Every year, NSS BITS Pilani organizes Junoon, a pre-BOSM event for specially-abled children from across the country. The BOSM English Press spoke to Akshay Yemsanwar, the NSS Junoon coordinator, to know more about the event.
On the 15th and 16th of September this year, around 200 participants will arrive from 12 to 13 different NGOs. It is of utmost priority for the event organizers to ensure that the visiting children’s stay is safe and hospitable. To this end, Akshay guaranteed secure lodging, quality food services, and quick access to medical facilities for the participants. The NSS volunteers also plan to decorate the SAC halls with art and craft.
The Junoon inauguration ceremony will be held at SAC, and Padma Shree awardee Murlikant Petkar will be gracing the event as Chief Guest. After the inauguration, recreational activities will be held for the children – SAC courts will be opened for badminton and TT, and the participants will be engaged in games like man-sized Ludo and Snakes-and-Ladders. To keep the kids occupied throughout the night, the dinner break will be followed by a movie screening.
GymG will host all the sports events on Day 2. Shot put, Athletics (50m and 100m races), Long jump, and High jump participants will be divided into three categories – Physically Handicapped (PH), Mentally Retarded (MR), and Hearing Impaired (HI). After the medal distribution ceremony and a few other recreational activities that will span the afternoon session, Junoon Nite will kick off in the night. Akshay promised that it would be an exciting affair, with performances by the Drama Club, Dance Club, and Gurukul, among others. In addition, a special performance by some of the visiting children will conclude the events for the night.
This year, NSS has organised a pre-event talk series for the first time. Three special guests have been invited to address BITSians. Preeti Mohan, founder of the Silver Linings Foundation, has been visually impaired since the tender age of six. She will speak about the importance of reaching out to specially-abled children. Next, Ritu Saini will share the story of her struggles as an acid attack survivor. Finally, Naveen Gulia, an ex-army officer and a World Record holder in adventure sports, will narrate his experiences as an author, orator, thinker, and social worker.
In parting, Akshay discussed that the joy of giving back motivated NSS volunteers to carry on their selfless work. He asserted that the smiles on the faces of the children kept him going through the tough moments in his tenure as coordinator. Finally, he stressed on the importance of BITSian support for Junoon, and urged BITSians to take an active interest in the event.