Impact

The helpline of Humsafar Trust was inundated with calls
and emails seeking support. Over 450 young LGBT individuals connected with us and some even came out to their parents and it was heartening that many families and loved ones showed compassion and understanding. The best moment of the day of telecast was a phone call we received from a young man. We were just about to leave office when he called and said that he had been contemplating suicide but after watching the episode, he had decided to live. The Satyamev Jayate episode will remain a major turning point in the lives of LGBT communities. Thank you!
Contact: vivek.hst@gmail.com

Thanks to Mr Aamir Khan and Satyamev Jayate, road accidents have finally been recognized as a major epidemic affecting India. Not only did the episode help SaveLIFE Foundation get support and recognition across the country, but it has enabled thousands of people to directly contribute to making our roads safe. Over 18 lakh people have voted for a strong road safety law; close to 3,000 people have signed up to become volunteers with us; hundreds have helped us report over 1,200 dangerous trucks carrying protruding rods; and we continue to receive donations ranging from a few hundred rupees to several thousands every other day.
Contact: piyushtewari@savelifefoundation.org

Our phones didn't stop ringing after the telecast. We received almost 1,000 calls. My grandparents in Israna village have also got many calls. Dean Jones, the cricketer with whom I have played in the past, also wrote to me! My family and I are very happy with the response that the show received.
Contact: shubhamjaglan@yahoo.co.in

The Satyamev Jayate episode on mental health was a path-breaking event. Sharing my story as a caregiver on Satyamev Jayate brought so many families from across the country as well as some parts of the world in connect with me to share their stories and seek solutions. I felt that our out-of-the-box experiment of drawing patients out in the mainstream by placing them in small shops and kiosks has really touched the chord somewhere. Satyamev Jayate was of great help in disseminating the concept and shattering the myth that persons with mental illness can never be good employees. What is even more important is that the programme gave credibility in the eyes of skeptics.
Contact: md@kromatiks.com

I have received many emails saying that I am an inspiration. Someone sent me an email saying that his wife who has many negative thoughts felt motivated to start thinking positively about life in general after watching my story. My friends said that I am a fighter and they are proud of me. An MDR TB patient also called saying that she will ensure her complete recovery and is determined to emerge stronger.
Contact: deepticomesback@gmail.com

"Aap ke yahaan aise TV pe ye sab baat ho sakti hai, mashallah!" ("You guys can talk about all of this on TV in your country!"), exclaimed a Pakistani friend of mine after he saw Satyamev Jayate's episode on sexual orientation. He was quick to add, "I felt so good and liberated." Despite some security filters, I received about 400 Facebook messages, 200 emails and hundreds of phone calls. The show touched a lot of people and more importantly sparked a debate in the mind of those who thought that the subject of LGBT rights could dare not speak its name in public.
Contact: deepak.j.kashyap@gmail.com

The EduSports team received over 500 calls from across the country-from parents, school leaders and government officials. Specifically, 40 schools (covering approximately 50,000 children) have asked us to meet them and present our programme's details. Many schools that we have been in touch with, but which were skeptical about the notion of sports as an integral part of education, have turned extremely positive in their discussions. Even in our interactions with government officials, we have heard positive references to the SMJ episode on Sports. The 5th edition of EduSports' Annual School Health and Fitness Survey has revealed alarming statistics about the state of India's children's health and fitness. This survey, covering 1,15,559 students across 287 schools in 85 cities, reveals that 40% of children don't have healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) levels and 40% kids don't have required endurance levels. Getting children to play in schools is the only solution and the Satyamev Jayate episode has galvanized parents, school leaders and government to give this issue the attention it deserves. Thank you Team SMJ!
Contact: saumil@edusports.in

I received so many calls, SMSes and messages on Facebook from people who watched the episode. Many of them loved Aamirji's stand on who a 'Moga' is. My mother told me after seeing the show that we need to bring a change in how we bring up our children. That was a great realization for her. Some casteist people as well as patriarchs said that they are surely going to change. My partner Shruti is very happy that I told the truth. Thank you for bringing me closer to my loved ones.
Contact: lenin@pvchr.asia

Hundreds of people have mailed and called me and many of them have also sought help on sexuality-related issues. I have even had visitors from a few remote villages coming to me in Mumbai for a counselling session. Some parents told me that they cried after watching the episode and can now understand what their kids might have gone through. I am thankful I was part of the Satyamev Jayate show.
Contact: anjali.chhabria@gmail.com

Satyamev Jayate underscored our responsibility to society: we know we have to work harder than ever to make sure each and every child in need gets access to her or his basic development needs.
Contact: matthew@magicbusindia.org

The response has been huge. My friends, colleagues and family members had asked almost 5,000 people to watch the episode. Several people reached out with heartfelt messages and resolve to support not only my case but the whole issue after watching this episode. The then Police Commissioner of Gurgaon sent a request to be added to the 'Justice for Kshama' Facebook group. So many other people from India and abroad have offered support as well. The challenge for me is to translate all of these positive comments into some tangible outcome. It is important for me to ensure that the case gets the necessary attention and the culprits are punished through a fair and speedy trial.
Contact: shailesh.shetye@hotmail.co.uk

In a country where most people can't cope with 'anomalies' in sexual and gender identities, Satyamev Jayate has made visible the hidden struggle endured by millions of Indians. An open discussion on national television on alternative sexualities would have changed my life had I been fortunate enough to watch it when I was a 14-year-old boy struggling with my identity.
Contact: ssimran1982s@gmail.com

We received around 200 phone calls from across the country and from South Africa, U.S.A. and Australia on the day the episode aired and the numbers have kept adding since then. A group from Malda in West Bengal invited Akhilesh Paul and myself to organize a football tournament and felicitate participating teams. It is very difficult to show connections between the two very different aspects of sports and development, but we thank SMJ for not only doing this so well, but also for featuring the work of a lot of NGOs working in this sector.
Contact: reachus@slumsoccer.org

The impact of the episode on Nurturing Mental Health has been tremendous. Many people took the trouble to travel long distances to consult NIMHANS and me. Some even said that they were made aware about them or their family members having a mental health problem after watching the episode. Some even shared their experiences of not being adequately helped in the past. The programme has gone a long way in reducing stigma and discrimination towards the mentally ill. This should encourage others not to be secretive about their mental health. I would like to tell people to not ignore problems related to feelings, thoughts and behaviours. Seek early help for a good recovery and improved quality of life.
Contact: chatur@nimhans.kar.nic.in

Medical experts were happy to see that Satyamev Jayate had presented a very balanced and informative programme on TB. They especially appreciated the extensive research done by the team. Patients have become more aware of the disease and now have concerns regarding their status and want to take extra precautions so that they can prevent their disease from progressing.

A man whose story is similar to my past got in touch with me and said that he related with whatever I said and is inspired to turn his life around. Many people called me to say that they were very happy about my story of transformation and couldn't believe it!
Contact: annafootball007@gmail.com

I got a tremendous response from across the country. Many people pledged support. I received many emails and calls too thanking Satyamev Jayate for highlighting the serious lacunae in the implementation of the DOTS programme - many of the calls were from RNTCP staff themselves. It was heartening to see that the programme took the message of TB to millions of viewers across the globe.
Contact: shaffi@hsrii.org

It was really a pleasure and honour to be a part of the Satyamev Jayate episode about mental health. This was the first time that the issue of mental health was given such importance in the wider public discourse. The response from the mental health community, patients and families was simply overwhelming. We received emails and phone calls for help from across the country. Many calls for help came at critical moments when the caller or someone close to him/her was thinking about ending his/her life. It is reassuring that we were able to reach out to and help many people.
Contact: hamid.dabholkar@gmail.com

The response to the show was exceptionally good. We received more than 100 requests to open new laughter clubs and several hundred emails with requests for laughter yoga training. It is mind-blowing. I want to thank all of you for this great opportunity to spread laughter yoga to many people.
Contact: mk@laughteryoga.org

Some committed workers in the field wrote to me expressing happiness that the problem of TB had been highlighted at a time when there is a great need to increase the momentum on TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention in India. It was surprising for many people to know that infection with the TB germ is so widespread in India - around 40% of the population (500 million people) are infected with the TB germ and are at risk of developing active TB disease. The fact that a balanced diet, which is the foundation of health and good immunity, also protects us like a vaccine from developing active TB was new as well as reassuring for many people who got in touch with me after watching the show.
Contact: anuragb17@gmail.com

I got several emails from strangers asking about dealing with TB for themselves or family members (many from even U.S.A). A group of engineering students has come forward to help in any way they can.
Contact: soumyas@nirt.res.in

People have become much more sensitive towards ragging, I would say. We have perceived a change in how the public looks at ragging. Now they understand that it isn't fun; it takes lives.
Contact: gaurav@no2ragging.org