JOIN USChetan Ahimsa spent the first 23 years of his life in the US. He made regular trips to India during his summer vacations. Thus, Karnataka and Kannada played an integral role in shaping his understanding and identity.
“I was more than just hyphenated from an American standpoint; I was a hybrid from a global perspective. As I matured, I began to comprehend the unjustified privileges I was a beneficiary of — in education, economics, health, parental love — in comparison to many of my Indian counterparts. I felt it my responsibility to dedicate my life to giving back,” he says.
While studying liberal arts at Yale University, he read about Medha Patkar and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. “She inspired me,” says Chetan.
In 2005, he rejected lucrative career options and came to India on a Fulbright Scholarship that required him to work in conjunction with the National School of Drama, Bengaluru and help engender social change through theatre.