Odisha: Deserted woman turns role model for others

Bhubaneswar: A young woman, who stood on her own feet after being deserted by her husband when she was pregnant, is now the subject of a success story that the Odisha government is highlighting these days to inspire hundreds of distressed women to become self-reliant.

Santoshi Deo, the young woman hailing from Badamuni village under Sadar in Keonjhar district, now earns her livelihood by driving an auto-rickshaw in her hometown Keonjhar. She learnt driving under the state government’s skill development training programme. On Thursday, Odisha Skill Development Authority chief and co-founder member of famed software firm Mindtree Subroto Bagchi and Keonjhar district collector N. Thirumala Naik took a ride in the Santoshi Deo’s auto-rickshaw to send out a message to the poor and depressed women to go for skill-development training and become self-reliant.

The two officials assured Santoshi alias Radha Maa to provide assistance for proper education of her daughter after the woman, with moist eyes, narrated her struggle to them during the ride.

Mr Bagchi and Mr Naik assured her of loan under the Mudra Yojana and Rs 80,000 assistance from the district administration. This apart, the administration would also make arrangement for the education of her child.

Mr Deo married to one Rohit Dasburma of Haryana. After giving birth to a girl child, her husband started torturing her. The situation worsened when her husband brought his ex-lover to the house and lived with her.

Taking a brave decision, she decided to return to her father’s house with the daughter. She initially started assisting her father at his small eatery for upbringing of the child but later planned to drive an auto-rickshaw and brought the vehicle in 2015. Her inspirational story gradually spread far and wide, encouraging many to lead their lives with dignity despite harsh circumstances.