Leaving the
urban concrete-structures at the backdrop and escaping from the dint and bustle
as well, approaching slowly is a narrow blacktop road, sometimes brick soling
serpentine narrow path. Apparently
mundane environ however was turning over to unmatching landscape at par the
motorcade speed. It was full of bewildering skits in all sundry - small
cropping fields, bared farmers, grazing cows, ponds, lake and thousands of
unknown aquatic plants and ducks floating therein along with mysteriously
appearance of barbed wire fencing, border road and armed men in uniform. Only 25
minutes ride off Agartala city in the west, the village named Lankamura, pitted
in the vortex of lush green appeared with a simple but intricate design.
There lives a
Madhabi-Malancha-Kainya (daughter of Madhabi-Malancha flowers – metaphorically
meaning a lady who is living on the lap of greenery and orchard), named Jharna
Kapali, 35 year old Panchayat – chief. How is this semi-literate lady, being
the chief of a suburban village heading the family of 12,772 members? Has she
become empowered, or a power lady? She was found wiping off sweat from her face
with the lace of her sharee. The day she had spent long hours outside
home under the scorching sun and roamed about hither and thither in the
locality since morning. Her gesture was seemingly pointing a sheer desire of having
a little rest. For, she would be chairing a meeting that afternoon at the panchayat
for discussion over the selection of beneficiaries under a state sponsored
scheme of pension for over-age and unmarried women. (More.....)
Written by Nandita Dutta (A member of ProMASS)
Written by Nandita Dutta (A member of ProMASS)
