Do we need communal riots, fascism or social media bickering in a modern-day country or simple things like earning well, living happily with near and dear ones and being kind and compassionate?

What makes a country peaceful depends on what the people of the country think. This is what a steel city organisation, People for Change, tried to highlight with Harmony Utsav, an event at the KMPM Vocational College in Bistupur, on Saturday.

Around 150 participants attended the event that also had guests such as A. Madon and Jiju Thomas from the Jusco Education Mission Foundation.

The programme kicked off with a signature campaign on “My Life Mere Faisle” where visitors had to write sentences on their “Dream India”.

Around 100 participants, mostly students, wrote a sentence each on a flex board on how they wanted their Dream India to be. Founder of People for Change Souvik Saha said that this and other boards from similar events across various cities in Jharkhand till March 15 would finally be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The signature campaign was arranged jointly with national social organisations Pravaah and Community for Youth Collective.

While most youngsters demanded freedom from unemployment, others demanded easy access to good education. Some also wished more youths participated in healthy politics.

“We started Harmony Utsav to make people realise what are the important things to do if you want to create the India of your dreams. The Utsav is a first-of-its-kind activity that will be celebrated with campaigns, art and craft so that we know what our priorities should be,” Saha said.

Students also presented their views on the term “harmony” through rap, songs and dance. Some related harmony to mother’s love, some saw it in the love between two friends, some saw it as a collective effort for a larger cause.

Harmony Utsav was also organised on Saturday at the Ashish Kujara Pratigya Public School in Lodma on the outskirts of Ranchi.

On Sunday, Jamshedpur will also see Harmony Utsav events at Jubilee Park and the La Gravitea tea parlour.

Aman Kumar, a participating student, said he loved being a part of Saturday’s event. “Harmony is what we need in life. We waste a lot of time on filthy things that takes us nowhere. But I believe things will change if we want them to change,” Aman said.