RENU SINGH
“I alone
cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create
many ripples.” – Mother Teresa
In our constant struggle in life and with our hectic schedules, we
come across stories and instances. The stories shake us to our core and the
instances are hardly ever forgotten. But we get up, brush things aside and
carry on with our lives; as humans living in this concrete jungle what else are
we supposed to do? Were you ever in a situation where you wanted to help a
stranger in distress but did not do so because others also did not do? Did you
come back thinking, how could I not have the courage to stand up? If these
thoughts have ever crossed your mind, then, you are not the only one: Courage
is a tricky thing.
Nelson Mandela had once said “I learned that courage was not
the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does
not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. Men and women who have
conquered this fear live all around us, people who didn’t turn a blind eye to
gory events and stood up to reach others. One such story is of Advocate Renu D
Singh who founded a NGO- Samadhan which runs a 24x7 Legal Helpline for women in
distress and ‘Rape Crisis Intervention Centre- RCIC’ at Dehradun Uttarakhand.
Samadhan strives to provide an access to criminal justice system and social
justice system to the underprivileged section of society. She prefers to call
them as proud survivors rather than victim.
Ms Renu D Singh comes from a royal background of Dhaulagarh state
of pre independence times. She is from the lineage of Raja Fateh Singh of Rana
dynasty. She gives credit of her inclination towards social work to her
grandmother Late Kuntala Devi. “My grandmother was a freedom fighter herself.
She was one of my early age mentor along with my father.” Her father, Late Dr
Shakti Dhar, was an educationist who always encouraged them to excel in
studies. Her family has timelessly and relentlessly worked for the people of
India and as she was a sensitive kid, she inherits all those values and
attributes. For her, activism is akin to patriotism and by this she is
contributing to the nation.
She established Samadhan in 1987 and started to build its
capacity. She says, “I wanted to do my own capacity building in legal aspect so
I did my post-graduation with English literature and then completed my LLB
(bachelor of Law) from University of Lucknow and got registered with bar
council of Allahabad as an advocate.” She knew that to deliver her best to
community she had to be well focused to her goal i.e a mission for common
citizens’ easy and direct access upon criminal justice system. She said that through
Samadhan Dalit Woman Legal Helpline, she has been able to rescue and empower
around 3800 women victims of violence and around 1700 women are now empowered
as mainstream legal professionals to live with dignity without being tagged as
survivors of sexual violence. Most of them have provided with a chance to study
law and become lawyers themselves. She has never charged any amount from these
oppressed women. “From day one I made my choice to work as an activist
lawyer/advocate and also promised to myself that I would never charge any fee
from my women clients i.e. the oppressed women.”
The idea of activism came in her mind at a very tender age after
witnessing a gruesome incident. As a fifteen year old kid, while coming back
from school, she saw a poor girl standing in a queue at ration shop. She was
smeared in filth and blood was flowing from beneath her skirt. “I couldn’t
ignore her silent yet loud cries of pain. I drove my bike towards her and she
hopped at the back. She told me not to stop.” She took the kid to her home and
her mom called her lady doctor friend. The doctor examined her and found out
that she was sexually assaulted. The girl told them that she was raped by her
own father several times.
By that time, a crowd had gathered outside her house and started
banging the gate. The girl’s father was shouting to get the girl but the little
girl refused to go with him. Then police came and found that mother of girl was
living in the village and was left by her husband. The girl was handed over to
her mother. What shocked them was that mother refused to lodge a complaint
against her husband and he was allowed to go scot free. “I was not able to do
anything as I was a minor myself. For days and nights I could not sleep as to
what would have happened to the little girl in the village.” Six months later,
Renu learnt that the 12-year-old was married off to a 42-year-old widower only
to be found dead in a village pond within a week.
“I was so shocked. My tender mind was not able to come to the
terms with whatever had taken place. I understood now the very purpose of my
life and since that day I am only focused to the cause of elimination of all
kind of violence against women and child.” After that she took a firm decision
to form a work group of people willing to serve the society and work towards
most needed police reforms to make common citizens’ direct access upon criminal
justice system and social justice system. With firm determination and will
power, she started the Samadhan with initial capital of 10 rupees. The number
of the volunteers in the group increased gradually.
She rescues women from the oppression of the society, counsels
them and provides them shelter at her center which is one of the best Crisis
intervention center in entire north India with shelter for fifty women .This
center has nine most important services for survivors of violence under one
roof . Reporting, Rescue, Stay, food, Clothing, Psychological support, Legal
support, counseling, professional education for totally free of cost. These
women then become the integral part of her task force and help her to rescue
other women in need and crisis. “Many of the rescued girls are now living and
studying in a dignified manner and most of them are studying law.” Says Ms Singh.
One of the major objectives of Samadhan is to spread awareness
about the human rights, especially about the laws and policies to the people.
“These tasks of creating awareness is done by interns by conducting 120 legal
awareness camps every year. We provide them with the training to perform
effectively.” Singh is a regular speaker on well known FM Radio Channels on
Women empowerment and Legal awareness programs. Samadhan is not only limited to
take care of the oppressed women but the underprivileged and oppressed section
of the society. Its beneficiaries consists of the school dropout children from
hilly rural area, society oppressed person who are being trained to find their
feet in the mainstream life. Samadhan came up with Mobile Legal Clinic (MLC)
aims to make women their own protectors. Survivors work as paralegal volunteers
to provide legal aid for their community in collaboration District Legal
Service Authorities. The empowered survivors drive down the Mobile Legal Clinic
Vehicle i.e. ‘Justice on Wheels’to deliver free legal assistance right at the
the doorsteps of women in distress.
Ms. Renu had to face stiff challenges from the society at the
start of her initiative. “ It is not so easy to fight against crime against
women and child, our society still is very primitive when it comes across the
Evil of Rape Crime. They isolate the victim and also look down upon the woman
who supports and fights for them. Unfortunately they connect Rape with the Character
of woman who is raped they expect women to maintain the culture of ‘Silence and
Shame’.
There will always be people who suffer with misogynic nuances and
would try to pull you down, who will try to make a dent in your belief system
about Gender Justice, but there will always be people who will stand by you ,
support you.” In several cases, there was pressure from the powerful perpetrators
to drop the cases. She knows that she is under threat all the time because she
is up against many bullies which includes bunch of corrupt people representing
state machinery or politics but that doesn’t deter her in continuing her
activism and social work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below Excerpts are from
the interview taken by Akash Kaushik over internet
Effective People by T. V. Rao
Anyone who discovers inner talent and uses it to make a difference
in the lives of other people by benefitting them can be considered an effective
person. We are all born talented and grow up different settings.
We thank you for agreeing to give some of your valuable time and
guide us in coming to some conclusions about what makes people effective in any
field of their work.. We hope lessons drawn from books like this through case
studies of people like You will help multiply effectiveness and spread the
message.
1. What inspired to do whatever you have done for making a
difference to others? What are the sources of inspiration? (If you like you may
mention any one or two instances that changed your life and made you start
something new or something different that laid the foundation for your work).
I got into activism at my teenage years at the age of fifteen (I
am 52 years now) due to my early exposure to the nationwide scenario of post
emergency gross violation of human rights and deteriorated standards of
Democratic structure of civil society as a whole. I was a sensitive and
responsible youth always keen and receptive to apprehend and visualize the
global human rights aspects and role of common global citizens to upkeep the
democratic values of the nations. My family also played a vital role to provide
me a conducive environment of academics and inspired me to serve humanity .My
Grandmother Late Kuntala Devi ,a graduate and a freedom fighter herself and my
father Late Dr Shakti Dhar ,an educationist, both were my early age mentors by
replying to all my questions and queries so patiently.
I was just fifteen ,one day while returning from my school i came
across a bizarre incident of spotting a little poor dalit girl all smeared in
filth and blood flowing down from beneath her skirts rolling down through her
thin legs.....she was standing in a queue at ration shop with visible fear in
her eyes....i slowed down my mobike to fill the petrol from adjacent pump....but
i could not ignore her silent yet such loud cries of pain and
helplessness......without wasting a moment i drove close to her and caught her
feeble little hands.....she hopped on the back seat of my vehicle as if she was
just waiting for some one to rescue her........i drove away fast before anyone
could stop us......over hearing people shouting from behind ......the girl was
telling me not to stop .......i reached my home at the backyard and hid the
mobike and took the girl inside to my mom. On seeing my mom i cried furiously
and pointed at little girl.....my mom understoodThe gravity of situation and
called her lady doctor friend who arrived in minutes to our help. On checking
the girl she told my mom that she was sexually assaulted by her own father and to
her further shock it was revealed that she was pregnant too. On talking further
to the little girl we came to know that she was raped multiple times by her own
alcoholic father. – it was a case of INCEST in cold blood !!!
In no time there was a crowd and noise out side our house and
girl’s father was shouting for the little girl. Meanwhile my father also
reached home to tackle the situation and called the police. Police came but
girl’s father was supported by some local politicians who were pressurising the
police to give the custody of minor victim to the father only.....but the
little girl refused to go with him.... .finally police found out that her real
mother was left in a village by her father and he remarried an urban woman. Her
real mother took the girl away with her and police let the father go scot free
on pretext of no complaint given by her mother.
I was not able to do anything as i was a minor myself .for days
and nights i could not sleep as to what would happened to the little girl in
the village .one day i dared to slip away from my school and reached her
village to find out the welfare of the little girl...... some how searched her
small hut And found her mother sitting out side .....she flatly refused to talk
to me regarding the girl....when i insisted to meet her she then told me that
girl was dead......i was shattered...i then pestered her to let me know how she
died.....she told that village elders forced her to get married to a 42 years
old widower man from the community.she was sent with him but seven days after
the marriage her dead body was found floating in a pond . . . . . .she looked
into my eyes and just made a gesture to go away......i was so shocked.....my
tender mind was not able to come to the terms with whatever had taken place......i
drove back heavy heartedly to my place.......I understood now the very purpose
of my life......and since that day i am only focused to the cause of
elimination of all kind of violence against women and child.
I told my grand mother about my findings and also confided to her
about my aim to form a work group of people willing to serve the society and
work towards most needed police reforms to Make common citizens’ direct access
upon criminal justice system and social justice system.I was told by my elders
that it was not so easy for a young women to work in a field of activism and
police reform that too in a time of total chaos and shattered democratic
structure . I founded Samadhan as a work group and started gearing up primarily
with building my own Capacity into legal aspects and also focused on my formal
education . while working for resource building and organizational
development.i did my post graduation and then completed my LLB from University
of Lucknow with flying colors.i got registered with bar council of Allahabad as
an advocate. From day one i made my choice to work as an activist
lawyer/advocate and also promised to myself that i would never charge any fee
from my clients i.e. the oppressed women. Started learning the advocacy for my
mission since then. .
Meanwhile got married to my teenage friend and lover from a well
affluent Intellectual Bengali family of Kolkata. Also gave birth to our son, he
is a brilliant army officer now.
2. What are your suggestions for getting inspiration to -
recognise and draw talent and use it for doing simple things- that may
eventually become great things and make a difference in the lives of others?
I always believed in following by examples hence i delivered my
best to my mission Samadhan. I myself drew immense inspiration from the
teachings of Swami Vivekanand and
The universal theory of ‘KARMA’ from Srimad Bhagwad Geeta. One can
only have control on once own Karmas.....so we have to keep on working upon our
own perfection with commitment. One has to assess once own strengths and
weaknesses and accordingly make a
Work plan suitable to available resources.
Being ambitious is good but being ambitious at some one else’s
cost is immoral. The theory of ‘ASTEYA’ from Srimad Bhgwad Geeta has really
made me honest and austere in all my undertakings.
3. What do you consider as your own strong points that helped you
to accomplish whatever you have been able to? When did you discover them? How?
How did you cultivate them?
My strongest point is my strong will to committ and stand by my
conviction in most adverse
situations as challenge. I do not give up my goals till i reach
them.
I cognized my strong will power when i started mission ‘Samadhan’
with meagre amount of rupees Ten as my working capital.....and i had to work
very hard to earn for my mission. I worked as interpreter& translator of
French language,worked as freelance researcher & journalist,and so many
other works i did just to keep my mission going.
All my situations taught me to strive ahead and also groomed
myself as an effective public speaker. I also learned it very early age that no
Great Mission can be accomplished without a team.....i have a wonderful team of
people to support my mission.
I could cultivate my strong points by being patient, self
observant, positive communicator and learning from my own mistakes . i am a
self motivated person .
4. What in your opinion are some of the qualities that people need
to cultivate to make a difference to others?
The most important quality of an effectively good person is to be
a senstive human being ,stand by Truth, justice ,and honesty.. they have to be
a ‘Constant Learner’. Unconditional Compassion to all living being. Being
Peaceful from within. Should be a positive communicator by default. There has
to be an infinite thirst for the finer pursuits of life...like
Taste for literature, fine arts and humanities with a scientific
bent of mind.
5. What messages would you like to give for others to be or to
become an effective person? All human
beings are born to serve some great purpose for the humanity .....so our first
aim should be to find out exactly what we are supposed to follow as our goal.
Any one can be positively Effective person by being focused to goal and by
being honest to self. So be honest to yourself!
Part 2: (to be commented after answering the above questions)
Given below are some qualities the author has observed from my
earlier studies on effective people in organizations. Please comment on these
qualities or principles:
1. They have a goal in life- small or big, or mission or vision
etc.-
True , a goal or mission with clear vision is must.
2. They create Turning points that keep turning their life for
good and take them step by step .-
Yes ,turning points are to be recognized as turning
points......most people mistake them as ‘hurdle’.......a step by step approach
finally turns into Success.
3. They recognise their strengths and leverage them.-
They certainly do.........and work upon them in a SYSTEMATIC way
to draw the best out of them.i am an example myself.
4. They identify their vulnerabilities and manage them. For
example some people have managed their temper to their advantage or introvert
nature for their growth etc.
Yes,Indetifying once own vulnerabilities and managing them or
correcting them timely
according to the need of the Mission .It has made me feel
comfortable with myself.
5. They think Positive and work with hope of success. Each one
develops her/his own way of being positive.
Sure, one has to be always full of positivity and infinite hope
for success .Each one may develop his /her own way of being positive but to me
the basics are always same- that is -
*being positive in Thoughts.
*being positive in action.
*being positive in words.
6. They manage difficult times with perseverance.
Yes, there is nothing called as ‘difficult times’......its the
perception of individual what makes a person act the way he /she
does...perseverance indeed is needed to make right decision at right time for
right cause..
7. Their Values are their greatest resource. Integrity and
character are the most important. Yes, Effective people do have a strong foundation of good values
coupled with integrity and high character never compromised on my principles
and values.it gave me so much
Endurance and inner power to sustain.
8. They manage their time. “The time is what God has given you.
How much you never know. Live as though it short and get the best by giving
your best”.
Very true ! time is most precious entity in the universe...i lived
my each day as last day
Of my life......doing best effort to deliver something worthwhile
for the mission and the world.
9. They are compassionate and have an Integrative mind set. It is
integrative mind that succeeds and derives happiness. Divisive minds are always
unhappy.
Yes indeed ! we have to get rid of negative emotions like- anger
,hate, greed, lust, jealous, and violence....thus being compassionate
unconditionally to all, has really helped me to elevate myself from the baser
things to the Higher pursuits of life.I actually feel very contented and
happy......with inner bliss !
10. They think of the last day. Keep thinking of those who are not
here. What have they carried with them and what have they left behind. They
decide what they want to carry with them you and what you want to leave behind.
They begin with their own obituary.
It is very true.......our real introduction is always post humous
......how we are remembered after we are gone far away from the world.......the
energies emitted
by us during our life time do have strong reflections ......when
we are alive we do act
oblivion to the fact that each action is being recorded by the
nature ,time and space.
By- adv renu d singh.
Samadhan Dalit women Legal Helpline.
256- Krishna vihar .lane -1,
Jakhan, Rajpur road,
Dehradun,U.K.pn cd-248001.
Website - www.samadhanngo.org / eml - < samadhan09 @red
iffmail.com >
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
http://www.samadhanngo.org/president.php?id=6
http://www.theweekendleader.com/Heroism/2088/saving-girls.html
Rest of the information is provided by the person over emails.
No comments:
Post a Comment