Hindu YUVA Varg 2011 – Blossoming of the Youth Potential

[Sanaatan Dharma]

March 2011 saw the coming together of youth (high school seniors,
college students and young professionals) from 15 different states for
the sambhag yuva varg, organized at three locations across the United
States. A total of 103 youth from 27 different colleges and
universities participated in these one and a half day long Hindu youth
empowerment camps (yuva varg). The purpose of the varg was to develop
a deeper and broader understanding of Hindu Dharma as well as Sangh
work, give everyone an opportunity to connect with youth from other
places, and inspire the participants to take up active leadership
roles in the society.

The yuva varg were a good blend of physical, intellectual as well as
spiritual activities. Physical activities included warm-ups, niyuddha,
and samata among others. Youth participated with tremendous intensity
in Maha-Khel such as Kho-Kho and Capture the Flag. Intellectual
activities comprised of various talks/presentations on role of Hindu
Dharma in today’s society, Sangh work and social action, understanding
Sangh work in US context, Yuva for Sewa (YFS), current state of
affairs in North Eastern parts of Bharat and Jammu and Kashmir,
inspiring stories from the life of Swami Vivekananda, etc. There were
also a number of discussions on a variety of topics including: the
significance of the ‘take back yoga campaign’, ‘being active as a
Hindu on campus’ and ‘doing sampark on university campuses’. Spiritual
activities included ish chintan (morning prayers), yoga, contemplating
about Bharat Mata and lively bhajan sessions amongst others. There
were also lighter fun-filled activities such as dumb-charades, camp
fire and skits showcasing the creativity and talent of the
participants.

A number of senior karyakartas were also able to visit the varg and
provide able guidance for carrying Sangh work forward. Their simple
presence during the varg and informal interaction with the
participants had a huge positive impact. Food was either delivered
from nearby homes or cooked on the campsite. In either case, it was
very delicious.  Each varg ended with a samarop baudhik on why youth
should be doing this work and how they can make a difference.

Participation in the yuva varg was an invigorating and inspiring
experience for all. People from all backgrounds came together, learned
from each other, and understood ideas from different perspectives.
Participants left with a better sense of how they could involve
themselves in the society and create a substantial positive impact on
their community as youth.