Preamble to the Diary of a Social Activist

Preamble to the Diary of a Social Activist - Artist by Shrikant Soman

I am a Social Activist working with the sense of wonder and an enthusiasm of a child and political maturity of a hardened politician. I try to keep my core clean and pure while getting involved in the muddy waters of social activism. Occasionally, I do use my killer instinct of a Lion ( Incidentally, I am also a LEO by zodiac sign) for making a penetration where nothing less would do. I am driven by my deep love for motherland – Bharat, whom I treat as a Goddess. I am straightforward, to the point, fearless person, because it is my natural self and I draw my comfort from being so. I prefer to take a back seat in a group meeting, trying just to observe and contribute in a low profile manner, but somehow, as it always happens, I get drawn, dragged or thrown up to the front position. I only realise it only after it had happened ! And then I become a changed person. I create many enemies and leg-pullers on the way. This is a very painful process. I fail to understand or appreciate the mental framework of these people.

Most people feel I am intelligent. I feel this a misnomer. Being intelligent is NOT a function of the brain or the genius. Intelligence FLOWS into you when you keep things simple and get rid of the clutter of emotional baggage and get free of the imprisoning IMAGES of yourself you get locked in. Every person is a born intelligent person – getting dumb as he gets older, because of his tendency to always get into the cocoon of his comfort zone, blocking out the possibilities of adventure and uncertain terrain. I am not referring to the mathematical intelligence. I am referring to the LIFE intelligence.

This diary is a notings of my experiences on my journey in the field of social activism. It is written with the curiosity of a child – who is ever ready to learn, energetic, excited with a sense of adventure. Actually I would prefer to call myself a Social ARTIST. The word activism has connotations of the lofty ideas of struggle, hard-work, sacrifice, dedication etc. I HATE to EULOGISE my work. On the other hand, my view of this activity is more like being CREATIVE and EXPRESSIVE of my ideas, drawing JOY from the activity, LEARNING in the process while at the same time getting EXCITED with the new challenges and adventures. I am an AMATEUR ARTIST in the field of social activism.

I do NOT have any big and spectacular achievements to boast of. I do manage to have very good results, but I am abysmally poor in stealing the limelight and the credit for the job well done. I stay away from the scramble of the crowd at top of the ladder, pulling and pushing each other down. I am into this field for just a year. I am NOT a very well known personality. I work at the grassroots, working with the people, most of whom have their own agenda for being in this field. They are the miniscule replica of our corrupt political leaders and bureaucrats. These social activists are the real CAUSE of our corrupt and decadent political and social system. At the same time, there certainly are very good and dedicated social activists. But they are poor in working with the team and have very high EGO sense. I feel absolutely ‘Odd Man Out’ in this group. However, there is no alternative. There is a temptation to become ‘armchair’ activist – to form an elite club, shoot letters to authorities, meet dignitaries and senior politicians, create own flashy and smart web site, be visible in the media and APPEAR to be a firebrand activist, leaving the ground level dirty job for others. However, it will only boost my EGO and false sense of self worth. I will certainly do exceptionally well if I decide to become a member of this elite club and that too in a very short time. However, my inner self will get suffocated in this situation. On the other hand, trying to work on the ground level with these ground level people is also a very frustrating and painful task. But THIS IS THE WAY.

I am applying the principles of Sri Anand Yoga – doing the job as a JOYFUL ACTIVITY, with skill and dedication, passion and commitment, zeal and enthusiasm. Taking life a HAPPY PILGRIMAGE towards LIGHT. This is an absolutely ESSENTIAL PART OF MY YOGA and SPIRITUAL PATH. I am guided by the message of Srikrishna in Gita. I am blessed to have Sri Aurobindo and Mother as my Guru.

In this diary, I will share with you my experiments and wonders on the way. Read it with a FRESH MIND. Become a Child with me. Then only you will really enjoy the journey. Do not expect to have any magical exhilarating experiences, or to climb mount Everest, or anything of the sort which make great men like Mahatma Gandhi or Swami Vivekananda. This is an experiment in the wonderland of life by an unknown LIFE WONDERER.
You are also invited to visit www.shrikantsoman.com for knowing me better