By Jacob Peenikaparambil
Indore: “Self transformation is the best way to bring about change in the world” was a powerful message conveyed at the conclusion of the silver jubilee celebration of Universal Solidarity Movement (USM) of Value Education for Peace Indore.
Students, teachers and principals from various Indian states, who are partners of USM, attended the movement’s 26th foundation day on July 16 along with prominent citizens of Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh.
Siddhi Yadav from Lonavala, Maharashtra, said that her stage fear disappeared and she drastically reduced the use of mobile phone to 15 minutes a day.
Senior journalist, Shravan Gargh and former group editor of Dainik Bhaskar, shared his appreciation of USM as a clean organization transforming hundreds students into responsible citizens without owning any landed property and building and without taking any grant either from the government or funding agencies.
Social activists and renowned singers from Gujarat, Charul Bharwada and Vinay Mahajan, inspired the audience with their oking songs. They sang five songs that highlighted the struggles of the marginalized communities in India and the need for building peace and harmony among the communities and countries.
The audience sang a song on the preamble of the Indian Constitution in different languages holding lighted candles in their hands to stress the feeling of oneness among diversities.
Vinay, an agriculture engineer with a post graduate degree from IIM Ahmadabad and Charu, an architect had left their corporate jobs and started an organization called Loknaad for creating awareness about problems of the marginalized communities in India and the issues related to environment, human rights and communal harmony.
They have composed more than 50 songs and conducted more than 600 hundred performances to different kinds of audiences.
Several students such as Mayawati Paikrao from Hingoly, Maharashtra, state shared with the audience their own personal transformation after joining the movement.
Paikrao said she stopped eating junk food and could control her anger. She also started helping her mother in the household works.
USM has trained 6,817 students from 22 states in 345 groups to become enlightened leaders through its one week Enlightened Leadership training program from 2007 to 2018. As many as 14,719 teachers of 269 schools were given orientation programs to become mentors
Through the bi-monthly magazine of Youth Action USM continues to motivate and strengthen the youth to become visionary leaders and contribute to build a nation and world of peace and harmony.