Today, on Women’s Day, we bring the story of a strong-willed Karamveer Chakra Awardee- Ananya Paul Dodamani.
She is a tribal rights activist, Sustainable Menstrual Warrior and criminal psychologist by profession. The story of our shero is like no other.
What drives her are her own experiences, however testing they may be, and one such experience became the turning point in her life. Her father was kidnapped in Karbi Anglong, Assam, while she was still in college. As daunting as the plight he had to endure was, he managed to escape and is doing well. But this was quite an ordeal for her with an impact that led to her paving the way for the betterment of the tribal communities.
Growing up in a small town in Assam and holding in high regard the tribal way of life, which stayed with her in the later phases of life as well, Ananya had a deep sense of yearning to work towards the development of the tribal people. She was able to withstand all that happened and not hold them accountable for anything that went haywire. After getting married in 2005 and moving to the South of India, she somehow found herself surrounded by tribal people. At that point in time, she perceived that in order to make a constructive change by improving the quality of life for the tribal communities, she will have to take up the reigns.
It’s been over 18 years since Ananya first started fighting for tribal rights and empowerment. She could not confine herself in a 9 to 5 job and knew that the only way she would feel alive is by working in the most remote tribal areas possible.
As secluded as they may be, that is where she found a sense of belonging. While also being high-risk, these areas provide her with an opportunity to provide education to the women in the tribal belt and subsequently teaching them skills that would come in handy when required.
You’d think she’d have taken a long hard look at her decision when she was shot in the knee and shoulder, thrown into the forest and left there by the militants, but instead, she believed it was the lack of education and jobs that lead these people into militancy. “No one is born a criminal”, she quotes, as she was later rescued by the army. Notably enough, the same members of the community not only comprehend and believe in her endeavour to ensure better lifestyle practices but also pay respect by washing her feet and giving her the title of ‘Maa’. This has further strengthened her belief in bringing about an affirmative change in the mindset of the people.
Because of issues like lower literacy rates and poverty, rehabilitation remains a predicament. Even if the people willingly accept her aspirations for their community, lack of jobs and proper education get in the way of the process. Although the progress may not as rapid as one might anticipate, the efforts are steadfast.
Ananya has organized several pieces of training across India called the ‘Sustainable Menstrual Program’ for the women to be able to make biodegradable pads, thus, giving them means to provide for themselves. She holds a patent for biodegradable pads and was able to provide aid to as many as 8000 women with this program.
Currently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these pad producing units of women have now been converted to mask producing units distributing over 30,000 masks in the area.
This isn’t the first time Ananya has outreached to people in taxing situations. When the Sunderbans region was hit by the Amphan cyclone, she managed to distribute groceries to about 10,000 people with the help of volunteers from the local villages.
Ananya urges the readers, to find within themselves a sense of determination. “Because people who are deprived of clarity, ambition, and courage will always try to stop someone from achieving their dreams. But one must always listen to their hearts and follow the truth” she says.
Over the years, Ananya has adopted 208 children and desires to provide them with the food she cooks. Our Social Shero intends to educate the kids in these prohibited areas, render them with houses made out of bamboos and continue living in the tribal way which she truly relishes.
She currently relies on the earnings that she receives through consultation fees and the funds donated by people in accord with her intent. She considers every honour she gets as being given the responsibility to do more work. She says, “I also have the responsibility of a 92-year-old woman and a 2-month-old child. Shortage of funds is a big challenge, to cope with this, I have recently registered my NGO Tribal Connect.”
In 2017, Ananya and her husband registered as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) under the name of Saksham Foundation. She has been honoured with the globally recognized Karmaveer Chakra Award, a civilization award given to people across the globe for relentless courage, by the International Confederation of NGO (iCONGO), in partnership with The United Nations. Furthermore, she has been awarded the Kalki Gaurav Samman and a Certificate of Appreciation from several humanitarian organizations like the Global Human Rights Protection Council and SUFI Humanity Foundation for her work during the pandemic.
We could see the sparkle in her eyes while explaining her Dream project to us, “I want to create a smart tribal village, that is, away from the cities, a village in the middle of the forests where there is an ATM, digital banking, smart boards in the school, use of solar energy. I will start this as a pilot project, and if it is successful, I intend to do it in many villages of the country.”
Ananya Paul Dodamani is nothing short of an example when we say, “Not all ‘Sheroes’ wear capes”.
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