Today, pledge to initiate change by jotting your thoughts for a non-profit that will compile them into a book to present to PM Modi
Citizens penning letters at a Dearest India workshop
Two years ago, while working in Sweden, city-based advertising professional Ankur Rander came across Dearest Scotland, an initiative that invited citizens of the country to pen letters envisioning its future. Inspired, he joined the global campaign by launching Dearest India, as part of his creative design company, Bombay Design Centre’s Creative Social Responsibility (their version of CSR).
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Citizens penning letters at a Dearest India workshop
“Last year, we did a test run and received good feedback. In the last two months, we have pushed the initiative into a full-fledged campaign,” says the 27-year-old, who has held workshops and events in the city to spread awareness about the initiative and invite citizens to pen handwritten letters. If you are keen to pen a letter yourself, head to their stall, which will be put up at Humsafar Trust’s The Acceptance Meet in Bandra.
Ankur Rander
Post perfect
“The idea is to crowdsource data from the country and discover what the nation wants, which includes their suggestions, aspirations or the issues that they face, where every letter starts with ‘Dearest India’. We will handpick the most thought-provoking letters and compile them into a book, which will be presented to the Prime Minister at the parliament in December,” informs Rander, adding that its copies will also be distributed to public libraries and schools.
Through on-ground events and their digital portal (they have a letter template on it), the team has received 300 letters from citizens in Mumbai, Rajasthan, Delhi, Pune and Chandigarh. The mix includes a letter from a transgender citizen who writes, “We want jobs. Because we don’t get jobs, we go to wrong jobs and dirty jobs. And then society blames us” and an 11-year-old who wonders if the increasing climate change is the reason for her fever. They have also received a letter in Braille from a visually impaired person from Kota (Rajasthan), who seeks faculty to train his community, so they can be of better help to the country.
A platform for ideas
“Many letters also include ideas. For instance, one suggests introduction of an examination for politicians. These will be compiled to create a digital platform, Ideas For Change,” he says, adding that the larger vision of the non-profit initiative is to create India’s largest public survey platform, a social tool and reference for change-makers and media outlets to learn what India actually thinks.
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