KashiYatra-1st Day (24/02/2005)

I have enrolled myself with KY team as volunteer in event management.I was lucky enough not to enroll in security management. My batchmate Govind Jalan enrolled into it and was standing on the gate of Swatantrata Bhavan (SB). 2^nd half of classes were off by short notice from director. I was involved in decoration and various team registration at help desk inside SB. I was helping in putting banners on SB main gate,entrance and in hall. DD bhaiya was managing the volunteers. My room mate AGP was with me. I quoted in my diary-

“There is lot of heated discussion between us like each day. It feels like head on collision on each topic with his counter-views. I do not know problem of that person.When I do not work, he has problems with me; when I deliver the job, he has got bigger objections. I have different style of work than him but is ok man…”

The condition of volunteers was such that we were remembering the name of event coordinators. Such was our preparation for organizing event. People were claiming last year KY (2004) was very good.We have now given responsibility to at lesat maintain that standard.

New director of our institute, SNU came exactly at 4:30 P.M. on the time of inaugral function.At 5:00 P.M. inaugural function started in G-11 due to typical delays by timeless ITBHU, Varanasi. He became angry due to delay in starting. So, our ‘esteemed’ director addressed partially fulled hall in English. It was more about Indian culture and Varanasi than of the cultural festival. The chief guest (do not remember his name) gives speech in Hindi. Then, our director reliazes his iconic fault and lectured again but in Hindi (the mother tongue). Heck, the drama was over soon.

Kavi Sammelan was awesome. I was inside SB with my volunteer card on the name of event management. Inside, I was just capturing seats for my friends only. It was mine first live interaction with poetic event. There was a Sardarjee from Punjab. He was a teacher and I find him most entertaining. I do not even remember the name of rest poets. It was over till midnight.