Global Indianstory Chess GrandmasterThe Indian defense: The young grandmasters on the world chess circuit

The Indian defense: The young grandmasters on the world chess circuit

Written by: Darshana Ramdev

(October 20, 2022) It’s what journalist Chidanand Rajghatta aptly describes as ‘the gold rush in Indian chess’. Teenage grandmasters are taking the global chess stage by storm, putting world champion Magnus Carlsen to shame over and over again. From the wide-eyed Praggnanandhaa to Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, and Vidit Gujrathi, the Indian contingent is stronger than ever before, drawing admiration from within the country, and outside.

All three teenagers have enjoyed an outstanding run in 2022, their victories over Carlsen being the highlight of their growing list of accomplishments. “I think it just shows that Arjun and Gukesh are very, very strong players who can compete well against whoever is sitting on the other side of the board,” former five-time world champion Vishwanathan Anand said, commenting on the Indian cohort’s performance in the Aimchess Rapid in October. Global Indian takes a look at young champions who are making India proud on the world stage.

What’s the point of playing chess, one might ask. Does being able to strategise across the board make a difference to society? Just like anybody else with a purpose or a passion, India’s young grandmasters have made enormous sacrifices, showing great clarity of thought as they make life-changing decisions, like quitting school, for instance, to choose their passions. D. Gukesh and his father have slept in airports – the teenager who stunned Magnus Carlsen has played himself to the point of exhaustion. Arjun Erigaisi decided at 18 that college wasn’t for him. Entering the elite rungs of chess has meant hard work and single-minded passion for each one of the Indian stars.

Arjun Erigaisi

grandmasters

In 2021, Arjun Erigaisi made history when he became the first Indian to enter the quarterfinals of the Goldmoney Asian Rapid online chess tournament. He was the lowest-rated player when he entered and took on Levon Aronian (to whom he lost in the Aimchess Rapid after beating world champion, Magnus Carlsen). It was a magnificent show of talent – the 18-year-old proved himself against champions like Wesley So, Saleh Salem, Carlsen, and Anish Giri, to finish seventh.

Erigaisi, who lives in Hanmakonda with his family, was 13 years old when he qualified for the World Youth Championship in 2016. The youngster had begun training at the Race Academy in Hyderabad. In 2021, after the World Rapid and Blitz didn’t go his way, he knew it was time to make a choice. Erigaisi told his parents he wanted to quit college and requested their support. It was a life-changing decision in more ways than one and Erigaisi embarked on one of the best years of his chess career.

He began 2022 by winning the Tata Steel Challengers event with one round to spare, reaching a draw with the Czech Republic’s Thai Dai Van Nguyen. He was the fourth Indian to win the event. Even Magnus Carlsen, who doesn’t always concede with grace, had words of praise for the young teen, saying, “He is by far the best player (in the Challengers) and plays chess in a way that I enjoy.” In August, he also bagged the top spot at the 28th Abu Dhabi Masters (six of the top 10 spots went to Indians), going on to defeat Magnus Carlsen in October 2022 at the Aimchess Rapid, before losing out in the quarterfinals.

D. Gukesh

In October 2022, at the Aimchess Rapid, Donnarumma Gukesh made history, becoming the youngest player to beat the world champion, Magnus Carlsen. The 16-year-old, who was playing white, defeated the Norwegian champion in the 9th round, breaking Praggnanandhaa’s record by a hair. Surprisingly, the prodigy said in his post-game analysis, “Beating Magnus is always special, but I was not very proud of that game.” For a while, it looked as if Carlsen had the upper hand, only to have the tables turned by the gifted teenager.

When Gukesh’s father, Rajnikanth, noticed his son’s passion for chess, he remembered his youth. He had been an avid sportsman, playing cricket in school and making it to the state selections. His parents, however, wouldn’t hear of it, ensuring their son studied hard and became a doctor. So, when Gukesh made his passion known, he would come home from work, put his sleeping son into the backseat of the car, and drive all night across Tamil Nadu to take him to a chess tournament. “We would finish, I would put him in the car and drive back, then go to work on Monday.” When Gukesh began receiving invitations to compete at larger tournaments, his father closed his clinics and devoted himself to his son full-time.

Prolific and single-minded

Gukesh is single-minded about the game, showing little interest in other matters. For his father, there’s no debate whatsoever. “Let him choose,” he said, in an interview with ChessBase. “It’s not my decision. I could see his heart was in the game. My wife and I always needed to sit with him for his schoolwork but when he saw a book on chess or the board, he would put in everything he had.”

He’s also one of the most prolific players in the circuit. In 2021, soon after the pandemic, he played over a dozen tournaments in Europe in around four months. In 2021, when pandemic restrictions were still in place, Gukesh and his father booked one-way tickets to Europe. After the Portugal Chess Tour, they received an invitation from the European Club. Then came the Bulgaria Rapid and FIDE entered Gukesh as a wild card for the Swiss Grand Prix.

Gukesh and his father have often slept in airports as well. “We didn’t have any kind of lineage or background in the game, we were ignorant of how things were done and I guess that worked out well,” his father said. “If I see a good tournament, I can’t resist. He also wants to play. If a month passes without a tournament, he starts nagging me. He wants to play too, so I say yes.”

Vidit Gujrathi

Out of the five Indians invited to the Aimchess Rapid online tournament, Vidit was among the three who made it to the quarterfinal. He attained the Grandmaster title in 2013 and in August 2022, was the fifth highest rated player in India, after Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna. Born in Nashik, Vidit began training from a young age, finishing second at the Asian Youth Championships in the U12 category in 2006, becoming a FIDE Master as he did so.

When he was around six years old, Vidit was taken to the gymkhana to sign up for an afterschool activity. He chose chess, which he had already played with his father. “The first thing I learned at the class was king pawn versus king and how to win this position,” he tells ChessBase India. By then, he was already familiar with how to move the pieces. “I liked cricket but I was too young, so chess happened.”

Part of the elite

Vidit stole the spotlight in 2019, when he beat Vladimir Kramnik and Shakriyar Mamedyarov to become one of four Indians to win the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. By the age of 14, he had become an International Master and four years later, was a Grandmaster. “I was 18 when I became a GM and until the age of 20, I stayed at the rating of 2650, which is decent. But I felt like I was stuck there,” he told Scroll.in. At that point, he began working with another elite player, Anish Giri, calling it a “game-changer because I started to realise how top players really work.” Being an elite GM, he says, means living at a different scale. “They have regular training camps and get lots of funding. They have a team, which is different from working alone or with just one coach.”

His motivation comes from playing the other stars. “It gets my adrenaline flowing,” he said in the interview with Scroll.in. “I know that I will improve if nothing more. Also, there is no pressure for me when I play good players. If I face Carlsen, there is no pressure, on the other hand, if I face some prodigy, then I have nothing to gain from it. But I still motivate myself. When I play Praggnanandhaa, for example, I am extra motivated. I want to get the edge and keep it.”

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Published on 20, Oct 2022

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Indian horse rider Kavya Gopal – Saddled up with two golds, she is all set to train in the UK

(January 20, 2022) She is the veritable horse whisperer. And champion horse rider. Kavya Gopal understands the animal’s temperament, is instinctive. Thus, horses share a special bond with her. The Chennai-born demonstrated her resolve and grit as she clinched two gold medals at the Junior National Equestrian Championship held in Mumbai in December 2021. “Winning two golds (individual and team gold) was phenomenal, incredible and overwhelming. Intense training and hard work paid off. There is more to come,” smiles Kavya in an exclusive with Global Indian. She is now prepping up for horse riding championships on the international level. The first time Kavya rode a horse was on a family vacation to Manali when she was six. “It was a giant horse named Mustafa. I confidently sat on him with no fear. I told the horse owner to walk aside instead of holding the horse. I held the reins bravely and rode all around the place,” recalls Kavya, now 20. Her parents -- AS Gopal and Kavita Gopal, too, were surprised seeing their daughter ride the horse fearlessly. [caption id="attachment_9810" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Kavya Gopal in Manali[/caption] At age 12, her father took her to the Madras Riding School (now

="529"] Kavya Gopal in Manali[/caption]

At age 12, her father took her to the Madras Riding School (now Madras School of Equitation). “When I sat on the horse, the coach was surprised to see my perfect stance. I kept riding there. After each ride, I would feed carrots to the horses to build a relationship off the saddle. It was amazing to connect with them. I fell in love with the sport,” recalls Kavya, who is now pursuing MBA (online) from Manipal University.

The fall, and getting back up

Kavya has suffered multiple sprains and injuries as a horse bucked or threw her off. She was even rushed to a hospital after a fall. Her first though was six months into horse riding. Her favourite horse, Pelican Creek, buckled and threw her off and she landed on the ground, shaken. Most horses run towards the stable after buckling for a sense of safety. But in Kavya’s case, it stood there, staring. “Looking into her eyes, I understood that she was telling me not to take her for granted and give accurate riding aids (cues given to a horse). She seemed to understand that I was learning but wanted me to pay attention to proper riding aids to work well as a team,” informs Kavya, who went to Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School in Chennai after completing a BSc in zoology for three years from Stella Maris College.

Communication that is silent, yet apt

Such is her bonding with horses that Kavya did a detailed project on horse behaviour for her final year college project. “I delved deep into a horse’s behaviour, which was an eye opener, not only for me but for my professors too. They were surprised to know how a horse communicates with humans through a silent method,” informs Kavya, who did her diploma in equine management and psychology from the Centre of Excellence.

Kavya Gopal loves that all her communication happens in silence. “There is no beating, shouting or controlling the animal. It just needs to be trained and it communicates beautifully,” she says.

After a great deal of time and effort, one can build a partnership off the saddle. “I give them treats by offering carrots, bananas or jaggery, or massage them, walk or even play music as horses love to listen to music,” informs the horse-riding champ, stressing that the horse should be able to feel the presence, body language and temperament of a rider.

[caption id="attachment_9811" align="aligncenter" width="564"] Kavya Gopal with her coach Isabelle Futnani[/caption]

Horse-riding comes with its own dangers. Worldwide, horse riders have suffered severe injuries. Kavya Gopal has been lucky, though. “I have had a few mishaps - I sprained my leg, lower back and shoulder. Luckily, it was not serious,” adds the girl whose father is CEO at Infinitheism, a spiritual foundation company and mother is a project manager at IIT Madras.

A ‘Supreme Quest’ to cherish

Kavya was the proud owner of a thoroughbred named Supreme Quest which she bought in June 2020, and sold in December 2021. “He was with me for a year, we understood each other so well. We had a great partnership. I get to see him every day as he is in the same stable (Madras School of Equitation) from where I had bought him,” informs Kavya, who has also done show jumping and dressage with Supreme Quest.

Winning two gold medals at the Junior National Equestrian Championships takes dedication, a competition she has participated in for the past four years. “Six months before the championship, my father guided me into meditation. I would be asked to visualise my dressage (a form of horse riding in competitions which can be individual or team events), precision, accuracy and even winning the gold. It helped me a great deal in building confidence,” says the girl who eats nutritious food and weight trains four days a week, besides cardio to up her stamina and focus. Horse riding has a sacrosanct time – a few hours in the morning and evening.

Her first participation in the championship was in Kolkata, riding a pony - to gain exposure and understand horses. The second was held in Bengaluru on a leased horse (which did not go well). The third time, she won her first team silver on Supreme Quest and the fourth was in Mumbai 2021 where she won two gold medals in the Young Rider Dressage category. She won the individual gold medal with a score of 73.3475. In Dressage, the horse responds to a skilled rider’s minimal aids by performing requested movement while remaining relaxed and effortless.

The rider is a champ

Kavya’s passion for horses even got her a job at the Madras School of Equitation. She coaches young riders and trains horses at ₹15,000 a month. “I am at the centre in the mornings and evenings where I give classes, ride horses, feed and train them,” says the rider who prefers warm blood horses who are naturally bred for show jumping and dressage.

“Warmbloods have amazing natural gait, have the subtleness, and are great for young riders. I won the nationals (December 2021) on a German bred warmblood named Sechs Richtige,” the Indian horse rider adds.

Riding with the wind in her hair, she now wants to improve her skill set and train in the higher levels of dressage. “I am looking forward to participating in international championships organised by the Federation Equestrian International,” says Kavya who will be training under professional coaches and working with higher level horses at Talland School of Equitation, UK soon. Previously, she had trained at the Summer House Equestrian Centre, UK for a month too. A career in equine therapy and nutrition or as a professional dressage coach is on Kavya’s mind as she praises her Coach Isabelle Futnani’s support and training.

The avid swimmer who had even won a state level competition at just 10, calls her parents her pillars of strength. She hopes the government will recognise the sport as equivalent to cricket and football. “This sport is expensive and financial constraints deter those interested. To encourage people, the government can look at sponsoring them,” concludes Kavya.

Reading Time: 6 min

Master the money game: ‘Finfluencer’ Anushka Rathod makes financial literacy easy

(July 11, 2023) As she began her career as an investment banker, Anushka Rathod noticed her friends, who were working as engineers, architects and designers, were saving up for the first time - and had no clue how to go about it. The would come to her with basic questions on personal finance and unaware of the content out there, Anushka would simply say, "Google it." However, the path to financial literacy would complex and full of jargon, too much for the layman to digest. Anushka decided to something about it, and began making short, funny videos that made personal finance more engaging and accessible to a wider audience. Today, the 24-year-old is a known name in the finance infotainment space, as she converts complex, often dry financial topics into entertaining videos. Her efforts have earned her over 5,00,000 followers on YouTube, and close to a million on Instagram. The Global Indian was also part of the delegation of India's top content creators who met with Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, where she discussed challenges within the creator economy. She even teaches smaller hacks like, how to ensure restaurants don't inflate your bill. Her YouTube content is more in-depth, as

content is more in-depth, as she analyses various industries, discusses startup stories and talks about business developments around the world.

Now, financial literacy doesn't have to be a drag any longer. Anushka Rathod makes it all palatable - with videos like, "Do you want to buy a Louis Vuitton bag," where she breaks down the number of hours you would have to work to finance that splurge. These little parcels of know-how are her Instagram content - you can learn how to file your IT returns, or get a headstart on your child's finances.

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A post shared by Anushka Rathod (@anushkarathod98)

An early interest

Anushka's family ran their own textile business and for as long as she can remember, dinner-table conversations were always around finance and business. "My family is in textiles so our talk was all about fabrics and funding. That's how I became interested in business," she said. Her interest, however, lay more in analysing companies rather than in investing. "That brought me to finance and my entry point into the profession was as an investment banker," she explains. When she was around 16, she became interested in world economics, geopolitics and finance. "I was reading a lot about that, doing debates and stuff. When I was 18, I was introduced to stock markets and finance."

Growing up in a conservative household, Anushka's journey to content creation came with its share of trials and tribulations. "As I kid, I would hear that the woman's job is to look pretty," she said. "I was always worrying about what society wanted, about making decisions that were seen as 'respectable', and worrying about who was saying what." The decisions she made were always the ones that would bring her approval and validation. She managed to do this to some extent, but it was never fulfilling.

The struggle for self-acceptance

By the time she hit her teens, Anushka had trained herself to believe that her only duty as a girl was to look pretty, and she had failed. It robbed her of her self-confidence. "I would sit inside the house all day because I was ashamed of how I looked. I wouldn't go to social functions, I had no hobbies. I would just sit at home with my nose in a book - which my family would comment on also." Anushka Rathod has come a long way, from being scared to leave the house to sitting in front of a camera and being seen by millions around the world. She's still not fully at ease, she admits, but she perseveres, because the process itself gives her great joy.

One turning point came when she was in sixth grade. She was doing well in school and was featured in the local paper. "Everybody congratulated me," she recalls. "My grandfather wsa so proud he was calling everyone he knew to tell them to look at the newspaper that day. I was so proud of myself and for the first time in my life, I was happy," Anushka says. "But from that moment on, I began performing for approval. I gave up swimming, which I loved, because it would ruin my hair and my skin. Everything I did was for validation - for acceptance, really. But this is always short-lived. If I didn't achieve anything for a while, I would feel that void again."

"I wanted to do well in Grade 12 and make it to India's top university. All of it was to protect my image," she said. She studied all day, getting increasingly stressed out and finding no joy in what she was learning. And at the end of it, she didn't make the cutoff for the university of her choice.

Anushka was at another crossroads, forced to make a decision about her life. "I decided to go to a smaller university and spend some time learning who I am and what I like," she said. She could name one thing she enjoyed - reading. So, she read all the time, this time without guilt. "I wasn't reading for marks but out of interest." This is what led her to the stock markets and to finance. She also found good mentors who told her what to read and what workshops to attend, she learned investment strategies and how to invest in the stock market.

Making the unconventional choice

"I was reading entire stories of companies and their history with the stock market, then writing reports on them," she said. "I would participate in conclaves and conferences as much as I could." She enjoyed equity research so much she decided to go into investment banking. It was a big moment. Anushka took great pride in learning that she was the youngest person - and the only girl on the team. "I was proud of this but I didn't like the work. I loved research but I was spending my time working on Excel sheets," she says. "But I stuck with the job because people were proud of me."

[caption id="attachment_31791" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Finfluencer Anushka Rathod paves the way for financial literacy[/caption]

Finally, she mustered up the strength to quit, and around the same time, Covid-19 hit. Anushka had the time now to do what she loved - reading and research. That's when she found content creators on YouTube who were doing research and creating content. "I gave it a shot and I absolutely loved it," she says, describing her entry into financial literacy through engaging content. Her CFA exam was coming up and her old company asked her to rejoin but she "decided not to fall into that trap. I was genuindly happy now, doing what I was doing."

Making an impact as a content creator

Making videos for a personal social media account is all very well, but doing so for a living was a different matter. "But I didn't bother. You have to do the things you like," she says, firmly. By October of 2020, she was getting recognition for her videos.

Success had found her, she was doing what she loved and making an impact by bringing financial literacy to everyone. That's when she discovered the challenges of being onine. "Negative comments would make me cry for hours," she recalls. "I was always a people pleaser. If people criticised me I would delte the video. Then I thought, if i want to be a successful content creator, I knew I had to get used to the fact that people would criticise me."

Anushka Rathod now lives in Bengaluru, and is also educating young people on the realities of living alone and managing their finances as they do so. "I'm one of the few lucky people who wakes up in the morning and decides what the day will be like," she smiles. The mornings are spent on research and talking to people for inputs. "I'm most passionate about my YouTube channel, where I dissect business stories. In the evenings, I shoot my reels and videos and spend the rest of the day editing," she explains. "Everyday is brand new, there is no monotony. It's a challenge to make a new video everyday - there are ups an ddowns, you have great videos an dbad ones, but just the energy and volatility is super exciting."

Takeaways

Advising young people on how to make a career in finance, she says, "If you're right out of college, do a CA or an MBA from a reputed university. There are other additional courses as well. Or, you can research industries and write reports, learn Excel modelling, network on LinkedIn and meet people from the field. These practical skills will help you get a foot in the door."

Follow Anushka Rathod on YouTube and Instagram.

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Economist extraordinaire: Dhruv Gaur is working towards drug stigma and inequality

(June 10, 2023) The global epidemic of drug consumption continues to cast a dark shadow, infiltrating societies across continents and leaving devastating consequences in its wake. What’s worse is it impacts the most vulnerable and stigmatised populations. In fact, according to he Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), between January 2021 and June 2021, about 1,150 youngsters aged 14 to 18 died from drug overdose in the US, and about 47 percent of adolescents started consuming illicit drugs upon graduation from high school. Trying to devise a solution for this pervasive crisis, is a young economist, Dhruv Gaur, who is delving deep into the study of drug use, homelessness, housing insecurity, poverty, and inequality through the lens of economic and epidemiological inference. The recent recipient of the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, Dhruv is working with various communities to raise awareness about the growing overdose epidemic and advocate for overdose prevention policy. An ambitious, pre-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University, the young economist is currently chasing the causes of inequalities in health and higher education in the USA. "I actively engage in studying the US overdose crisis, lending my expertise to the critical work of

ation in the USA.

"I actively engage in studying the US overdose crisis, lending my expertise to the critical work of generating research and shaping policies aimed at safeguarding individuals who use drugs from the perils of overdose and other drug-related harms," shares Dhruv, as he connects with Global Indian for an interview, adding, "I also play a crucial role in the maintenance and management of PreventOverdoseRI.org, a dedicated website specifically designed to combat the overdose crisis. I am determined to contribute to the collective mission of putting an end to the devastating impact of drug overdose in our community."

A curious cat

Even though Dhruv was born in the USA, the youngster shares that his family ensured that he grew up knowing and learning about his roots. "Both my parents are doctors, and they came over to the United States of America after finishing med school in India. I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where my parents were completing their medical training. We later shifted to a town in Northeast Georgia," says the young economist, adding, "I grew up around a very tight-knit and supportive Indian community. My parents were quite keen on instilling Indian values in me and my brother, so over weekends, they would drive us to Balvihar, which is a Hindi school."

[caption id="attachment_30931" align="aligncenter" width="637"] Dhruv with his family[/caption]

As brilliant as he was, the economist shares that he was also quite a curious child, who not only loved to learn new things but also to pass on the knowledge. "I loved to read, just about anything that I could get my hands on," he shares, adding, "During my high school years, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer at Balvihar as a teaching assistant. Little did I know that this experience would ignite within me a deep passion for teaching and mentoring. It was during those moments spent guiding and supporting others that I realised my aspirations to pursue a career as a professor. The impact of that experience has remained with me, shaping my path and fueling my dedication to education and the profound influence it can have on shaping lives."

A true changemaker

After finishing school, the youngster enrolled at Brown University to study economics and public health policy. Driven by the devastating overdose crisis plaguing his hometown, Dhruv became a part of the People, Place, and Health Collective, contributing as an undergraduate researcher. He actively published academic articles that shed light on crucial aspects of the crisis, providing valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.

The economist also played a pivotal role in maintaining real-time data resources, serving as a foundation for Rhode Island's informed and evidence-based response to the overdose crisis. Through his dedication and contributions, Dhruv has become an instrumental force in the ongoing efforts to combat the overdose epidemic and promote effective policy interventions.

"I held the role of an outreach team leader and finance chair for Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE), an organisation driven by students that focuses on direct service and advocacy for homelessness. With HOPE, I led a dedicated night-time homeless outreach team every week, striving to address the immediate needs of individuals experiencing street homelessness and ensuring they are connected to essential resources. I also engaged in advocating for housing policies at both the city and state level in Rhode Island, aiming to effect positive change and promote equitable access to safe and stable housing for all," the economist shares.

The power of giving

But Dhruv's journey hasn't been all about books. In 2018, the economist made his mark on the television show Jeopardy! College Championship trivia tournament, emerging as the victorious contestant and securing a substantial prize of $100,000.

Wait, that's not all... The following year, he returned to the Jeopardy! stage, capturing the attention of the entire USA for a profoundly heartfelt reason. Answering host Alex Trebek's Final Jeopardy question, Dhruv put his heart on his screen, writing, “We (heart) you Alex!”, showing his support for the host who was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The gesture moved Alex to tears, and he could only manage to say, "That’s very kind of you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BNH7UTaL-M

Seizing the opportunity to make a difference, Dhruv utilised the platform and the immense public interest to launch a national fundraising campaign dedicated to pancreatic cancer research and successfully raised over $100,000, leaving an indelible impact on both the fight against pancreatic cancer and the power of compassionate unity. "While I was at the show, Alex took a moment to visit the contestants in the green room. It was quite evident that he wasn't doing so well," shares the youngster, adding, "Later, when I stepped onto the stage, fully aware that winning the game was an unlikely outcome, I thought I could use this opportunity to support someone in need."

Interestingly, the economist grabbed the attention of well-known American television host, Ellen Lee DeGeneres, who called him to be on her show a few days later. Impressed by his efforts, Ellen too donated $25,000 toward pancreatic cancer research.

Miles to go

Currently, Dhruv working as a pre-doctoral research fellow alongside esteemed economists Raj Chetty, John Friedman, and Nathaniel Hendren at Harvard University. The young economist is focused on studying the profound inequalities that exist within the realms of health and higher education. Driven by an unwavering commitment to understanding the root causes and far-reaching consequences of severe marginalization, such as drug overdose, homelessness, and poverty, Dhruv aspires to pursue a doctoral degree in economics.

"Through my research pursuits, I strive to unearth valuable insights that have the potential to shape transformative policies, uplifting individuals from these challenging circumstances and fostering a society that is both equitable and inclusive. I aim to contribute to the collective effort of building a brighter and more just future for all," he expresses.

Follow Dhruv Gaur on LinkedIn and Twitter

Reading Time: 6 mins

How the Robin Hood Army is feeding India’s hungry

(May 20, 2023) When he was living in Lisbon, Portugal, Neel Ghose, co-founder of the Robin Hood Army, came across an organisation named Re-Food. They took surplus food from restaurants and distributed it among the homeless every night. Ghose was struck by the simplicity of the idea - it brought compassion to capitalism, minimised food wastage and addressed the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Global Indian looks at how Ghose and a team of co-founders, including Aarushi Batra, began the Robin Hood Army, which now operates in four countries including Inda and Pakistan, has served over 68 million means to date. According to UN data, nearly 8.9 percent of the world's population, or 690 million people are hungry (as measured by the prevalence of under-nourishment). The World Food Programme records show that 135 million people suffer from acute hunger due to man-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns. In essence, a quarter of a billion people are at the potential brink of starvation. The startup model Ghose was so taken by the idea, as well as the success of its execution, he wondered why he couldn't try the same thing in India. "I arranged for a few

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The startup model

Ghose was so taken by the idea, as well as the success of its execution, he wondered why he couldn't try the same thing in India. "I arranged for a few meetings with the founders and decided to replicate it in India. Once I returned, a few friends and I served 150 people in south Delhi on our first night of distribution," said Ghose, who went on to do his masters in business administration from Harvard University.

In August 2014, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) began with a Facebook, inviting everybody they knew. The response was instant and requests came pouring in. "I will never forget that night," Ghose said, at a TedXGateway event. That first night in August, Ghose and a few friends stopped under a flyover in Hauz Khas. They saw a family of six huddled together, sharing a leftover pizza. Further down the road, an old couple, the woman was blind, foraged through a trash can for something to eat. "I have been brought up in India, we have all seen poverty," Ghose said. "But what was overwhelming was that these are our neighbours. We have no idea of the sheer scale of hunger and neglect a few minutes from where we live."

Logistics is key

Hunger, Ghose believes, is not a problem that can be solved by the UN or the governments. "Logistics," he proclaims, "Can and will provide the solution." The Robin Hood Army is not an NGO, nor is it a largescale civic movement. "Ours is a simple model. We function like a startup and our job is to match demand with supply through simple logistics solutions." Young professionals, who work during the day, volunteer their time to a hyperlocal model.

Food is collected from restaurants, weddings and parties and distributed to homeless people in the area. "We distribute it among the homeless, who don't know their next meal is coming from, or if it will come at all," says co-founder Aarushi Batra, in a TedX talk. Responses came pouring in from across the country, with people volunteering their time. The press showed its support and the Facebook page went viral. "Restaurants were so generous," said Ghose, "That many gave freshly-cooked food instead of leftovers." Three years after they began, the RHA had established its presence in 58 cities, with 13,000 Robins and nearly 50 lakh meals served. In 2019, the Delhi Capitals got in touch, asking them to distribute the leftover meals from Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Not long after, the team invited around 15 kids who had been served food from the RHA to watch a match.

[caption id="attachment_22580" align="aligncenter" width="622"] Neel Ghose. Photo: Harvard Business School[/caption]

Pandemic... and scaling up

When the pandemic hit, the team had to come up with a new strategy overnight. Again, working with their decentralised model, volunteers came up with their own safety protocols. They were on call as busloads of migrant workers exited the big cities and started the 'senior patrol'. "During the daily phases of the pandemic, we had people writing to us and saying their parents were stuck at home without access to essentials," said Batra.

The team circulated a basic Google Form and circulated it everywhere. Volunteers addressed thousands of requests - those who weren't living with parents or other senior citizens would go out to pick up medicines, fresh produce and whatever else was needed, which they distributed.

The Robin Hood Army learned to apply their model to tackle a number of other problems. In 2016, when Maharashtra reeled under severe drought, the RHA volunteers mobilised schools, colleges and offices in their neighbourhoods. They began sending 75,000 litres of water to rural areas, on a special train, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As the organisation grew stronger locally, they decided it was time to expand and first on the list was Pakistan, which faces very similar problems.

[caption id="attachment_22581" align="aligncenter" width="591"] With co-founder Aarushi Batra[/caption]

Serving up compassion

"It's not merely about handing out food," Ghose said. "I would like to believe that we have a baseline of compassion in what we do." A team of lawyers who visited a girl's orphanage in South Delhi, would spend time with the kids, talking to them about the importance of school and of knowing politics. "Eight of those girls decided to pursue law as a career," he explained.

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From Yale to activism: Shyamala Ramakrishna’s journey as a labour advocate

(June 24, 2023) The worker justice and the labour movements in the United States of America have played a significant role in shaping the rights and conditions of workers throughout history. Inspired by the struggles of millions of people in the past, and attempting to better the future of labour in the States, is a young 20-year-old Indian American, Shyamala Ramakrishna. A student of Yale Law School, the young advocate was recently awarded the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. "I think it was because of my parents," shares the advocate, as she connects with Global Indian from Yale for an exclusive interview, "They came to New York in the 1990s, and I grew up hearing about the curiosities that they had about the American society and the issues here. That really encouraged me to develop my own sense of curiosity. My parents were very free in allowing me to be the judge of what I was curious about and what I wanted to do. And that led me to the path that I am on now." As an undergraduate at Yale College, Shyamala distinguished herself as a scholar in the prestigious Multidisciplinary Academic Program in Human

ociety and the issues here. That really encouraged me to develop my own sense of curiosity. My parents were very free in allowing me to be the judge of what I was curious about and what I wanted to do. And that led me to the path that I am on now."

As an undergraduate at Yale College, Shyamala distinguished herself as a scholar in the prestigious Multidisciplinary Academic Program in Human Rights, where her studies were centered around arts and advocacy. "I was deeply inspired by the work of attorney activist, Sarumathi Jayaraman, who is also an Indian American working for fair wages for restaurant workers and other service workers in the United States. You can say that she motivated me to pick this career path."

A melodious beginning

In the vibrant city of New York, Shyamala Ramakrishna's journey began, nurtured by her parents who hailed from Tamil Nadu. The youngster grew up in a tight-knit Indian community. "My parents came to New York searching for better opportunities," the advocate says, adding, "And they both brought their passions along with them. My mother is a musician and a music educator. My father came to the US for a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. I grew up between New York and New Jersey, on the East Coast. There are a lot of other Indian immigrant families and Indian Americans in the neighbourhoods that I lived in. It was quite a thriving community - vibrant and supportive."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MzzEMxlzEw&list=PL-04isyUx6Nxqd7A3r7cHuY6DTuLu2bbq&index=1

As brilliant a student as she is, Shyamala is also a very talented musician. Guided by her mother and grandmother, she delved into the intricate art of Carnatic music. "My mother introduced me to Carnatic music when I was just a toddler and at four I gave my first performance on stage at a South Indian music festival." And even today, despite a very busy schedule, the youngster never leaves a chance to perform. "I am still the lead vocalist in my band, FORAGER, and it's been an incredible journey, watching our music resonate with audiences, filling venues in New York City and beyond. I also had the incredible opportunity to music direct Shades, a remarkable singing group that places Black musical traditions at the heart of its artistic expression. No matter how busy I get, I plan on continuing to pursue music," the advocate shares.

Of activism and advocacy

After finishing high school, Shyamala was quite clear that she wanted to pursue graduation in law, and she chose to go to one of the best institutions in the USA - Yale. Pursuing a multidisciplinary academic programme in human and labour rights, the young advocate took part in various important legal research, including at the American Civil Liberties Union. "Currently I am enrolled at the Yale Law School's three-year Juris Doctor programme, which provides students with a legal education of outstanding breadth and depth. My focus is labour and employment issues, which I chose because of a long-standing interest in workers' rights and justice in the USA.

[caption id="attachment_31392" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut[/caption]

However, advocating for these issues is no cakewalk. Talking about the challenges she and many advocate activists like her face, she says, "When I came to Yale I realised how much people's success had to do with what they were given, including the resources, the money, the education, extracurriculars - the things their parents could sign them up for. Learning that the US pedals this myth of meritocracy that's not real was really a key development in my understanding of how to fix this country. A large part of it is recognising that the resources and opportunities that were given to people at a young age have much more to do with their success than any sense of brilliance."

Following her graduation, the young advocate embarked on a career in the future of work policy, assuming a fellowship role with the State of New Jersey, where she made valuable contributions by actively participating in the development of regulations aimed at tackling the discriminatory effects of algorithmic hiring technology. Driven by a strong commitment to social justice, Shyamala extended her efforts beyond the realm of policy work. Volunteering with Court Watch NYC, she engaged in crucial activities related to monitoring and reporting.

"Leaving the college behind, and working in the real world made me realise that a big challenge for any advocate who wishes to work for these issues is to not distance themselves from the people we are trying to serve. So, I am working on making sure that I can make an impact and help establish labour justice and rights," the advocate explains. "However, the fact that there are many South Asians in the USA who are dedicated to multi-racial, multi-generational, and cross-class solidarity has been a huge motivator to keep me on track."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WWn9xOBFNg&list=PL-04isyUx6Nxqd7A3r7cHuY6DTuLu2bbq&index=2

Planning to dedicate her career to workers’ rights in the future, Shyamala is elated to have received the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship. "Higher education in the US is very expensive and getting funding for a law degree is going to make it very easy for me to concentrate on my mission without worrying about paying off my debt. Secondly, this fellowship will also help me meet people who were previous years' P&D Soros fellows, working in adjacent or similar fields as mine. I am really looking forward to that," says the advocate as she signs off.

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