They are both first-generation do-gooders, whose moral highground vocations unexpectedly isolated them from their parents and peers. Says Vimalendu: "I didn't know the meaning of social work in Bhagalpur. My parents wanted me to become an ias officer." But a seismic event shattered his civil aspirations. When an earthquake struck Chamoli in March 1999, raising money for the victims became his overriding concern, and by performing nukkad nataks with friends, Vimalendu raised Rs 1,58,000 in 15 days to build quakeproof shelters.
From then on there was no stopping Vimalendu, who had earlier aligned with the anti-nuke movement and the nba: "It broke my heart to see the Yamuna, which has been such a part of our history, culture and heritage, turned into a drain." And 2001 saw Vimalendu writing a thesis on the political economy of the river and also regularly dredging plastic bags, bottles, tonnes of garbage from the riverbanks, along with the volunteers. Within months, their efforts goaded the government to announce the first-ever Yamuna Action Plan.
Vishal's awakening occurred at the age of 18, when he worked on a college project about the dignity of labour. That's when he became conscious of a lacuna in his privileged upbringing. "I realised I had never been allowed to play with my maid's children when I was young." Reversing this past, Vishal persuaded some of his friends to pool together pocket money. Soon they began reaching out to disadvantaged kids during their spare time, introducing them to theatre, dance, clay modelling and sports. Alongside, just to please his parents, he also graduated in commerce and landed a job in investment banking.
By 2001, he was so convinced about Dream a Dream that Vishal dedicated himself full-time to scrounging for sponsors and funds for his non-profit project. Spurred by the emotional rewards of mainstreaming hiv-positive children and socially-spurned kids from age 4-18, Vishal says: "I earn half of what I used to, but I am happier now."
Like Vishal, Vimalendu is about to return to his calling. He's just resigned from his job at an NGO—from January 2004, he'll be back at the banks of the Yamuna. His parents are dismayed. But he believes things will work out. Because as he says: "Environment is about the way I live, it can't just be a job."
So strobe lights and Shaggy songs be drowned. Here's to these young hopefuls who're making sense out of life rather than unhealthy sums of money.
