"There is no elevator to success - you have to take the
stairs"...
A quote as simple as it is substantive. A quote we were often
told in school, especially during the last phase of our school life.. We were
told to give our best to ensure we get a college as good as we deserve. We
ended up in Pantnagar with dreams larger than life and goals as high as the
sky.. The lack of facilities was a sure setback, but the serenity, the soulful
beauty of the place more than compensated for it..Life at that time was
classes, studies, daily chores and walks..
Soon came the time for inductions and every other day we would get to hear
about some society or the other. They seemed brilliant, the way their
orientations were conducted, refined and fluent in their speech and
presentation. They were alien to us, though. Then came SPIC MACAY, one of the few
some of us had heard about even before starting with our college life.
Always, SPIC MACAY events came as a breath of fresh air, ethnic
and Indian at the very soul of them. It was like meeting with a relative in a
foreign land. The time for the SPIC MACAY inductions finally came and
(surprisingly for most of us) we were short-listed.
Thus the SPIC MACAY chapter of our life was born. The very first
face of SPIC MACAY was introduced to us in the memorable farewell of the SPIC
MACAY 2010-14 batch, where we perceived for the first time the family that really
existed within the society.
Even though we hardly knew the seniors we were bidding goodbye, the bonds that
existed were almost tangible. We could feel their parting ache as our own. It
was mesmerizing to witness that such strong emotions could bind people
belonging to faraway places in just a matter of two years! The ceremony
progressed, and we witnessed a unique ritual: everyone had to feed everyone
else. It was surprising to see how a simple Indian habit ("jhootha khane
se pyaar badhta hai") could be turned into such a sweet gesture of love
and care. The function concluded with a presentation that captured some of the
very precious and memorable moments spent with our seniors.
A bright Sunday morning was then chosen for our workshop, where
we witnessed for the first time the tremendous effort and hard work that is put
in behind every SPIC MACAY event. We came to know the basic rules and
regulations that govern the society, the way work is meant to be carried out,
the level of perfection that is expected of us. It sure made us anxious, but
they concluded with expressing their faith in all of us, and their trust in us
made us want to live upto their expectations. It was now that we really became
a part of SPIC MACAY...
Our work in SPIC MACAY commenced with the making of the Teachers'
Day cards. We went through different quotes suitable for expressing gratitude
towards our teachers, and somewhere along the line, we realized the miracle a
teacher really is. Often, we take the routinely good actions for granted, until
someday something happens that makes us ponder over them. It was just the
‘something’. We realized how much different teachers have shaped our lives the
way they are today and made us so much a better person than we were. Thus,
another Indian principle was set deep in our soul : ‘A teacher accords as much
respect as God.’
In a matter of just a few days, SPIC MACAY has taught us more
than we ever could have imagined. It has helped clear our perceptions and
attain mental peace.
By incorporating the very basic and simple Indian methods in everyday life, we have learnt more about our culture than any history book could have taught us. It has filled us with a deep reverence for the India of our past, where harmony resided in every heart, and satisfaction came from helping the other; where the guest was treated as high as God, and the whole street was the neighborhood..
SPIC MACAY, living upto the essence of its cause, has motivated us to bring back the India that once existed - that still resides in the hearts of the people, and we are thankful to it for the change it has made in our lives. . .
-Amit Singh Bisht, Bhumika Giri Goswami, Purva Kulshrestha,
Shourya Negi, Urvashi Pande
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