18 days – 1800 Kms, 130 climate leaders, 5 theatre productions, 2 videos, 20 photography journalists, 2 Pothochitros..

Over 60 news and magazine articles, interviews with national and regional news. Meetings with Planning commission, Renewable/ Power, coal, Science and Technology ministry.

Fuelled with a lot of hope, courage and passion - we finished an incredible ride across India - through the coal belt – for Change (questioning our dangerous over reliance on fossil fuel and highlighting alternatives.) We finished the ride – and started an incredible journey within ourselves – full of highs and lows. So before we start celebrating the ride – I would like to ponder in hindsight, on the underlying driver of our campaign– Change.

What’s the formula to Change – in our surroundings of in-efficiency, shortsightedness, and complacency ??  How do we bring about change in the face of a climate/ development/ security/ideology crisis ??

To start with we have to accept the fact that it’s the nature of living beings to be shortsighted – they live for the benefits of the present. That’s our present rationality (our underlying form).. With that understanding we come back to the question of how do we bring about change.

We could stop the burning of any form of, fossil fuel tomorrow – but that would not change anything - if we haven’t changed the rationality, the thought behind why we burnt fossil fuel knowing it is detrimental to life on earth/ detrimental to development/ to the security of our nation.

We need to change that very rationality (the underlying form) - to why we live today the way we do – each of us has to question that, find his own answers – switch on their own minds – only then will we really succeed in changing anything. Every body needs to find his own inspiration, his own voice, his own questions, his own answers.

I can only sum up the experience of the ride as being a lot of fun – and I am gearing up for “THE JOURNEY” now.

Change will only start from each one of us, and spread through our positive energy – No one can change anything for any one.

www.WhyNewCoal.com