Anthem of Confidence

It is not everyday that an anthem is written to express the identity of a non-profit organisation. It is like a lyrical charter to reiterate meaning and purpose, and to strengthen the strides of those who do the work, while inspiring others to make the transition from being spectators of change to its foot soldiers. Keh do andheron se chal pare hain hum — the anthem for Vishwas (Vision for Health Welfare and Special Needs), a Gurgaon-based NGO that works in the field of disability and development — is that and more. Written by the lauded lyricist Prasoon Joshi, with music by Aadesh Shrivastava, and sung by the culturally rooted musician Kailash Kher, it was launched in Delhi on Wednesday at the Siri Fort Auditorium.

It was a moving, musical evening as a packed house watched the students of Vishwas Vidyalaya perform the first rendition of the anthem and match their melody with Kher's soulful rendering. Dressed in pristine white kurta-pyjamas with colourful dupattas, the elated students began the evening with the Gandhian prayer Vaishnav Jan To. Following this, a short film on Vishwas was screened.

Six years since it was set up, the organisation has scripted several successful stories of empowerment, covering 21 villages in Haryana and touching the lives of over 25,000 people. "We would like each one of you to go back with a little bit of vishwas in you that together, we can make a difference; we can help children realise their full potential in an inclusive environment and ensure that those with special needs get equal opportunities, equal rights and, of course, a little more," said Neelam Jolly, chairperson of Vishwas.

Kher's multi-layered voice transformed the evocative lyrics of the anthem into an infectious ripple that ran across the auditorium. "When I heard the recording, I felt like crying," confessed the Sufi singer. Joshi was emotional too. "Words came on their own when I heard about the effort the Vishwas team has been putting in for the cause of inclusive learning. I should thank them for giving me this opportunity," he said. One of the guests, writer, journalist and former minister Arun Shourie, summed up the mood of the house as he quoted the Dalai Lama with a personal foonote: " 'If you want to be truly selfish, help someone' — who cannot do anything for you in return."

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