A member of the Constituent Assembly, an advocate, a social worker, a politician and a freedom fighter all rolled into one, Durgabai Deshmukh continues to be an epitome of women empowerment. She was instrumental in initiating ‘Andhra Mahila Sabha’ and ‘Hindi Balika Patasala’ at a very young age.
She was able to transcend the barriers of caste and creed and started helping the needy at the age of 11. However, not many knew the major contributions made by the Mother of Social Work in India in the field of education.
To celebrate 107{+t}{+h}birth anniversary of Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh and educate young minds, Milestone Handicrafts and Women Welfare Society (MHWWS) organised a prize distribution ceremony on Thursday for those who topped the quiz, essay writing and elocution competitions at Visakha Degree College for Women held recently. Those studying intermediate, degree and PG felt that it provided them an opportunity to delve deep into the pages of history.
“The PowerPoint presentation contest on Durgabai Deshmukh made us to unearth many chapters of the iron lady and understand the painstaking efforts taken by her in the fields of education, politics and freedom struggle,” said Sahithi, a participant who won the top prize in PPT presentation.
Mohua Das, another contestant, who grabbed top prizes in elocution and essay writing competitions, said Durgabai Deshmukh turned out to be her role model. “The struggle she went through in her life overcoming all odds itself is a source of inspiration for me,” she said.
While girls made a mark in almost every contest they stepped into, Sourav, second year B.Com student, grabbed the first prize in the elocution contest. After distributing prizes to winners, founder-president of MHWWS Rahimunnisa Begum said she will adopt. Visakha Degree College for Women “A skill development cell, a legal aid cell and a gender desk will be launched.
