New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- A tiny village near Erode in Tamil Nadu witnessed a cross-country marathon run with the participation of thousands of youth, organised by a young couple, Karthik and Chithra, who returned from the USA after working in a software company for about sixteen years, with the dream of making their own village self-sufficient and a little republic. Both husband and wife were determined to set up a software company in their village with the aim of providing employment opportunities to young engineering graduates hailing from villages in and around their own village and coming out of engineering colleges, thereby raising the standard and quality of life of rural households. Both Karthik and Chithra's intention is that young graduates who aspire to go abroad to earn their livelihood should earn the same amount of income while working in their village software company. It is their dream; that is why they called it Kanavu Gramam (Dream Village).
While setting up the company in their village, they made it a point that the village character should not be disturbed and the environmental conditions of the village should not be spoiled. It should be a model village and a modern village; accordingly, they constructed tiny work sheds with traditional architecture, allowing people to enjoy the beauty of nature while working at their workstations. In modern times, construction means steel, sand and cement. But the Dream Village has followed the conventional method of using mud blocks and less cement and steel. While visiting the village, one would feel that one is in Auroville in Puducherry, created by the Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
The couple developed this dream while they participated in such a marathon run in the USA when they were working in a software company. After setting up the company, they were determined to improve the quality of life of people in the villages around Annamalai Kottai by improving the quality of education in public schools. The negative factors that work against village unity and democracy could be eliminated through a process of activities and organising. Sports activities are one. This was their firm belief.
This startup company is working with companies in 19 countries, producing software material with the involvement of 180 staff working in the company. Their dream is not only to create a company to earn profit or money but also to transmit their dreams to the youth by conducting such a marathon involving thousands of young people drawn from areas far and near their village.
When the youth are involved in sports, arts and music, they will be disciplined, and the differences created among people based on caste, colour and religion will disappear. Against this background, this marathon was designed.
In this company, they are not only providing employment opportunities to the youth, but they are also orienting and training young graduates to make them suitable for employment. Language proficiency and fluency are a challenge for many rural youth coming out of engineering colleges, and hence, they are providing communication skills to the graduates. When I visited Annamalai Kottai village on September 6 to participate in the programme, I found a mini Switzerland and the PURA dream of former President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in that small village. All modern facilities are available in the village while retaining the character of the village. At 5.00 in the morning, the tiny village saw a crowd of thousands of youth and their parents. They came to participate in the programme. One-, three- and five-kilometre runs had been designed to suit the requirements, and people enthusiastically participated. Industrialists, Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, the District Collector and a host of VIPs participated in the programme, as they felt that this startup company would be a role model for many graduates working abroad to come back and set up such a company to help our country. After participating in the programme, while interacting with the couple, they made it clear that our villages should be developed in such a way that village life becomes enjoyable.
In the name of developing villages and providing employment opportunities, we should not destroy the character of the village. Hence, we have created small structures with materials available in the village. People working in the startup company are earning as much as they can earn abroad, and at the same time, they enjoy village life and improve the quality of life in rural areas. Through the cross-country marathon run, they want to create awareness about the health of the youth and new opportunities available in the world. They work for the "Next Future". We need youth like Karthik and Chithra in every village to develop villages in our country. Certain individuals have such instincts and render service to their villages, and it is necessary to motivate and ignite the fire in the youth to take responsibility for the development of their villages. They also need to be trained.
Views expressed are personal. The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.