Raghu Raj Murmu - Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

 

If you would have seen me the first time, I came for the youth camp in May 1997 and now, you would definitely be shocked. I used to be an extremely shy, introvert, reserve young kid who used to speak ONLY HINDI when I first came to the Youth Camp that year. I was confused, aggressive and filled with rage towards few of my close relatives for their rude behaviour against my mother. Packed with grudge to the core, I stepped into the campus of IofC (then MRA), not sure why I am even coming for this event.

Today when I look back, I am thankful to the old man from France who told me about the Youth Camp, Viral R. Mazumdar to take me as a participant even when I was underage for the camp. I grew in a wonderful manner with the help of IofC’s training I had received amidst the various problems I faced on a personal level.

Although I messed up a lot of things in my life here and there but the overall outcome has been excellent so far. Three years ago, I took the initiative to get my Bullet rider’s club of Jamshedpur-RoadMelters into Club’s Social Responsibility. We as a rider’s club now undertake Road-Safety Presentations in the schools of Jamshedpur on a regular basis. Through this initiative we attempt to encourage the youngsters to ride and drive safely which is also the main motive of this CSR. I am also one of the two co-ordinators of Jamshedpur for a Facebook group called Santhali Youngistan. This group is a gathering of the youth of my Santhal tribe’s community. Through this I have started the initiative to promote the awareness of our language-script, culture and history among our Santhal Youth who are disconnected from it for various reasons. Occasional meet-ups and regular Santhali language-script classes has been started under this initiative.

The values I took back from IofC helped me establish and run three various businesses without much difficulty. I keep coming to IofC to recharge myself and help whomsoever I can with my experience. Today my business is run by my partners while I have taken up content writing and motorcycle riding as a lifestyle and profession. Because of this, I get to explore life more. But to the core of everything in my life and around it, are the four standards of PHUL.

Warmly,
Raghu Raj Murmu