Minati Panda, 50, of Kalabuda village under Garadpur block of Kendrapada district, began her work against corruption more than 12 years ago. She talks about her journey in her own words.
We, a family of six, lived in a cramped three-room house. A part of the house collapsed during cyclone Fani in 1999. My father, a priest, made a thatched roof for the collapsed part.
Despite the lack of a steady income, he managed to save a bit and get my two elder sisters and brother married.
It was a blow when my father passed away. Everything changed.
Then my brother and sister-in-law gave us a shock. They went away, snapping all ties, and leaving their 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son behind. Stressed by this my mother fell sick and remained bed-ridden.
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I looked after the children, nursed my mother and worked to keep the hearth burning. Fortunately, tailoring that I’d learnt from my neighbour came in handy. I also completed sangeeta visarada course.
As a vocalist, I joined different kirtan parties in my village, subsequently floating my own. The monthly pension of Rs 1,200 for artistes, free vegetables from the weekly market held on our land and the monthly ration of 5kg rice under the food security scheme help us cope.
My crusade against corruption started in 2010 when an official demanded money to disburse funds to SHGs, including the SHG I was a member of. I contacted the vigilance department, who smeared the intended bribe with some powder. Also, I recorded the transaction on my phone.
Similarly, we caught another official who demanded money for appointing a resource person for a group of SHGs.
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When a head clerk demanded money to issue my father’s death certificate needed for transferring the land to his children, I caught him. I wanted to sell a part of the land to replace our house’s thatched roof.
Our SHG was preparing mid-day meals in a school. I trapped the headmistress when she demanded a bribe to clear our dues.
Things are not always easy. I had to complain to the RTI commissioner since the officer in charge kept dodging and didn’t give details of Indira Awas Yojana. The scheme was not being implemented properly. Certain cases like that need to be taken up in court but I don’t have the resources for that.
For my work against corruption, an organisation awarded me with the Rani Laxmi Bai Puraskar in 2016. I, an ordinary woman, was clubbed with stalwarts like Odissi dancers Padma Shree Aruna Mohanty, Padma Shree late Minati Mishra and a host of other celebrities who had bagged it earlier.
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When my mother passed away in 2019, I performed all the funeral rites like a ‘son’.
My niece Rajalaxmi has completed her BEd course and my nephew Ramakrishna is studying electrical engineering.
Meanwhile, everyone wanted me to get married. I refused, as I thought I was already married to social work. But I relented for the sake of my ‘children’.
When villagers stressed about a father’s role in my children’s marriage, I agreed and married Mrityunjaya Pati. He is a priest in charge of a temple in Rourkela.
We exchanged garlands last year with 35 guests.
Mrityunjaya is supportive of my work and advises me to be extra cautious.
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Reporting and photography by Niroj Ranjan Misra, a Cuttack-based journalist.
