Maa Boli Munna, Ek Ped Lagana (Mommy says, plant a tree!)

Dr D Y Patil University, Department of Business Management, Mumbai, Feb 7

My first E Week yatra experience began with a mini traffic snarl, closely followed by loud sounds of commotion. Chasing the source of all the noise – drum beating and feverish sloganeering - led us to a sleepy residential society in Sector I, Belapur; where the Saturday morning calm was broken by over 250 students of Dr D Y Patil University.

Taking to the streets in this laidback corner of Navi Mumbai, these students put to use every bit of their energy and enthusiasm, and not to forget, their very loud voices to promote the concept of Going Green and responsible entrepreneurship. Motivated by this year’s theme of ‘Go Green – The World is our Business’, these vivacious young management students took out a two hour rally, flaunting creative posters and putting up a series of street plays at key junctions between the Belapur station and their campus to spread the word. My personal favorite performance was a tongue-in-cheek narrative where planting of trees finally takes precedence over a love life.

In the end, I am glad that it wasn’t just plain revelry. The students achieved a small, but a very significant success when a watching onlooker stepped in to share how much he has been inspired by them, and pledged his support to the students’ cause.

The man went home with a sapling - his seed of change!