Social activist and Gandhian leader Shanti Devi from the Rayagada district of Odisha has been honored with the Padma Shri award. For the last 60 years, she has considered social service as the main aim of her life. She has made the whole country acquainted with her remarkable contribution in the field of social service. Shanti Devi has been honored with the country's most prestigious civilian award 'Padma Shri' this year. Her contribution in social work is not limited only to the Rayagada district, but her fame is also outside the state of Odisha.
The news of Shanti Devi being selected for the Padma Shri award caused a wave of happiness in the entire district including Rayagada. After receiving this award, Shanti Devi said, it is natural to feel proud and happy to be honored with a prestigious award like Padma Shri. But I am not too excited about this award. By choosing me for an award like this, the country has really given this award to the orphans.
After her marriage, Shanti Devi left the city of Balasore and then moved to the undivided district of Koraput, which is the present-day Rayagada district of southern Odisha, to fulfill her husband's duties. He chose a backward area like Rayagada, which was then quite inaccessible, leaving the developed coastal district like Balasore. Shanti Devi was originally associated with the Bhoodan movement and the Satyagraha movement, later she became a mother to orphans. She not only gave shelter to one hundred thirty-one (131) orphan children but also takes care of them like a mother.
Late Dr. Ratan Das, who was also the pioneer of the Bhoodan movement, and his wife Shanti Das are well known as social service couples in the entire undivided Koraput district. But even after the death of her husband, Shanti Devi did not break, instead, she continued her social service activities. For this, he has also received awards from many national and international organizations. They get self-satisfaction from the happiness on the faces of the poor children more than the rewards.
She has established ashrams (orphanages) for helpless children at Jabaguda in Padmapur block and Gunupur in the Rayagada district of Nuapada. She brings orphans, shelters them, takes care of them. Apart from arranging their education, she also gives them moral education so that they can grow up and live with respect in society. Not only this, but She has also got many orphan girls married. Due to her moral education, many children have grown up in life and are working in various institutions today. She was greatly influenced by Sant Vinova Bhave.
Devi was born on 18 April 1934. She was married to social worker Dr. Ratan Das in the year 1951. From childhood, She had developed the habit of protesting against injustice and tyranny in society. In her later life, she was influenced by Gandhian philosophy and joined the Gandhi Ashram established by Gopabandhu Choudhary.
She came to Gunupur city after four months of her marriage. She had come there in 1951 to provide relief material to the people affected by the severe drought situation in the undivided Koraput district. It was during that period that She met Saint Vinova Bhave and after that, there was a new turning point in her life. This tribal-dominated area became her karmabhoomi.
Shanti Devi associated herself with the land satyagraha movement in the Koraput district in 1952. Then She fought to free the land of the tribal people who had been forcibly usurped by the landlords. Later she joined the Bhoodan movement in Bolangir, Kalahandi, and Sambalpur districts. She trained Bhoodan workers at the Gopalanbari ashram, which was founded by Malati Devi (wife of former Odisha Chief Minister Naba Krishna Choudhary).
During that period She also worked for the release of about 40 tribal people who were serving life imprisonment. On this, She had also demanded the intervention of the state governor. She founded a 'Seva Samaj' in Jabarguda in 1964 with the help of tribal people, where She provided shelter and looked after the poor and orphaned children. For this work, she got the full support of her husband.
Shanti Devi has fully engaged herself in social service activities for the last 60 years. For the first time, someone from this field has been selected to receive a prestigious award like Padma Shri. She is getting best wishes from everyone. This award will surely give them inspiration.
