Gramya Manthan Story #4 Capacity to Suffer

A mentor of ours, Aseem described passion as capacity to suffer. One of the reasons why Gramya Manthan happens in peak summers in Uttar Pradesh is inviting people from all over the country to experience the rigour of the place that shows up in the heat. Within the team, we have discussed this several times on the need to do it in summers. It also acts as an auto self filter for non-serious candidates. Summers in rural can be hard in Northern India especially for young people from urban areas.

In the middle of the program, we have been experimenting with creating a simulated experience around Food inequity - where people get divided into different economic classes and based on that they get their food through the day. A poor will get a roti and onion for instance and a rich may get delicacies complete with desert. Its a disruptive experience even for the holders of the experiment - the cohort surprises us each time.

This time immediately after breakfast, unrest built up and the whole cohort came together protesting the system. I was role-playing part of the administration, learnt how those in power can get completely disarmed if the people stop cooperating at the mass level.

What was most inspiring was 2-3 participants had given away their food through the day to stand up against the system. In a limited setting, their capacity to suffer through the process while standing up for what they believe in - was amazing. It was a glimpse of soul force that Gandhiji referred to.

This passion, this capacity to suffer is part of the leadership capacity we are trying to nurture - making service an act of personal transformation.

The Food Administrator enforcing the system

People organising themselves for taking on the system