Increased attendance in Gram Sabha: The direct impact of the capacity building efforts could be seen in the significant increase in the attendance of the Gram Sabha in each of the 50 gram panchayats. On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, 18 Gram Sabhas were held with a total participation of 2648 persons. Giringkela GP of Sundargarh, one of the most backward regions of the state, saw the highest attendance of 350 villagers.Training Farmers in Natural Farming: More than 1180 farmers have been trained in zero budget farming and use of organic methods of agriculture. The target is to conduct one camp every month in each of the 50 GPs and potentially reach 10,000 farmers. ODF Panchayats: A major thrust was created for Open Defecation Free (ODF) panchayats, one of the criteria to be counted as model villages. Sanitation and cleanliness was discussed and emphasized in every Nav Chetna Shibir. The villagers followed the instructions of using clean drinking water, keeping the surroundings clean, and constructing toilets. De-Addiction: Addiction to alcohol and tobacco was a major issue among the villagers. DC of Jajhpur had officially requested The Art of Living to take up de-addiction program. Through meditation, pranayama, satsang and building awareness through rallies, the villagers were slowly weaned away from the urge for substance abuse. Continued on Page 2

In order to ensure that the vision of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and that of the Government remain in sync, a plan was drawn following The Art of Living’s Integrated Community Development (ICD) model that envisions visible, measurable and sustainable transformation in a community through a holistic intervention strategy that includes:n Focus on four key themes of health, education,

environment and skills developmentn Special focus on women and youth

empowerment and child protectionn Integrating community development

with the national schemes and plans

Problems & Challengesn The villages were in a state of neglect; some

of them were in very remote hilly areas n The tribals were difficult to approach as

they were very reticent and suspicious of people from the plains

n Extreme poverty and socio-economic condition had led to a lack of education, early marriage, and primitive lifestyle

n Malnutrition was acute as their staple food consisted of only roots of plants from the forest, rice, salt and local liquor brewed using roots

n Infant mortality was high

October 2017 THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORE

2 Inmates of Dibrugarh Central Jail Receive Vocational Trainingp 3 Sustainable Seed

Innovation Round Table Conference

p 4 Promoting Natural Farming in the

North Eastp

SEVA TIMESTHE ART OF LIVING

Seva Times l Thrissur, Kerala

Kannamkulangara is a small village about 2 kms from Thrissur, Kerala. A pond in this village covering approximately 1.5

acres had turned into marshy land and was highly polluted with plastic bottles, garbage, and household waste. Efforts by the local government and organizations like Lions Club and Sahrudam to rejuvenate this pond last year did not yield much result, with a budget allocation of 35 lakh rupees, they were barely able to clean 2% of the pond.

Lenin Unni, a Yuvacharya from Thrissur, was so inspired and motivated by a video on the incredible work done by The Art of Living in rejuvenating ponds and rivers across India that he took up the challenge of cleaning up the pond in Kannamkulangara, a village close to his hometown. He mentored five Sevacharyas (Unni, his father; Maya, his mother; and Latha, Naveen, Nixen, from YLTP) to help him with the project. Another four youngsters who underwent YLTP in June 2017 also joined him.

Initially he faced a lot of resistance from the villagers who were very skeptical about the rejuvenation project. However, this pessimism challenged him further to take up the task and complete it. The scenario before the rejuvenation was pathetic. The pond had turned into a dump yard and the stench emanating from the area was unbearable. To start with, AOL volunteers planted butterfly gardens around the pond

and collected 40 truckloads of garbage from the pond. In the beginning, nobody from the village supported this project. Gradually, the energy and entire atmosphere transformed with local villagers coming forward to help AOL volunteers in their endeavor to clean the pond.

The project was launched on June 18, 2017, and completed on June 27, 2017. Around 220 people were involved in this project. It was great team work as Sevacharayas, YLTP friends, Art of Living Family and local teachers Sheena, Sini and Eswar Sir worked tirelessly to complete the project. It was inaugurated by Brahmachari Deepak Ji. The completion was marked by

the presence of Yuvacharya coordinator Syam Peenikkal and international teacher Sri Shal Mohan.

Once the rejuvenation work was completed, the volunteers also put eco enzyme in the pond which made the water crystal clear within just four days. This has created a lot of interest in the use of eco enzyme. The pond and fish ecosystem have become very vibrant. The villagers are extremely happy. The Art of Living courses have gained immense popularity. Thanks to the efforts of The Art of Living teachers and volunteers, the once marshy dumping ground is now a beautiful pond that can hold more than 3 lakh liters of water.

Model Village Initiative in Odisha

Impact

Capacity Building Measures: Rural teachers and Yuvacharyas and representatives of government agencies formed teams and the first phase of the pilot project began in July 2016. Going from village to village, the volunteers built a good rapport with the villagers and brought them together by conducting satsangs, bhajans, storytelling and video sessions. Other relevant topics such as sanitation, hygiene, cleanliness and their own responsibility as humans were discussed. The young and enthusiastic among the participants were also selected to undergo Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP). Nav Chetana Shibirs (594 NCS,16543 participants) and Bal Chetana Shibirs (328+ BCS,16589 participants) were conducted and through yoga, pranayama, and meditation, a gradual transformation in the mindset of the villagers became visible. In addition, government representatives would come and talk to the villagers after every Nav Chetna Shibir and educate them about the various government schemes open to them.

Adopting the Integrated Community Development Model

A packed Gram Sabha in Sundargarh

Marshy Dumping Ground Is Now a Clear Pool of Water

The Art of Living has partnered with the State Government of Odisha to develop 50 gram panchayats (GPs) as model panchayats. When the government agencies in Odisha attempted to bring about a

change in the lives of the poor and backward tribal people in Odisha they made little headway. Skeptical and suspicious, the villagers turned a deaf ear to them. Realizing that they needed the help of an NGO to act as a bridge between the government and the people, they approached The Art of Living confident that with their expertise they would succeed in transforming the mind and thinking of the villagers.

nThe Art of Living partners with State of Odisha to develop 50 model Gram Panchayats

n760 youths undergo YLTP to become catalysts of change

2 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALOREOctober 2017

This year, on Guru Purnima, The Art of Living volunteers in West Bengal floated a project

“Feed the Need” under Volunteer for Better India. India has the highest number of people living below the poverty line. While millions living in rural areas cannot even afford basic amenities of life, affluent city dwellers have a surplus and many among them who wish to donate but do not do so because they do not have a reliable channel to connect them with the needy rural people. “Feed the Need” was conceptualized to bridge the gap between the two,” says Rajesh Somani who initiated and is leading the project.How they function: The project is designed to run like any other corporate organization. A team of about 30-35 dedicated volunteers and a few paid employees enable work 365 days a year. Right now there are 20 collection centers across

the city that allow people to walk in and donate daily needs like food grains, clothes, stationery etc. The collection is sorted into categories at a sorting hub and the items are packed and dispatched to distant villages.West Bengal Flood Relief work: Few months after the launch, incessant rains affected remote parts of West Bengal. Immediately the project team pressed all its resources into service. From collecting and dispatching relief material

to raising funds, the volunteers did everything. Around 450 volunteers supplied relief material to the villages of Malda, Midnapore, Hoogly, Dinajpur and Howrah; organised medical Camps, vaccinations and distributed tirpals. 20,000 liters of water and more than 60 tons of relief material were dispatched in 11 trucks.Unique way to collect funds: “We are going to launch a massive newspaper collection drive in the city in phases. We will sell old newspapers to meet the shortfall of 6-7 lakhs in the relief material procured for flood victims,” says Chandan Mishra, an enthusiastic volunteer.

Cheerful volunteers off to distribute to the needy what they have collected from the donors

Feed the Need!An attempt by Art of Living volunteers

to bridge the gap between the ‘want’

of people living in remote villages and

‘desire’ of city dwellers willing to help.

“When you see your happiness in happiness of others, that is when you will be truly happy.

- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Seva Times l Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh

Dodagatta village in Roddam Mandal of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, is a small village with a population of about

1500 people. In the center of the village is the place where they have still maintained the age-old tradition of worshipping the Gram Devata or the Village Deity. This village center is also the venue of choice for meetings of the villagers, cultural programs, or performing marriages.

K.T. Ranganath, an Art of Living teacher in this village found that a sense of unity and belongingness was lacking among the villagers who were divided on the basis of caste, religion, or political leanings. Something needed to be done to make the

villagers rise above their differences and come together for some common cause. A very old community hall in the village center lay in a state of dilapidation. Ranganath proposed that the village people come together to reconstruct this building. Instead of gathering out in the open, under the trees, the villagers could gather here for their meetings and celebrations. This proposal was accepted by the villagers with a lot of enthusiasm. Villagers themselves contributed the funds and even the construction work was done by the villagers.

The hall is now nearing completion. This activity of construction itself has developed a sense of brotherhood among the villagers and will continue to grow as they gather here to have their village committee meetings, satsangs, and celebrations.

Villagers Come Together to Reconstruct Community Hall

Dibrugarh (Assam) l In 2015 The Art of Living conducted a Prison SMART program for the inmates at Dibrugarh prison. Ever since efforts were being made to provide some vocational training to the inmates so that they would be able to earn a decent income once they got out of prison. After two years of relentless effort, a plate making plant using Areca and betel nut leaves has been installed in the prison and the inmates can now undergo training while they are serving their term to make environment friendly disposable plates. The plant was inaugurated on September 15, 2017. These plate making machines are not expensive and once the inmates are free to go home they can set up

a plant at a minimal cost and have a good source of income. The SSRDP unit of The Art of Living has successfully trained one of the inmates to make these plates and this trained person will be training other inmates. The state government authorities have given permission to install such plants in all the other jails in the state. The local chapter of The Art of Living is pursuing this matter. The current Deputy Commissioner, Laya Madduri, and her predecessor Manivvanan have played a major role in getting this plant installed. IG of Prisons, Mani Bunnam, Superintendent of Prisons, Ranjeet Sharma; Viswajit Bordloi, Mousami Sharma Barpujari have lent their valuable support.

Inmates of Dibrugarh Central Jail Receive Vocational Training

A plate making machine was installed in Dibrugarh jail to extend vocational training to inmates

n Inmates can get trained while serving their term to make eco friendly disposable plates

n Can set up a plant at minimal cost and have a good source of income when free

Ashish Mamgain l Dehradun

The eight-day long Prison SMART Program was conducted in Dehradun District Jail

from August 3rd to August 10th of this year for the inmates. Organized by Ashish Mamgain, the course was conducted by Ganesh Temazare with the assistance of Ashok Aggarwal, Saral Aggarwal, Pooja and Manmeet. There were 80 men and 40 women participants including some hardcore criminals. Impressed with the positive outcome of the program, the jail authorities presented an award of appreciation to the teachers and volunteers. They have also requested that a program be conducted for the remaining prisoners.

Changes became visible in the inmates from the third day of the program. For the first time the inmates exhibited self-discipline which came as a pleasant surprise to the prison authorities. Seeing this the jail authorities have requested that the course be conducted for all the inmates of Dehradun District Jail. The inmates who did the program were remorseful about their past and

resolved to do something good in society as an atonement for the wrong deeds done by them in the past and they would follow the path shown by Gurudev. Mahendra Singh Gwal, Superintendent of the Dehradun District Jail, and Rakesh Verma, Jailer, also did the Happiness Program of The Art of Living and are so happy with the results that they now want the Prison SMART program to be conducted in the Dehradun District Jail on a regular basis.

Transforming Lives in Prison

Teachers and volunteers received an award of appreciation from the Dehradun District Jail authorities for bringing about a positive transformation in the inmates

Inmates report life-transforming experiences after Sudarshan Kriya

“Had the Art of Living come into my life earlier I would never have ended up in jail in the first place!”

“I had first done the program when I was in Tihar Jail. Regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya gave a positive direction to my thinking and I started becoming more humane and my mind voluntarily started following the path of righteousness. Afraid that these changes in me would give my enemies an upper hand and they would come after my life, I gave up the practice.”

“Other organizations had come earlier and conducted several different programs but none of them had calmed my mind the way Sudarshan Kriya did.”

Inmates’ experience after Sudarshan Kriya

Cultural Revival: One of the age old traditions in Odisha is the Bhagabat Tungi where villagers gather in the evening to listen to discourses from Bhagavad. The state government is keen on reviving the tradition. Weekly satsangs and and Bhagabat Tungis are now being conducted regularly in the villages. Creating Catalysts for Change: To sustain the progress and development The Art of Living has proposed and created Bharat Nirman Volunteers (BNV). Selected youth undergo the Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) which brings out the latent leadership qualities in them. During the training period representatives from District and Block Level Administration come to give lectures on their respective department’s schemes and policies. Armed with complete knowledge the BNVs become the catalysts for change. Few of the yuvacharyas are now contesting local body elections. The work is not over yet, it is still work in progress, but the last two years have been significant for the volunteers, yuvacharyas and teachers of The Art of Living from the State of Odisha and to the villagers who would never have imagined the change that has brought in hope and added new meaning to their future.

Continued from Page 1...

Annadan to Cheer Up Encephalitis Patients

Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) l Encephalitis patients come from far flung places seeking treatment at the Encephalitic ward of Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur. Most of them come from families living below the poverty line. A project has been launched in the hospital under the leadership of Dr. D. K. Srivastav to distribute food free of cost to these patients and their attendants. The maximum admissions to this ward occur during the rainy season. The Art of Living chapter in Gorakhpur has donated 125 kilograms of provisions including rice, dal, and cooking oil. Present on the occasion were YLTP State Council member Sanjay Pandey, Alok Gupta, Shikha Vij, Jyotsna Pal, Kanchan Sinh, Gyanti Yadav, and other volunteers.

3 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALOREOctober 2017

Seva Times l Guwahati

The Art of Living has been working in the North East region for many

years now and through numerous mediators and faculty members have transformed more than 1200 hardcore militants over the years, the latest being the surrender of 68 insurgents in Manipur on August 14, 2017. Gurudev has played a colossal role in dialogue and mediation in the LTTE, Kashmir, Bosnia and the Middle East conflicts and is considered unparalleled in his ability to make people see reason and love, where hatred and violence is the order of the day.

In a further attempt to bring an end to the long era of violence in the region, a daylong conference titled “Strength in Diversity: North East Indigenous People’s Conference” was held in Guwahati on Sepember 7, 2017. The main objective of the conference was to build a platform for dialogue, reconciliation and ultimately peace between all the stakeholders in the Northeast region. Leaders from 67 insurgent organizations were present at the conference. Anup Chetia, general secretary of ULFA,

was the coordinator in this forum. Delivering the keynote address at the Conference, Gurudev said, “This is a new beginning for the North East. For the very first time, there is a reconnect of people of this region, which is so diverse.”

Saying that his heart goes out to the people of the region who had to undergo much suffering for decades, Gurudev observed that while the aspiration of every group that has gone into militancy has been to achieve prosperity and welfare, it cannot be achieved with conflict and has to come with cooperation. It is only this understanding that can mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the region, he remarked.

The Conference concluded with the historic signing of the Guwahati Declaration where all the groups present pledged to work together to achieve peace and prosperity in the region.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar delivering the keynote address at the day-long conference held in Guwahati which was attended by 67 militant groups

Strength in Diversity: North East Indigenous People’s Conference

n Historic signing of the Guwahati Declaration, all insurgent groups pledge to work for peace and prosperity in the region

Seva Times l Bengaluru

India is a country in which 90% of the farmers own less than

two hectares of land. As such application of techniques derived from agricultural research which is primarily conducted on large landholdings in water rich regions are of little use to them as they do not produce the same results and they end up spending high amounts on seeds and fertilizers. Keeping the welfare of the marginal farmers in mind, The Art of Living collaborated with Max Planck Institute of Innovation and Competition and Leeds University for a research project on ways to promote sustainable innovation on indigenous seeds among Indian farmers.

The 11-month research project has endorsed that adoption of natural farming techniques that use less water, enrich the soil, cost less than chemical farming, and are based on preservation of the indigenous seed, would greatly benefit marginal farmers.

Delivering the keynote address at The Sustainable Seed Innovation Round Table at The Art of Living International Centre on September 15, 2017, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “Preservation of diversity in seeds is essential. The extinction of even one variety can have great repercussions in this inter-connected world.”

Padmashri Dr.Suman Sahai, Chairperson of The Gene Campaign, said that innovation does not just happen in a laboratory but also in the farm as the farmer has an understanding of the crop that goes beyond its physical properties.

Yash Mishra, a farmer from Chattisgarh, speaking about the importance of seed conservation said that native seeds have more nutrition, taste and variety and can withstand erratic climate and this will help poor and marginal farmers. Other farmers echoed his sentiment.

The Art of Living has been working to create an ecosystem of healthy and sustainable farming for the last 37 years and has trained 22,00,000 farmers across the country in natural farming techniques. Seed banks have been set up to preserve

indigenous varieties of seeds and the organization is now taking the next step of promoting sustainable innovation on these seeds.

Dr. Natalie Kopytko and Dr. Gregory Radick from Leeds University, Dr. PrabhakarRao, Trustee of Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Sanjay MarutiPatil, from BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihood and Development and Kishore Kumar Sharma, Professor at Assam Agricultural University amongst others participated in the Round Table.

Sustainable Seed Innovation Round Table Conference

Farmers, civil society, researchers and government officials draft directive principles for sustainable seed innovation at the conference

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurating the conference at The Art of Living International Center on September 15, 2017

“If the marginal farmer can be promoted to the status of an innovator, then India can export

seeds as a technology to the world.” M. Kochupillai, Senior Fellow, Max Planck

Institute of Innovation and Competition

“The Government will explore possibilities to support the promotion of indigenous seed

innovation.” - Sanjay Khattal, Director of National Seeds Corporation.

Seva Times l Surat (Gujarat)

Art of Living volunteers in Surat, Gujarat, prepared 500 liters of

a herbal concoction (ukuala) and distributed it to around 17,000 people as a measure to prevent swine flu. This herbal drink made with turmeric powder, dry ginger, black pepper, carom seed, basil powder, Malabar nut, and jaggery, protects people from the swine flu virus and boosts immunity.

Swine flu is an infection caused by a strain of influenza that started in pigs and afflicts the respiratory system. It has so far claimed more than 400 lives in Gujarat and over 7000 cases of infection have been reported so far. India has been in the clutches of this deadly pandemic since 2009 and efforts are being made by government and various independent organizations to completely eradicate swine flu in India.

Volunteers Distribute Kadha in Surat to Prevent Swine Flu

Prevention is better than cure – volunteers distributed Kadha, a herbal drink, to about 17,000 people in Surat to protect them from swine flu

For details please contact: 08067433615https://www.facebook.com/YLTPcell @yltpcell

Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) and Dharma Sthamba Yojana (DSY) are service initiatives of Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India [The Art of Living], a registered charitable Trust, head quartered in Bangalore with its registered office at No. 19, 39th A Cross, 11th Main, IV T Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560041

- Ph: 080-67433600 | www.artofliving.org | Email: yltp@artofliving.org -

SEVA TIMES

Inspired by Gurudev

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Editorial teamRam Asheesh

Thoheja Gurukar Bhavinkumar Nakum

To access earlier editions of Seva Times log in to

www.dsyindia.org/sevatimes

If you are working on any project or YLTP activities, please contact us on 8067433616, 9620169697. E mail: editor.sevatimes@yltp.vvki.org

4 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALOREOctober 2017

Prior to 2011, Longbir Ingti’s life was filled with despair and despondency. He was in a bad shape both mentally

and physically. Longbir says if he had he not been introduced to The Art of Living and the lifesaving Sudarshan kriya at this crucial juncture in his life, he probably would not have survived. After attending the Happiness Program there was a radical change in him. His health began to improve and there was a tremendous transformation in him both on the physical and mental level. In 2012 he did the Youth Leadership Training Program which proved to be another turning point for him. The program gave him the grooming to take on more social responsibility and he became more deeply involved in the seva activities of The Art of Living. He is employed in the accounts department of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Government of India’s flagship program. He is now living his life to the full, balancing his time between his job and his seva activities. The model organic farm is his passion and he devotes all his free time to this project. He is married and has four children. He lives in a joint family that has 15 members. All of them have done the Happiness Program. Longbir states that in the initial days he faced a lot of opposition from his family. There were also some financial problems. Things have improved a lot over the years. The maximum resistance came from his mother who had been ailing for nearly 20 years. After undergoing Panchkarma

treatment and doing the Sudarshan Kriya there was a miraculous improvement in her health. The financial problems at home also began to ease. As time progressed the whole environment of their home changed. Coming from a tribal background, they used to be staunch non-vegetarians. Now all of them in his family have turned vegetarian. A younger brother who had left home in rebellion has also come back into the family.

With the blessings of Gurudev, Longir became a teacher of The Art of Living in 2015 and is deeply engaged in the service of the society. He has conducted several courses in his area and is a harbinger of change and happiness in the life of the people in those areas. His ongoing effort to popularize natural farming is yet another step to improve life in those areas. Not one to sit idle, Longbir is happiest when he is engaged in seva. Life

without service is meaningless to him and he finds himself to be very discouraged and disgruntled when he is not engaged in some form of service.

Longbir is spreading awareness on chemical-free farming in the remote villages of North East India. Work of such a large scale cannot be done single-handedly, a team would be required. Four selected youth from Diphu, Sona Sing Ingti, Rajiv Lekehe, Robinson Rongehar, and Rajen Terang, were sent to the Bangalore Ashram to undergo 3-4 months of training in Organic Farming. After their return, other youth from the surrounding villages joined them and the 15 member group started out by setting up a model organic farm in April 2017 in 30 bighas of land. The challenges were many. Since the land is very fertile weeds grow in no time. Clearing the weeds, preparing the land for cultivation, sowing the seeds, and

nurturing the sapling took about 3-4 months. Their first crop of vegetables included chilies, corn, pumpkin, cucumber, beans, gourd, and ladies finger. The heavy rains this year was also another great challenge. These organically grown chemical-free vegetables have a very long shelf life and are also more tasty and nutritious. Marketing was done door to door to friends and their contacts. Gradually the demand grew and regular customers are even ready to pay more for these vegetables. Their initial focus is on cultivating indigenous seeds. The yield will be more with the next crop. They have even added another 30 bighas of land to the existing farmland. The use of Jeevamrutha, an enzyme made using the dung and urine of the desi cow, has increased production. They now even have a nursery and have built a small greenhouse measuring 80 x 40 feet at a minimal cost. The current crop includes sesame, mustard, green gram, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, radish, and seasonal greens. They plan to grow different varieties of rice and millets in the next season. Since natural farming is chemical free the expenses are less and the profit is more. In a short span of just 5 months the group has successfully motivated and trained more than 75 farmers from surrounding villages to change over to chemical-free farming. Longbir and his team should be commended for the wonderful work they are doing to promote natural farming in the North East.

Promoting Natural Farming in the North EastMore than 75 farmers from villages in the vicinity of the model farm have changed over to chemical-free farming

Longbir Ingti Longir became a teacher of the Art of Living in 2015 and is deeply engaged

in the service of society. He has conducted several courses in his area

and is a harbinger of change and happiness in rural areas. His ongoing effort to popularize natural farming is

yet another step to improve life.

The year was 2000. Pankaj Arora was a college student pursuing his diploma in electronics telecommunication. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Fortunately for him

one of his friends asked him to do The Art of Living Happiness Program and that turned his life around. He found his “hit” and “solace” in the Sudarshan Kriya itself and has not looked back since. Inspired by his very first course, he went on to do seven Advanced Meditation Courses in a row.

In 2002, Gurudev asked him to do the Youth Leadership Training Program and ever eager to do his Master’s will he enrolled for the YLTP held in Pathankot district. This program made a deep impact on him and filled him with energy and inspiration. He soon became a full-time Yuvacharya and ever since has been actively involved in several projects of The Art of Living and has been working in Solan, Chambal, and Hamirpur areas of Himachal Pradesh. Having himself been freed from the clutches of drugs and alcohol through The Art of Living, Pankaj was eager to reach out to other youngsters caught in the grip of addiction. In 2007, he started a campaign for

de-addiction in Himachal named ‘Aatm Sudhi.’ The campaign was supported by national and local medical hospitals including AIIMS and ran for seven days along with regular followup sessions for three months. Pankaj became a teacher in AOL in 2008. This gave him further impetus to become involved in social development activities and he went on to build a dedicated computer training center under the SSRDP Trust offering the basic computer course along with software skills such as Tally and Photoshop in the institute. The center has successfully trained over 1600 students so far. The institute holds great pride in teaching and has been self-reliant and

self-sustaining since its insception. It also offers free courses to the needy and underprivileged. Not limiting his quest for the betterment of the society, Pankaj Arora started with an all new campaign of setting up an Electrician Training Center under the SSRDP trust. He set up his first unit in the Tihar Jail in the year 2012-13 for the prison inmates. The project, which was done in association with the local government body was a tremendous success. Encouraged by the positive outcome, similar training units were installed in Murshidabad (West Bengal), ITI (Punjab), Lonar (Maharashtra), and Jammu among others. Pankaj Arora has come a long way in the last 17 years – from being an irresponsible drug addict to taking the lead in social development projects. He continues to work as a full-time teacher of The Art of Living. This apart, he has been doing extensive ground work for Sri Sri Publications and Sri Sri Ayurveda. He has also set up many Divine Shops (outlets for The Art of Living products) across the state. He is currently also involved in setting up a de-addiction center for which about one bigha of land has been obtained in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.

Pankaj Arora: Journey From Addict to Social ActivistFreed from the clutches of drugs

and alcohol through the Art of Living Pankaj has been working

tirelessly for the last decade to help youngsters in the grip of addiction