Abdul The Evangelist

Today I had an experience that'll stick with me for a while to come.
Professor Sudhakar keeps telling us in class, and even a politician I once met in Nanded had told me, "के जिस काम मैं तुम्हें आनंद मिलता है, उसी काम को करो। " and today I did something which I enjoyed a great deal, and which has given me a lot more renewed hope about future career options.
We have this project in TY Journalism about the Right To Information (RTI) Act. It's basically a survey about awareness levels amongst students about the RTI, and I've covered a lot of colleges and its very sad that the majority of them have next to no clue about what the RTI is. Many of them haven't even heard of it! Only a few students from town colleges had some idea about the procedure, and that too was a dismal number.
Anyway, so in my quest to find out more about RTI awareness and my follow up awareness sessions I finally ended up in the Anjuman-I-Islam campus. My initial reaction upon entering the building was, "What a dump!" and that reaction became more and more descriptive the more I explored the campus.
I wasn't really kidding myself that I'd find anyone who would tell me about PIOs and CICs and Clauses and Exemptions from the Act, but it was still worth a try, and more importantly I'd be able to spread awareness where it was needed more.
I first spoke to the Principal of Junior College. Imagine my shock at seeing a lady! I mean, seriously, in the predominantly patriarchal Muslim society it was very welcome seeing a lady Principal.
She was eloquent, courteous, and very, very helpful.
JC exams were going on when I went, so I came back after they were done. Unsurprisingly, most of the students were eager to run out of the place and just get away.
I felt a bit let down, but managed to grab a few students and started telling them about the RTI.
Now, this will probably sound obnoxious, but I guess it was the fact that someone was speaking loudly and fluently in English that began drawing crowds. Within minutes, I had a horde of students who were listening if not intently, at least curiously. After I was done (my closing section almost always has to bet the lack of political awareness amongst today's youth :P) a few of them asked me to come to one of their classrooms and address some of the students sitting over there. I was glad to oblige, and walked into a classroom that contained about 10 students, mostly girls, staying back and discussing their paper, as all girls are apt to do (snort!).
Oddly enough, I was feeling very much at ease, and after securing their attention, started telling them about the RTI. A few more people came in, drawn by the scene, but it was far too noisy for me to continue, so I shut the door and continued like a true lecturer, writing down facts and details on the board, addressing their queries, telling them how the RTI could help and empower them, how they could take corrupt corporators, administrators and wild policemen to task. The bonding I felt with my community was so strong it was almost terrifying.
After I was done, I passed around a sheet for them to fill in their names and streams, and was chatting with the girls.
Apparently, most of them wanted to do medicine and be doctors, and when I asked them if their parents would let them work, for the most part I saw a sad shaking of heads. A truly sad part, and my query on whether their education was only to embellish a matrimonial was met with laughter, but I thought it had sad, morbid undertones, a grim joke.
Anyway, walking away from the college I felt on top of the world. The complete whole hearted support I got from almost all the teachers and students, both of whom requested me to come again so I could address a bigger audience, and the sincerity and hope of the students themselves made me feel like I was walking on air.
The whole experience was some kind of preview to the kind of satisfaction I would experience in the line of work that I have chosen, and I eagerly await the beginning of my career as a civil servant.
And yes, the experience did also reaffirm my long-term political ambitions. :D