Jagi Mangat Panda, director and co-founder of OTV’s holding company Odisha Television Network, delivered the introductory remarks. Six women achievers were honoured on the occasion for their outstanding achievement in their respective fields.
The Chatria sisters, who belong to Chakotia Bhunjia tribe, were honoured for their remarkable contribution in the field of education. In 2007, both the sisters went to school without caring much about the archaic rules set by their community and paid a price for that as they were excommunicated. Despite hurdles, the sisters completed their secondary education. Currently, they are working towards development of girl children in their locality.
Without caring about dangers from Maoists Ipili Kanama, a teacher at Kalimela Colony School in Malkangiri, has created a short of movement to educate children from the tribal-dominated area. Her only aim is to create educated and disciplined students.
Another woman achiever Gayatri Behera, who is working as a traffic constable in Odisha Police since 2009, was felicitated at the function for her excellent contribution towards traffic management in the busy streets of Cuttack. Notably, she was the winner of Best Traffic Constable award.
Judo coach Gitanjanli Panda was honoured for her contribution towards teaching self-defence tactics to young men and women of the State. She has taken up the task to make self-defence a part of life of young mass, especially women. Panda is the first woman in the country to become an international judo referee.
Untimely death of her 15-year old son has not deterred Gargi Bhattacharya to live her life for a cause. She is doing a research on autism besides her core area of interest on theatre and documentary film making. She herself is busy with upbringing her second son who is having autism.
