Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveA ‘voter-gait’ to create true democracy: Lawyer-activist Chaitanya Prabhu raps for rights

A ‘voter-gait’ to create true democracy: Lawyer-activist Chaitanya Prabhu raps for rights

Written by: Amrita Priya

(April 1, 2022) In 2018 while searching the internet for a new (coloured) voter id, Chaitanya Prabhu discovered that all the processes to register and upgrade were simple and swift. Yet, enquiring if his friends had their new and improved voter id, he was shocked to learn that many had not even registered to vote, and thus were unaware of the simple online process. It left him flabbergasted.

Determined to help his friends get a voter id done, he started a movement. “What started as a small action slowly took the shape of the Mark Your Presence campaign. By word of mouth the information spread, and many people started approaching me for their voter ids,” says Chaitanya in a conversation with Global Indian. The campaign evolved as a result of what people wanted. The need came from the masses and his movement gained impetus. It became so impactful that the Mumbai-based 23-year-old advocate at the Bombay High Court was awarded the UN India Award and Diana Award 2021 for his humanitarian efforts. For the then law student starting such a campaign in 2018, has reaped great rewards.

Voter id | Lawyer-activist | Chaitanya Prabhu | Global Indian

Chaitanya Prabhu, lawyer-activist, founder of Mark Your Presence

Lighting up young minds

His dedication didn’t escape the notice of the chief electoral officer, state election commission of Maharashtra and chief electoral officer of Delhi. They offered full support to Chaitanya’s non-profit and non-partisan organisation. Currently doing a master’s in public policy at St Xavier’s College, Chaitanya gained an insight into how policies are framed. The lawyer-activist addresses his two awards as “extreme light in the darkness.” Since he began, he has mobilised more than 26,000 youngsters to take their first steps towards being responsible citizens of a democracy. Today, Mark Your Presence has 430 volunteers, and 25 core team members.

Honoured to have been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts, The Diana Award.
Thanks to the Diana Foundation for giving me this platform and the opportunity to be part of the Diana family @DianaAward #dianaaward pic.twitter.com/xBlxwRkwxc

— Chaitanya Prabhu चैतन्य प्रभु (@chaitanyavotes) June 28, 2021

“Mark your Presence also offers a leadership fellowship, where we train young people (between 16 and 22) to take part in strengthening the Indian democratic system, and turn every institution into a voter-friendly campus. Selected after diligent screening, they become part of our forum – a certificate and letter of recommendation from the election commission of Maharashtra,” says Chaitanya.

An activist soul

The lawyer-activist has visited top schools and colleges in Mumbai and Delhi for seminars and speeches to empower the youth to become politically aware voters, and choose representatives well – echoing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “I want to reduce the huge gap that lies between the young population and the people’s representatives so they make informed choices to make our country leap ahead with the right leadership,” says Chaitanya who is also a national level athlete.

Winning mantra

An athlete, winning is ingrained in him, and so is perseverance. His sporty side played a large role in shaping this young activist. “I might be seen as a young person with full access to the election commission of Maharashtra but that has come after four years of slogging to prove my mettle,” smiles the young activist, adding, “Wading through bureaucracy hasn’t been easy.”

The founder of Mark Your Presence has represented Maharashtra in track and field events (400 meters) at nationals, and has won DSO national, open national and AISM national championships.

Chaitanya with his grand-father

Incidentally, Chaitanya’s grandfather, MH Prabhu, who passed away a couple of months ago at the age of 101, has been his biggest inspiration. “He was a freedom fighter. My passion to make people aware of democracy and be conscious about their rights comes from him. Having grown up in his presence, it was impossible to remain untouched by the values he stood for, that led him to fight for our Independence; playing a crucial role in the nation’s history. I learned about rights from him,” says the doting grandson.

The extra mile…

“After having helped thousands register, I have come to see that it’s not enough. It led me to start educating the youth about the basics of the Constitution and how they cannot ignore their duty,” Chaitanya explains. Though he is compelled to admit that there is much more to be done.

His Youth Manifesto movement stems from this believe – to ignite young minds and encourage collaboration among long-time youth advocates, environmentalists, activists and emerging leaders. “We want the voices of the young people to be heard by those who matter,” Chaitanya remarks. Rampant discussion on topics that matter, Chaitanya helps these ideas reach changemakers. The team has been working on the manifesto for the past six months and expects it to be ready by May. The movement gained further momentum when Navya Naveli Nanda, the entrepreneur granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan, and Malhar Kamble, founder of Beach Please joined Chaitanya.

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A post shared by chaitanya prabhu (@chaitanya_prabhu)

His idea is that the youth manifesto reaches relevant ministries, BMC commissioner and CM of Maharashtra. From working on the ground, reaching slums, high-rises, he feels everyone wants their aspirations addressed, “We as voters are given manifestoes but not asked about ours. My idea is to involve youth in creating a list of expectations and putting it forward,” he adds.

His larger aim is to increase the number of voter registrations, educate voters, and soar up the voter turnout. “I intend to keep scaling the initiatives,” says the idealist who inadvertently created micro-targeted campaigns like “art for right,” “rap for rights,” “speak for rights” and “she votes.” “Convincing is a difficult job, it requires patience but I never give up on this path of fighting unawareness,” Chaitanya signs off.

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Published on 01, Apr 2022

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Healthcare for all: US teen’s app improves life in rural Maharashtra

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given to young people with significant social initiatives. "The entire idea was inspired by a human geography course at school," he said, adding, "The class was about demographics and societies changing over time and developing and developed countries working together to create societal progress across the board. The idea interested me and I wanted to implement it." So, in 2015, the young Global Indian began work, reaching out to family members who had worked as doctors in rural Maharashtra.

[caption id="attachment_27788" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Aryaman Khandelwal[/caption]

Collaboration with the MAHAN Trust

Aryaman was put in touch with the MAHAN Trust, which provided healthcare to rural parts of the state. The NGO was founded in 1997 by Dr Ashish, who wanted to improve medical care and health services to tribal communities in the Melghat region. They have set up a hospital, child care programmes, eye testing, run nutrition farms and carry out socio-economic research. Through them, Aryaman learned that "maybe 10 to 15 trained guys serve a population of 200,000," he said.

At the time, the MAHAN Trust was training village health workers to carry out basic processes. They dealt with numerous challenges, aside from the lack of qualified doctors and healthcare workers and had to work around the system. There were many quacks, who would quit studying after a year of med school and return home as ‘healthcare providers’. People were also deeply suspicious of outsiders and western medicine alike and didn’t really want to talk to healthcare workers who arrived from elsewhere.

Locals were, however, comfortable with the trained workers, who were from their own communities, who were otherwise not fully educated. "They were trained to take basic measurements, record them and take the data to a hospital," Aryaman explained. Doctors would review it and send back treatments or diagnoses. While the method was innovative, and showed results, it was time-consuming and could take anywhere between two weeks to two months.

Building Get2Greater

That's where Get2Greater came in - it separates the unhealthy from the healthy, so doctors could focus on the more pressing cases. The app can record basic health metrics, compile it in order of priority and send it to doctors nearby. When he started, however, Aryaman "just had a passion and an idea." Equipped with a basic software prototype, Aryaman sent a tablet to MAHAN in India and established a line of correspondence. "I asked them to critique the app," he said. "I realised that India is very far away from the US! We could only speak for a few hours late at night or early in the morning. There was also very little electricity and connectivity."

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Aryaman, who was named 2018 US Presidential Scholar and a Coca-Colar Scholar in 2018, went on to earn a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering in Computer Science from Princeton University. He went on to found ‘Stealth’ along with Harvard grad Dean Hathout.

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[caption id="attachment_33076" align="aligncenter" width="544"] Simar Khurana[/caption]

Girls are no less than boys

Simar’s father Paras Khurana, an HR professional, told Global Indian, “I have two daughters. Simar is the second one, and when she was born, a few people expressed sympathy and were rueful that I was blessed with another girl. They told me to try for a boy. Simar’s achievements are like a slap on their face.”

Talking about the Guinness Book rules he says, “Guinness recognises two categories for the youngest video game developer - one for males and one for females. Simar qualified for the female category. However, if there would have been an open competition, she would have excelled regardless. Sadly, there still appears to be a bias favouring boys over girls.”

Simar is ‘super excited and grateful to be a world record holder’. While her father shared, “the process was very lengthy and exhaustive. It took almost three months to verify and validate.”

Discovering the talent

Simar began her coding journey just this year when her parents recognised her exceptional aptitude for coding, mathematics and doing things creatively. They decided to enrol her in a coding class.

“Such is her creativity that she can create something great out of simple things, and I realised that with her talent for maths and coding she can be a good video game developer,” said her father.

What started as a single class per week soon escalated to three classes, and eventually, Simar dedicated herself to five coding classes weekly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkDujfmrI3U&t=39s

Simar's inspiration for her game promoting healthy food choices stemmed from a visit to her family doctor, who emphasised the significance of maintaining a balanced diet. This conversation with her doctor left a mark on the impressionable mind of the six-year-old, sparking her interest in the consequences of consuming junk food and the importance of making healthier choices.

Driven by her newfound knowledge, Simar embarked on her video game journey to transform the perspective of children her age in a fun manner.

Hiccups along the way

When Simar's parents began searching for a place to provide her with coding training, they explored several options. However, they encountered a common response: "She's too young. Most children are just beginning to learn to read and write. Developing a game would be quite challenging." Many institutions recommended that they introduce her to coding when she is at least eight to 10-year-old.

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“Simar is hardworking and she did it pretty well for a six-year-old to go through five classes a week on coding and then spending a couple of hours every day on practising and doing projects,” he remarked.

[caption id="attachment_33082" align="aligncenter" width="563"] Simar Khurana[/caption]

What’s next?

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width="720"] Ishaan Patel launched Planting Pencils[/caption]

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[caption id="attachment_25047" align="aligncenter" width="714"] Ishaan Patel with his mom who helped him with the launch of Planting Pencils[/caption]

The startling facts nudged the Indian American enough to start Planting Pencils in 2015. He began by designing a website, and creating a permanent collection site at a Staples store in West Hartford to ensure steady donations of pencils, pens, crayons, rulers, used calculators, and computers. His mom helped him to raise funds by setting up donation boxes in different locations and through fundraising events. "ReBoot Computers in my home town agreed to collect and refurbish donated old computers so we can give them to students who cannot afford to buy their new ones. In honor of Read Across America Day on March 2nd, we delivered the charity’s first donations to two non-profit schools in Hartford, Connecticut," said the Indian American.

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[caption id="attachment_25048" align="aligncenter" width="438"] Ishaan Patel[/caption]

Ishaan, who is currently an undergraduate student researcher at Baylor University, plans to build a school in India sometime where he will provide food and water. "I believe that if students are healthy and comfortable, they will benefit even more from the internet access and computers I plan to provide for them. If we provide food and water in the schools, students wouldn’t have to worry about those needs during school or back home. If people are educated, they’ll be able to be self-sufficient," he added. The Indian American believes that the Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day but teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime" illustrates that education is a priceless commodity, and gives one the power to change one's destiny. "I believe that we can make a difference - one pencil, one book, one child at a time."

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How Padma Shri nominee Yogabalaji, 21, planted 10,000 trees, gave Covid-19 talks

(February 25, 2022) From the small Tamil Nadu town of Muduvurpatti comes a lad who has stars in eyes and a steely resolve to affect change towards the environment at the grassroot level. Always socially driven, Yogabalaji G, a 21-year-old engineering student, has been actively working towards creating change from a young age. From initiating tree plantation drives, road safety awareness activities, student and women empowerment, to collaborating with the ministry of human resources and development for the Samadhan challenge to reduce Covid-19 cases in India, this climate activist has always been on his toes. Recipient of several awards - Mahatma Gandhi Award, Climate Reality Leadership Award from Al Gore, and the UNSDG recognition, Yogabalaji was also nominated by the MHRD in October 2020 for the Padma Shri for his work with the government. Busting myths, breaking stigmas Yet, things weren’t always hunky dory for this youngster. Born in 2001 in Muduvarpatti amidst floods that claimed the lives of three of his grandparents, his birth was considered unlucky by most people, except his mother. “She named me Yogabalaji since she considered me lucky (yoga), and I was born during the Chithirai festival - dedicated to Lord Balaji,” smiles Yogabalaji in

amidst floods that claimed the lives of three of his grandparents, his birth was considered unlucky by most people, except his mother. “She named me Yogabalaji since she considered me lucky (yoga), and I was born during the Chithirai festival - dedicated to Lord Balaji,” smiles Yogabalaji in an interview with Global Indian. From a village school that lacked basic facilities like a lab, playground and even toilets, he aspired higher.

“Growing up, I always wondered about climate change and the environment. A lot of my questions were answered when I began college. I began researching some more, and realised that emission of Co2, increase in usage of vehicles, and production of cement were some of the major contributing factors to climate change,” says the young climate activist, who believes in the adage - be the change you want to see.

He spent more than two years researching the replacement of cement in concrete. This was submitted to the American Concrete Institute, a leading civil engineering body. His project received the second prize at the ACI students’ competition. That apart, this climate activist has also been working at the grassroot level to spread awareness about zero carbon and low carbon technologies. “I also speak to students and village folk to spread awareness about environmental issues and encourage them to adopt cleaner ways of life,” says the student at Coimbatore-based PSG Institute of Technology. He also visits schools to hold workshops and has been conducting webinars through the Covid-19 pandemic as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMKxDr_TFlk&t=411s

A tree planting crusader

So far, Yogabalaji has planted more than 10,000 trees and visited more than 50 schools to talk about climate change and sustainable development practices. He also works with leading educational organisations such as Agaram, SEEEDS, and Hope3 Foundation. Some of his research includes social development projects under the TN government.

“The highlight for me was when former President, the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam invited me and complimented me with books and chocolates for the work I’d been doing. It motivated me to continue carrying out social activities,” beams Yogabalaji, who also works in the spheres of senior citizen welfare and road safety awareness.

In 2020, he received a call from the MHRD to work with them in the Samadhan challenge. “I was the only student to be selected for this. My responsibility included creating awareness in rural India, providing masks, sanitisers and other essentials, analysing problem statements, and providing digital solutions,” says the civil engineering student, who spent days sleeping for an average three hours as he juggled various tasks.

Being the change

Given his background and the fact that his community is majorly affected by the lack of education and environment change, Yogabalaji is determined to change things in the future. “In 1995, my village faced devastating drought, and people suffered from diarrhea. In fact, my elder sister too passed away due to illness at that time. A few years later, around when I was born, my village battled floods during which my grandparents died,” he says, adding, “I now want to start an NGO and work in the areas of education and environment. I want to help identify deserving students and provide them quality education by way of mentorship, guidance and involving them in development activities. In the areas of environment, I want to work on CSR policies with leading companies.”

As he marches on with this vision, Yogabalaji wants to be a leader who can affect change and social development. Penning poetry on feminism, environment and singing songs to spread awareness, his oeuvre is about creating better lives. And he is well on his way to doing that.

Follow Yogabalaji G on LinkedIn

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