The YSM Annual Day of Gulbarga Diocese took place on the 8th of January 2011 at St. Joseph’s Convent School, Gulbarga. 450 students along with their animators from Bidar, Bijapur, Yadgiri, Shahbad, Wadi and Gulbarga took part in the deliberations of the day. Although it was from morning 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., it was encouraging to note the trouble taken by students and animators to be present in large numbers from far off places.
The topic of the day was “Students for a Green and Harmonious World”. The organizing team made all the necessary arrangements to ensure the active participation of students through out the day. A well prepared welcome & inaugural program facilitated by the students of St. Joseph’s School. The dignitaries for the day were Smt. Shalini Rajneesh IAS, Women & Child Welfare Department; Mgsr. Fr. Leo Veigas; Sr. Margaret (RYLA); Sr. Superior, Head Mistress, Dinesh Dinakar, Bidar, the National Exco of Karnataka along with other local persons.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Smt. Shalini in her talk said, ‘students you are lucky to have voluntarily joined this movement, soon India is going to be a Super Power, why because young people will be the rulers of this nation. But you have a wakeup call…. In another 20 years, we are going to be without water. Therefore, what is that you can do together - the difference you can make? Gulbarga is known as the backward area; how do you feel about it? Well it is said that in SSLC we have poor results. Around 60% pass while the rest fail. If only the 60% had to think, let us reach out to the 40% in order that we all can achieve 100% result. Often it is not the case; we have become competitors and exercise power one over the other. She further sighted the situation of health & hygienic conditions, lack of safe drinking water, use of toilets; cleanliness in our surroundings & neighborhood, different ways we pollute and cause damage to the earth, environment and humanity.
At the end she gave practical tips on how to improve on our care and protection of the environment. They are as follows:
1. Awareness creation about open-air defecation. Availing the funds available in the Government and other NGO’s
2. Plastic problem was again reiterated
3. In the near future, the world is going to run short of water so various ways and means of saving water.
4. Vermi Compost pits and the plantation of trees
5. Neem tree seeds to be used as fuel.
6. RTI and Consumers club for which Government has some fund, which our YSM’rs can avail.
7. Use of CFL bulbs
Fr. Leo Veigas and Sr. Margaret thanked the efforts of animators and students and wished success for the day’s program. After the inaugural session, Fr. Prasad SDB conducted the ice-breaking session. Then Sr. Margaret through power point presentation introduced the theme of the day. She highlighted the facts on the ecological crisis and urged the students to make a concrete and realistic contribution towards the betterment of the situation. The students were then divided into groups and were sent for further discussion. 12 pictures were on display, each group had to choose one picture and prepare a caption apt to the picture as well as slogans, which were later used for the rally. In addition to the activities of the day, the YSM units came prepared with placards; the best among them were awarded. There were donation coupons sold by the students and the draw of the same was held, the prizewinners were announced. The units also participated in the speech and dance competitions which was also theme based.
All these different programs were part of the afternoon. Fr. Santhosh Dias was the chief Guest, who at the end of it flagged off the rally around 4.30 p.m. The students and animators shouting the slogans, carrying the placards passed through the town; the winner of the speech Pavitra from St. Joseph’s School delivered the speech in the street corner and sang the YSM anthem. The rally continued to the DC Office, in the absence of the DC, the Tahasildhar received the memorandum signed by more than 500 students.
Fr. Michael SDB, the youth director of Gulbarga thanked all the students, animators and all those who assisted towards the success of this program. There were several press reporters present during the day and things were reported in Praja Vani; Sanyukta Karnataka; Vijaya Karnataka. The YSM students will continue their work towards a Green and harmonious world.