Basanti Devi, \u2018Padam Shri\u2019 recipient, \u00a0a relentless crusader for environment and women empowerment<\/p>\n
B.D.Kasniyal<\/p>\n
Pithoragarh, Jan 28<\/p>\n
Basanti Devi, who has been awarded \u2018Padma Shri\u2019 from Uttarakhand state this year, for\u00a0her contribution and work in social and environmental work, has been a relentless crusader in\u00a0 ‘Save Kosi river movement’ from Kausani Ashram, Almora district. She has also put in 40 years of long work in the sphere of women empowerment.<\/p>\n
Basanti Devi has also been awarded \u2018Nari Shakti Award 2016, \u2018Devi award\u2019 in 2016 and \u2018Femina Women Jury\u2019 award in 2027 for her social work.<\/p>\n
“I was born in Digra village of Kanalichina block of Pithoragarh district in the year 1958. I was in class 5th student when \u00a0my marriage was solemnised with a boy who was a student of 11th class but soon after marriage, my husband died and I became a young widow.” said Basanti Devi talking to this correspondent.<\/p>\n
After being a widow, her relatives wanted her to marry again but her father insisted on her further education and sent her to Mahila Ashram, Kausani, established by eminent Gandhian \u00a0Sarala Behn in 1980.<\/p>\n
” One\u00a0 of my relatives, a disabled boy\u00a0used to study in the Ashram, when I went there to meet him I find the atmosphere there above untouchability\u00a0 social discrimination and full of dignity for women. I remained there with the consent of my father.” said Basanti Devi .<\/p>\n
After joining the\u00a0Mahila Ashram in Kausani, Basanti Devi was given the work of opening \u201cBal Waris\u201d in Danya area of Almora where she opened several \u201cBal Waris\u201d in remote villages.”I also completed my education till intermediate during that period.” said Basanti Devi .<\/p>\n
After some time she was given work to save environment and water in Kosi river as the water flow in the watershed fed river was continuously depleting. ” When we started work in Kosi area, the condition of women was worst, they used to be involved in bringing fire wood from jungle and work in the fields.<\/p>\n
“After several trips, when I could not find any women in villages, I went \u00a0to the forest and requested them not to cut live trees and shrubs as due to this cutting the\u00a0 perennial water sources of the area are depleting,” said Basanti Devi.<\/p>\n
Basanti and her team not only persuaded village women not to cut live trees and use dry ones as fuel, but also fought forest department for falling big trees.<\/p>\n
“When the village women agreed to take my advise, we organised them in the forms of\u00a0 Mahila Sangthan in\u00a0 almost 50 villages from Kausani to Katli\u00a0village in Someshwar.” said Basanti Devi.<\/p>\n
According to Basanti Devi, women organisations not only worked toward saving environment of Kosi region but also empowered women by the way of their increased participation in social works.”Now women had started taking part in social works,” said Basanti Devi.<\/p>\n
For 20 years, Basanti Devi used to travel in 50 villages of Kosi region with the aim of saving trees, environmental, empowering women and working against consumption of liquor.<\/p>\n
“It started resulting into surplus water in once almost dry area of Kosi watershed region, now, after revival of some old springs, the villagers of Someshwar area have started cultivating to grow paddy crop,” said Basanti Devi.<\/p>\n
“My work is continue even today, I go to advise the women organisations whenever the call me, but from last two years, I have started living in Pithoragarh district, where my father has built a house for me,” said Basanti Devi.<\/p>\n
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Basanti Devi, \u2018Padam Shri\u2019 recipient, \u00a0a relentless crusader for environment and women empowerment B.D.Kasniyal Pithoragarh, Jan 28 Basanti Devi, who has been awarded \u2018Padma Shri\u2019 from Uttarakhand state this year, for\u00a0her contribution and work in social and environmental work, has been a relentless crusader in\u00a0 ‘Save Kosi river movement’ from Kausani Ashram, Almora district. She …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,91,56,59],"tags":[202,203,205,102,204],"class_list":["post-1661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-national","category-politics","category-uttarakhand","tag-basanti-devi","tag-padam-shri","tag-save-kosi-campaign","tag-uttarakhand","tag-women-empowerment"],"yoast_head":"\n