‘Mother’ to the destitute, Shanti Devi passes away

Eminent social worker and Gandhian Shanti Devi passed away at her Seva Samaj Ashram at Gunupur in Rayagada district late on Sunday night.
‘Mother’ to the destitute, Shanti Devi passes away

BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: Eminent social worker and Gandhian Shanti Devi passed away at her Seva Samaj Ashram at Gunupur in Rayagada district late on Sunday night. She was 88 and survived by a son Sidharth Das.

Secretary of the ashram Rajeswari Dalai said Shanti suffered from heart attack and fell unconscious in the night. Superintendent of Gunupur Sub-divisional Hospital Dr Ramesh Chandra Sahu rushed to examine her but she had passed away.

Shanti was conferred the third highest civilian honour Padma Shri in November last year for serving the poor in the undivided Koraput district for the last six decades.

Born and brought up in Balasore, she was inspired by ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave during her college days. At the age of 17, she gave up her college and moved to Koraput district along with her husband Ratan Das to serve the poor. In 1953, she started a small ashram at Koraput’s Sankalpadar village where there were only 13 houses. While two villagers were lepers, the rest suffered from YAWS, a virulent infectious skin disease. She began treating them all and within a year, got them cured of YAWS.

Shanti continued treatment of the leprosy patients and regular administration of drugs made the entire village free from the disease. As the children of the village were drawn towards Shanti, it gave her the impetus to open another ashram for the tribals and destitute children. She founded the Seva Samaj in Gunupur in Rayagada district in 1964.

Shanti went on to start three child care institutions, an educational complex for ST girls and several creche centres in southern Odisha. With her team of 50 social workers and 500 volunteers, she was managing these facilities and rehabilitating orphans and the destitute till her last breath.

Development of tribal girls was an issue close to her heart. Around 100 tribal girls are currently studying free of cost in the educational complex at Limameda village near Gunupur, that she set up with help of the Centre in 1993.

She was also a champion of land rights for the poor and anti-liquor movement. In an interview with The New Indian Express soon after she was selected for the Padma Shri, Shanti had said that a majority of problems in Odisha can be solved if the government provides everyone a piece of land and implements stricter laws for curbing liquor production and consumption.

For her exemplary work, several awards and accolades came her way. Besides the prestigious Padma Shri, Shanti was honoured with the National Award for Child Welfare in 1991 and Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Development & Welfare of Women And Children in 1994.

People from all walks of life including the President, Prime Minister, Governor of Odisha and Chief Minister condoled her death. “She had made upliftment of tribals and women the goal of her life. I had the opportunity of conferring Padma Shri on her recently,” said President Ramnath Kovind, while expressing condolences to the bereaved family.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Shanti Devi will be remembered as the voice of the poor and underprivileged. “She worked selflessly to remove human suffering and create a healthier society. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and countless admirers. Om Shanti”, Modi tweeted.

Similarly, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that her contribution to social work is invaluable. Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal extended his condolences to the bereaved family.

Her mortal remains were consigned to flames with full State honours at the banks of river Bansadhara in Gunupur later in the day.

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