Emergence of a youth leader : Pinky

She epitomizes the line in the famous poem written by Nobel laureate Shri Ravindra Nath Tagore’s “Nirbhay Mann Sir unncha” (fearless rind and head held high). Bhil by Caste sixteen year old pinky is a resident of lakdai village in Kishanganj block. She belongs to an agricultural labourer’s family . One amongst the 5 siblings of her parent’s, pinky was also engaged in goat rearing and worked as wage laborer before she joined DD activities.

When DD started functioning in Kishanganj block, first Joint training was organized for adolescents boys and girls on PRI s. Pinky was the only girls amongst 52 participant’s Clad in Ghagra-Choli and Odhani. Since than, she has been on a constant Journey. Once she joined she didn’t step back and participated in almost every training programme whether it was on violence against women, Right to Information, health or life skills.

Before Joining DD She had been involved in school as well and passed grade-2 however her level on language and mathematics was of an illiterate person as the benchmark revealed. When first residential camp of 3 month’s duration took place Pinky Joined and acquired level of grade III. Initially it was not an easy association for her. Some of the villagers provoked her parents saying all kind of nasty things which adversely affected them and they insisted on her return. However, when they visited the camps themselves on the insistence of field workers they were convinced. Since then they have been a constant support to her. And pinky has been able to took advantage of that support to the Femine relief, health survey, voter awareness campaign, movements for right to information and execution of employment guarantee law, in every activity of DD the involvement has of a qualitative nature.

Seeing Pinky wearing salwar- Kameez and shouting slogans against all kinds of injustice no one remains in doubt that this girl has been transformed from an image of a vulnerable, lower caste girl to a confident person. For Pinky, She has undoubtedly made strong Choices in her life. Denying the immediate monetary Benefit of about Rs. 2,000 (she was offered a position of social Activist by DD management in kishanganj seeing her exceptional communication skills and spirit to serve) she Choose to Continue her studies in OMS, and appeared for the examination of grade VII th. Though she failed in her first attempt because of English as a subject, she decided to attempt again and not succumb to the family pressures of getting married. Her marriage was decided with a boy of a village in the vicinity of her own residence. When bridegroom and her family learnt about her activities in social sphere marriage couldn’t materialize. Pinky has no regrets about it. She is happy that she has got another chance to do what she wanted. Above all, her mother is her support. When father once sent her for majdoori (wage labour) in a distant village to keep her away from DD activities she wrote to her mother and returned to study again with her advocacy for her daughter.

When asked about her 4 year’s of struggle to dictate her life by herself, her eyes twinkles and she says - One has to go through this if one wants to do something which he/she likes. I have decided that I wouldn’t live the life which my mother led. Therefore, I have opted to continue my Studies. I have got number of opportunities to meet different people, to tell about our work. All this has given me a lot of courage and self confidence. When UNFPA organized an educational conference in Delhi, I accompanied the Director and a fellow male Participant Amin to Delhi. There I Shared My experience, my life before joining the project and everybody appreciated. I was not at all feared though it was a huge gathering of people from all over the country. We were equipped to share what we had learnt and had been able to do over the years since our association with DD. In fact wherever we as DD participant participate in any event outside people feel surprised to see our confidence and solidarity to fight for social cause. Being a person from Bhil community I have experienced oppression and negligence in my life. Therefore I can understand those who are struggling against exploitation of any kind. We don’t want to continue this habbit of accepting isolation any more. The only way it is to stand and oppose, she says in an enthusiastically loud voice. Perhaps, a leader is on the path to emerge!