It was an evening to remember, not merely for the 12 women who were given Devi Awards by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, but also for the cause of women empowerment. Instituted by The New Indian Express, the 19th Devi awards in Bhubaneswar showcased the diversity and strength of the women of Odisha. From legendary writer, Pratibha Ray, to transformer engineer Sita Behera; from super athlete Dutee Chand to miracle baby maker Dr Sujata Kar, women from across fields, classes and communities were represented.
And it was the iconic Ray who reminded everyone that there is a devi who resides in the soul of each woman. As she said: “We worship the Vedas, isn’t it? But, in the Vedas, there is no mention of the word abala for women. Instead, they are referred to as dhwaja (flags) of human society. They are the incarnations of Shakti.’’
“To be a woman, it is tough. To be in the medical field, for a woman, it is tougher. And, to be a medical researcher, for a woman, it is the toughest. That’s what I have realised,” said Dr Sanghamitra Pati, another recipient of Devi award and Director of Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar. Among other winners, activist Vidhya Das has been working for the most marginalised sections of society while Jhulima Mallick has been leading a crusade against child marriage in her area. Chief Minister Patnaik used the opportunity to reassert his pledge to fight for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament.
In a brief interaction with Editorial Director of The New Indian Express Prabhu Chawla, the chief minister said, “Our party will continue to press for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament. We have done it in Odisha and will certainly push for it in the Lok Sabha.” The Chief Minister presented the Devi Awards to Dr Pratibha Ray, Dutee Chand, Dr Sanghamitra Pati, Dr Sujata Kar, Sonali Mishra, Jhulima Mallick, Anshu Pragyan Das, Vidhya Das, Sita Behera, Sashi Pradhan, Subhalaxmi Subudhi and Sruti Mohapatra, who was represented by her brother Debu Patnaik.
Stating that his father and former chief minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik was the first person in the country to have reserved 33 per cent of seats for women in Panchayati raj institutions, the chief minister said his government has taken the policy forward by earmarking 50 per cent of the seats for women at the grassroot-level governance system.
The Odisha Government has launched two flagship programmes for women, the Mission Shakti for empowerment and economic development and Mamata for health, nutrition and welfare of pregnant women and lactating mothers.
“Nearly one million women have been covered under these programmes,” he said and congratulated the Devi award winners. In his welcome address, Chawla said the Chief Minister has done many things for empowering women and their economic and social development.