It was an early Wednesday morning yet the josh was high on Delhi University’s North Campus. This infectious energy emerged from over 5,000 youngsters who gathered to take part in the 2.4km-long Viksit Bharat Run. Cheering them on were actor RajKummar Rao and badminton ace Saina Nehwal, who came forward to use the medium of sports to create awareness about exercising one’s right to vote.
“Hum youth jab koshish karenge tabhi toh Bharat viksit hoga,” says Saatvik Misra, a first-year student of Sri Aurobindo College (Evening), who participated in the run and represented his college’s football team. Misra adds, “Sports give the youth a platform to showcase their talent and contribute towards taking the nation forward.”
Students active in National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) units also got together to participate in the run, which was flagged off by Nehwal and DU’s Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh. “This run is for all the students to come forward and be aware of their rights and march towards the nation’s vikas by casting your vote,” said Singh.
When the Badminton ace addressed the young crowd, she initially made a case for the female athletes and later added, “This run is for us, hum sabke future ke liye hai… Hum sab milke apni country ko aage leke jayein isliye vote karna zaroori hai. Vote dijiye aur meri tarah apne field mein number one baniye!” Her words inspired many, including Arti Singh, a first-year student of Hansraj College. She said, “When I registered [for the run] four days ago, I was only running as a student of DU. But today, I ran as a youth of the country alongside these two youth icons… When RajKummar said, in Stree movie wala style, ‘Doston, pleej!’ I thought, at least, now my friends will go for voting, instead of ditching their duty for faltu plans!”