From Mic to Mission
My Journey Through Media and awards

At age 11, my mother walked me through the corridors of All India Radio, Jammu-Kashmir, to enrol me as a speaker into a program called ‘Bal Jagat’ (Eng: The World of Children). It was actually my mother's dream to be a public performer herself which she couldn't fulfil being a full-time homemaker, while raising three children.

 

Today, as I look back, I feel privileged to have started this journey 20 years ago. With an inherent inclination towards social change, and guidance from my mentors at the radio station, I got propelled towards speaking on social and environmental issues, while sometimes writing and reciting poems.

 

Though my father would be applauded for dropping me at the station every Friday for the recording, my mother is the real hero who used to dress me up, prepare me for the talk, and push me out of the house. On Sundays, when Bal Jagat would broadcast on-air, she'd enthusiastically borrow our neighbour's radio for all of us in the family to listen to the program.

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My passion for radio eventually led me to pursue journalism and mass communication in college while working full-time as a journalist. Over time, this path evolved into working directly with communities to drive social change. These radical shifts in my life shaped a deeper purpose: to empower others in discovering and expressing their own authentic voices.

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This section reflects on that transformative journey, captured through media interviews. This section is also thoughtfully designed to help you remind you of your life journey, of where you are, and where your heart is.