decided to face it head-on. Last year, he mustered up the courage to take over the world’s highest mountain again. The daredevil ended up not only winning over the mountains but also the hearts of every Indian – by becoming the first person to sing the National Anthem on the top of Everest.
A climber by passion, Ratnesh braved many hardships to fulfill his dream of scaling the Everest. From preparing for the climb to battling bad weather conditions, his journey up top was extremely treacherous. Watch the video to find out how Ratnesh overnight became the nation’s pride.
In the video, Ratnesh discusses his rigorous training. “I underwent a very tough practice of more than three months, which included 10 km running, 40 km cycling, half an hour swimming and yoga for 30 minutes, everyday.” In fact, singing the national anthem on the Everest’s peak was a cathartic experience for him. He claims that he immediately felt a lot more calmer and peaceful after crooning “Jan Gan Man”. It also pumped him up to take the journey back.
The mountaineer of Indian Mountaineering Institute dreams of creating awareness for youngsters to come ahead for taking new challenges and complete them. His life lesson is extremely inspiring- “Every mountain top is within reach if you keep climbing.”
