Health Bulletin

When you go to the mechanic, you talk mechanical language. You say your engine has a ping, a rattle, or a grrrrch.

Student agendas are changing. The latest is health

When you go to the mechanic, you talk mechanical language. You say your engine has a ping, a rattle, or a grrrrch. And you sure know the reason for it 8212; rash driving, bad roads or untimely service. But when it comes to your own engine read body mechanism, you pull a blank or better still pose to be ignorant. Is it right? 8220;Not at all,8221; chorus these youngsters, who are waking up to the call of fitness and not only realise, but also preach the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Here8217;s talking to a few who are striving to make Chandigarh a healthy city.

Walking in DAV School, Sector 8, we meet a group of 30 shuttling in and out of classes. Priyanka Shandlya of GCG-11 taking permission from the principal Vibha Ray, Abhinav Sharma of Chitkara College handing out the survey forms to the students and Karan Bhatia of SD College, preparing for a speech. 8220;We as a part of AIESEC are here to spread awareness about AIDS,8221; Rohan Sahni of DAV College tells us that for the purpose they have received sponsorship to the tune of Rs seven lakh from Standard Chartered Bank and have had a training session in Pondicherry. While 10 students took formal training, they taught another 90 and are now visiting eight government schools, Rayat School and Shivalik Public School among others. The purpose, they say is to educate the students in their language. 8220;The infotainment way,8221; chirps Ankita Deambi, a BCom first-year student, who says something stated by peers has greater retention.

In another corner of the city, PEC students too spread nuggets of wisdom in their own statement style. 8220;We request the youth to go vegetarian,8221; smiles Pranav Talwar, a first year Electrical Engineering student and member of Yes! club Youth Empowerment Skills Workshop, who as a part of his group has crossed the first hurdle. 8220;Combo, a non-vegetarian joint, was converted into a vegetarian one after we stated the positives of a green diet,8221; says Ramnik Bansal, who is an IIM-Bangalore pass-out, citing global researches that promote vegetarian diet for wholesome well-being.

Stated as a sure-fire win-win, teachers, mentors and parents are a happy lot with this transition. 8220;The youngsters are now raising their voice for India8217;s health. Rather than we guiding them about the do8217;s and don8217;ts of good health, they do the preaching,8221; says Aparna Kaushal of Government College, Sector 11, as she takes us to the gymnasium hall, where about 100 students are practicing yoga. Holding these classes and asking more to join in, here too AIDS is what they spread awareness about.

As for the members of Rotract, polio and shortage of blood are the core concerns. Having been a part of pulse polio camps in the past, 8220;we organised a blood donation camp at the UT Guest House on Tuesday,8221; Akaash, a member tells us.

While, the UT administration is going head-over- heels trying to make the city smoke free, 8220;Nothing really happens till the time the citizens realise the ill- effects and decide to give up the habit,8221; says Bharat Sharma, a student of DAV College. And helping the cause is Burning Brain Society. 8220;With about 5,500 young volunteers, it8217;s only youngsters, who can bring in a revolution and provide aq much-needed healing touch to the increasing number of lifestyle diseases,8221; says Hemant Goswami of Burning Brain Society.

Ho to health!