Where are the leaders?

"Bhaiyon... plz yaar.. plz PAF ke liye kaam karane aa jana..."

- Words spoken at end of the PAF whose sole intent was to revive the lost spirit of PAF

Really? Is this the way now the pillars of PAF & other organizations of IITB are going to get people to work?

Senti maar ke?

Think back.

--

Freshie year : PAF orientation.
G. Sec. ( Khandoo) speaking " PAF is the biggest thing that happens at IIT. Paf मे जो करना है कर सकते हो .. झरना बनाना है 15 फीट ऊँचा ... बनाओ ... helicopter उड़ाना है ? वह भी lifesize ... उड़ाओ... नदी बहनी है ... बहाओ ... जो करना है करो ... पूरा OAT तुम्हारा है - तुम जो चाहो वो बना सकते हो वहाँ पे... बस बोलो क्या बनाना है ??" All this supported by videos of prev PAF's..

The words had an impact. They fired up your imagination - made you enthu enough to go to OAT atleast once and see what's happening there - made you think - what can I do to add to this big thing happening at OAT??

I don't remember the G.Sec. at that time pleading even once to get the work done - he told us only to Dream...

--

Dream - It only takes a Dream to create the future - Techfest .. Techfest orientation -
Zeeshan ( the then O.C.) - standing in front of whole LT - telling us what Techfest was - the biggest Technology festival of Asia - the only thing I could think was ( and probably every freshie in LT thought the same thing) - " What a man he is - omg- heading the organisation that will create something this big - Mannn .. I want to be like him .. I want to stand there and do all that he's doing "

Inspired. Dreams and enthusiasm ignited. Worked for Techfest.

--

PAF 2nd year -
" Ok .. It isn't even that big, not that great, but I am Soc Secy - lemme go up and see what is going on, will be back in 15 mins to complete this game"
Up I go. Some people working - others practicing - umm.. bored - comes Khandoo.

" क्या कर रहा है ? "
" आया हूँ just - देख रहा हूँ कैसा चल रहा है काम "
" अछा?! उधर देख ... 4 freshies खड़े हैं , तेरी responsibilty है उन सब को लेके yeh backdrop complete कर दे"

Responsibilty given. Task on head. Work. Involved till the PAF gets over. Later, obviously, loved it.

- -

2nd year end. Recently had been made manager , Techfest.

I was walking towards SAC for the 1st meeting. Ram Kakkad, the then G.S. Cult., was walking in front of me at some distance. I had worked under him as an organizer in 1st year, had carried out a couple of small tasks under him.

Rounding a corner, his eyes falls on me. The person stops, waits for me to catch up - congratulates me on the recently acquired responsibility, walks me up to SAC, giving me fundaes on how to balance work and acads, and everything in general. Man, what an act ! I never expected him to even remember my name, let alone keep a tab on my progress. And there he was, talking to a person who he barely knew, remembering all details about him.. Tell me, had you been in my place, would you have refused him any work that he asked you at a later stage in life? Would he, at any point of time, have to "plead" to get his work done?

Sadly, in the recent times, all I've heard is pleading -" yaar iske liye kaam karane aa jao" " yaar bahut fat raha hai, plz uske liye kaam karane aa jao" ...... the H 4, 9, 10 was probably a pinnacle of it. Pleading in front of the whole institute.. heart - breaking!!!

Where are they? The people who had the power to ignite dreams similar to theirs in others? The people who could get hundreds of people to work for Techfest, MI and PAF without any pleading? The people .. who had the power to make you imagine - what their eyes were seeing - and then - making you believe that it would be great? Where have they gone?

I read once somewhere - the function of leadership is to create leaders, not followers.
Probably, they missed out on this aspect.
Or Probably, we did.

Music : Wish you were here.....

Why?

The question has been dominating my thoughts almost for two years now.

I think that the roots go back to Techfest.

"क्यों ? क्यों करना चाहते हो ये Techfest?"

This was the crux of all the questions bombarded on me from left, right and center in that 4 hour long 'treat' that changed my life, as it did for 21 other people with me, as it does for 22 other people every year.

The answers vary. But the fact is - the answers exist - from sensible to weird, everyone does have an answer.
" I want to do this fest because it's a huge challenge in front of me - to do something this big , is an opportunity of lifetime"
" अरे , दुनिया को दिखाना है, मेरी g@#$d में भी दम है !! मैं भी कुछ कर सकता हूँ !"
And with such dreams, such aspirations, everyone starts his journey

A year later, when he has done his share for the fest, comes the period - popularly called "The Void" of a manager's life. "The Void" - this term has been coined for the period of life of a manager when he suddenly realises - he doesn't have any work left. The thing that ate up ~20 hrs/day of his life for the past one year - is suddenly - over. He doesn't know what to do with his time.

It was this void that killed me. I tried to find solace in Yahoo! Messenger, my PT, job hunt and CAT preparation, and some time down the line, in my job..but nothing has seemed to fill up the void completely.

The one year old " Why Techfest" had eventually given rise to the question - " Why life".

There was one difference this time - I didn't know the answer.

The tragedy is - I still don't know the answer.

Do you have any answers?



Music : Godsmack : Why do we dream .....