Padma Shri Shanti Devi: One of the pioneers of Social service movement

For the last sixty years, Shanti Devi has taken up social service as her main object of life. She has created a special acquaintance for herself in the whole country for her noticeable contribution in the field of social service.

Rayagada (Odisha):Shanti Devi, a social activist and Gandhian leader of Rayagada district of Odisha has been honoured with Padma Shri award on Republic Day.

For the last sixty years, this woman leader has taken up social service as her main object of life. She has created a special acquaintance for herself in the whole country for her noticeable contribution in the field of social service.

Shanti Devi has been honoured with one of the most prestigious civilian awards of the country ‘Padma Shri’ this year.

Her contribution to social work is not confined only to Rayagada district, but her fame also spreads beyond the state of Odisha.

After the news about Shanti Devi having been chosen to receive the Padma Shri award reached Rayagada, a wave of joy spread across the whole district.

After getting this award Shanti Devi said, “ Since I have been honoured with a prestigious award like Padmasri, it is natural to become somewhat happy. But I am not very much enthusiastic about this award. By choosing me for an award like this, the country has actually given this award for the orphan children”.

After her marriage, Shanti Devi had left Balasore town and came to the then undivided district of Koraput which is presently known Rayagada district in southern Odisha, in order to fulfil the condition of her husband.

Leaving behind a developed coastal district like Balasore she chose a backward area like Rayagada which was then almost inaccessible, as her new place of work.

Shanti Devi who was originally associated with Bhoodan movement and ‘Satyagraha’ agitations, later became a ‘mother’ for the orphan children. Now she has given shelter to as many as one hundred thirty one (131) orphan children and takes care of them like a mother.

The late Dr Ratan Das who was also a pioneer of Bhoodan movement and his wife Shanti Das are renowned in the whole of undivided Koraput district as a social service couple. After the death of her husband, Shanti Devi did not break down but continued her social service activities.

For this, she has received many awards from some national and international organizations.

She says more than any award, happiness in the face of poor children gives her more self-satisfaction.

She has established ‘Ashrams’ (orphanages)at Gunupur of Rayagada district, Jabarguda of Padmapur block and Nuapada in order to provide shelter to helpless children.

She brings the orphan children, gives them shelter, takes their care and brings up them.

Apart from arranging their formal education she also teaches them moral education so that they can grow up and live in the society with respect.

Not only that, she has also given in marriage many orphan girls. Because of her moral teachings, many children have grown up in life and have been well placed in different organizations today. She was influenced by Sant Vinova Bhave.

Shanti Devi was born on April 18, 1934. Her marriage was solemnized in the year 1951 with social activist Dr Ratan Das. From her childhood she had developed a habit to protest against the acts of injustice, atrocities and oppressions witnessed in society.

In her later life, she was influenced by Gandhian philosophy and joined ‘Gandhi Ashram’ established and managed by Gopabandhu Choudhury.

Hardly four months after her marriage she had come to Gunupur town. She had come there to distribute relief materials to the people affected by severe drought conditions prevailing in the undivided Koraput district in the year 1951.

During that period she had a meeting with Sant Vinova Bhave and thereafter the course of her life took a different turn. This tribal-dominated area became her workplace.

Her pioneering role during land movement

Shanti Devi associated herself in the land Satyagraha movement which was continuing in the undivided Koraput district in 1952.

Then she engaged herself to free the land of the tribal people which had been forcibly grabbed by the landlords.

Later she joined the Bhoodan movement in the districts of Bolangir, Kalahandi and Sambalpur.

She imparted training to Bhoodan workers at the Ashram at Gopalbadi which had been set up by Malati Devi (wife of former Odisha Chief Minister Naba Krushna Choudhury).

During that period she had also worked for the release of about 40 tribal people who had been serving a life sentence at Sankalpadar.

She had sought the intervention of the Governor of the state for that purpose.

She set up a ‘Seva Samaj’ at Jabarguda in 1964 with the assistance of tribal people where she provided shelter to poor and orphan children and took their care.

She received full cooperation from her husband for all this work.

Shanti Devi has kept herself fully engaged in social service activities for the last sixty years.

Somebody from this area has been chosen to receive a prestigious award like Padmasri for the first time.

Good wishes from all quarters have been coming to her. She has been honoured with this award at a very ripe age.

But this award will certainly provide inspiration to others in future to devote themselves to social service.