E-Paper
Anti-phone 'vehla' championship in Punjab village: How 3 men endured 31+ hours in digital detox
Organisers in Moga's Gholia Khurd village called event a "bold rebellion" against a world where people "can’t sit for 5 minutes without checking their phones"
It was called ‘Vehle Behn Da Muqabla’, the ‘Do Nothing Contest’, but it was no less than an endurance test — against using the phone! In a unique and demanding test of willpower, a village in Punjab held what's being dubbed the ‘Great Sitting Challenge’. Three champs were crowned after sitting without phones, at one place, for 31 hours, in Gholia Khurd village of Moga district.
The contest had 55 participants from various parts of Punjab and Chandigarh.
The organisers said they thought of the idea as phone addiction is "a type of disease". They called it a "bold rebellion" against a world where people "can’t sit for five minutes without checking their phones", as per a report in The Tribune.
And if you though 31 hours was no big deal, know that it was not just about the phone.
What was the ‘vehla’ contest?
The rules of the contest were designed to force mental and physical stillness: participants had to sit in one place without using a mobile phone, sleeping, or getting up, even for using the washroom.
Food and water were provided.
And there were books to read.
Many of the participants said they chanted hymns ('simran') to keep their minds occupied.
The 55 participants ranged across children, young men and women, and the elderly, all drawn by a social media post announcing the event — an ironic nod to the technology they were trying to escape.
Also read | Sanchar Saathi app: What is Centre's directive, what Opposition said and Centre's clarification
Who won and how?
After 31 hours and 4 minutes of endurance, Satbir Singh and Lampreet Singh emerged as joint winners, each earning a cycle and ₹3500. Chanan Singh secured the third place with ₹1500, reports said.
One of the winners shared the profound relief with a YouTube channel: “Bahut changa lagga, phone ton khehda chhuteya! (It felt very good to be rid of the phone.) Else, we would be watching reels endlessly, all day.”
A similar event was earlier held in Barnala district, said the organisers, hoping that other villages in Punjab would also adopt it.
