Rajiv Agarwal - Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

 

In 1995, I attended a regional youth conference in Jamshedpur. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. I was still in school. But those few days left something in me. The energy of the volunteers, the sense of purpose, and the honesty in the conversations stayed long after the event ended. Something inside me shifted. I felt like I had found a space where people weren’t pretending. They were just being themselves. And in doing that, they were making others reflect too. That year planted a seed.

The following year, in 1996, a few of us from my school in Jamshedpur travelled to Panchgani to attend the National Youth Conference. It was my first real exposure to the world of silence, introspection, and deep conversations and many new friends from across the country which was really exciting for me. I was just 16. That age when you are unsure of many things, but you feel everything intensely. Those ten days changed me. I had never experienced anything like it. The early mornings, the quiet walks, the personal sharing, the laughter with new friends from across the country was a totally new experience for me and I felt like I belonged there .

When we came back, the experience didn’t end. I started writing letters. Lots of them. Dozens at first, and then hundreds. I would spend evenings writing to people I had met in Panchgani. That habit of staying connected became a big part of who I am. Even now, I continue to keep in touch with many of them. It’s probably one of the things people associate with me in Let’s Make A Difference — that I never lost touch.

I often say that the biggest turning point in my life was meeting Viral Bhai. His calm presence, the way he listened, the way he held space for each of us — it made me realise how one person’s quiet strength can influence so many lives. Alongside him, Neha Ben’s warmth and clarity added so much to my understanding of life and relationships. I can never fully express how deeply they have shaped the path I’ve taken. Every major decision in my life has in some way been touched by what I learnt from them and at Lets Make a Difference.

Over the years, I had the chance to travel with Viral Bhai on many memorable journeys. One that stands out was a trek to Kedarnath and Badrinath through the Valley of Flowers. We went with a group of friends from Moral Re-Armament.  That trip was special. The mountains, the silence, the long conversations, it felt like life had paused to allow us to reflect and reconnect with ourselves and make friends forever.

Some of my oldest friendships began back then. Vijay Rane, Amit Keshan, Disha Karia, Sagar, Madhav, Anirudh Jejani , names that are more than just people. They are stories. They are shared silences, old jokes, handwritten letters, and long phone calls. These relationships have stood the test of time.

One thing I look back on with quiet pride is the fact that I attended sixteen consecutive National Youth Conferences in Panchgani. Every year, without missing a single one. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I always found my way back. That space became home.

This year marks twenty-nine years since my journey with MRA, Initiatives of Change, and Let’s Make A Difference began. It’s hard to believe. So much time has passed, and yet, the feeling of walking into that centre in Panchgani is still the same.

When I met Shraddha, I introduced her to this world. She took to it with such sincerity that she became an integral part of the movement. In 2013, we both started coordinating the Jamshedpur Youth Conference with the support of the National Team and Kerala Public Schools specially Late Sir APR Nair, Kartha mam and now Sharat and Lakshmi. Since then, we’ve organised ten regional youth conferences together. This year, we’ll be hosting the 25th Jamshedpur Youth Conference. It feels full circle.

Now, as my daughter is about to turn sixteen, the same age I was when this journey began, I find myself looking back with a lot of emotion. Gratitude, nostalgia, and also a quiet sense of responsibility.

Let’s Make A Difference is not just a phrase for me. It is where I’ve learnt how to live, how to relate, and how to keep growing. It gave me friendships, direction, the importance of relationships in life and quiet time that continues to shape me even today.

And for all of this, I remain deeply grateful and will continue to serve in spreading the work of Lets Make a Difference.