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21-year-old Offered USD 10,000 By Afghan President For A Project

By Meghna Bose

Sharan K.A., was a final-year journalism student at Christ University when he, along with his debate team, started Dialogue as a platform to introduce good orators, and policy makers, very instrumental in bringing in like-minded youth on a single platform to debate, discuss, brainstorm and create awareness about social economic, civic, political topics and people who could bring about social change. In today's world, people doesn't like to talk much about politics, so they took up this task to get youngsters involved and interested in not only politics but other aspects as well. Diverse, energetic and intense were the terms he used to describe his organization.

Dialogue is a non-for-profit organization run by students with the primary purpose of bridging the gap between public and private education in India by bringing them all under the same platform and giving them equal prospects to speak and contribute towards the betterment of the society and the administration. Dialogue believes that the country needs change not just from students in the high end institutions but from the youth as a collective group.

Sharan K.A story

The members of Dialogue have been brought together by their accord for debating and desire to change the current paradigm to the entire debating system in our nation. According to him debating should not be just for those who are fluent in a particular language or following only a particular way of going about the debate, but because they are full of ideas that can be appreciated and through this form of interaction, can be put to correct use for the present and the future of the nation.

This group is run by students from prestigious colleges in the city and guided by the advisory board that consist of top politicians, social organizations, corporate sectors and educational institutions. Dialogue has engaged with around 10,000 students in 15 institutions through events, online sessions and seminars, with an objective to encourage them in political arena and educate them about government functionaries.

His flamboyant involvement in such activities has got him featured in national newspapers. Eminent speakers and think tanks of socio political disciplines like Dr. Sashi Tharoor (MP, Thiruvananthapuram) Ms. Sowmya Reddy (MLA Jayanagar), Mr. Tanveer Ahemad (Spokesperson, JDS), Prof. Rajeev Gowda (politician and academician), Mr. Prakash Belawadi (media personality) were a part of the events organised by Dialogue.

Sharan started with B. Pac (Bangalore Political Action Committee) where he used to interact with local leaders. His gradual uprising in B. Pac attracted the summon of the State Working President for Congress where he assisted with legislative research. This way it helped him in preparing press conferences, speeches and research related to civic services. After a year he started with Dialogue where they organized couple of activities in various colleges that gathered upto 10,000 students.

He was into debating team at the St. Joseph College Bangalore, where he used to attend conferences in different schools and colleges across the city. He was speaking in a conference at IIM Bangalore, which was attended by students (Law and Medicine) from different corners of the country. Furthermore, students from Afghanistan were also a part of this conference, that helped broker a connection with Sharan. Eventually, the Afghan students pitched some of the like-minded thoughts of Sharan to the President of Afghanistan, Mr Ashraf Ghani, upon returning to Afghanistan. Lula Ghani, spouse of Mr Ghani, invited Sharan to Afghanistan to study the situation in Indian politics, followed by which Mr. Ghani offered 10,000 USD to collectively implement the project.

This collaborative project kick-started at the time of Independence Day where one witnessed intensive bombing campaign and a complete shamble of civil harmony that led to the terrible law and order situation. Recollecting a 'do or die' instance Sharan said, "I missed bombings by 5-10 mins at the Inter Continental Hotel which is just unforgetful for the rest of my life."

Being an active and vocal personality of socio political issues, an instrumental personality of integrating like-minded youth and a pioneer in representing India on an International platform, and finally an independent political consultant, all at a tender age of 21, Sharan is indeed "juggling between dynamics."

Story first published: Monday, August 6, 2018, 18:10 [IST]
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