Here is the story of “Iron Lady of Odisha”–the first woman Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha & 2nd woman to become CM in independent India. Born on June 9, 1931, NANDINI SATPATHY grew up in Pithapur, Cuttack district. At age 8 she had been beaten up by British Police for pulling down the Union Jack & for pasting handwritten anti British Raj posters on Cuttack’s walls. This became news & inspired all. In 1951, when she was Ravenshaw College’s student, a protest movement began against rising college education costs. Being a leader of this movement, she was injured when Police lathi-charged protestors. She was imprisoned. In jail, she met activist Devendra Satpathy whom she later married.
Nandini Satpathy entered Rajya Sabha in 1962. After Indira Gandhi became PM in 1966, she appointed Nandini as the Deputy Minister of Information & Broadcasting & later as Minister. She returned to Odisha in 1972, because of vacancies created by Biju Patnaik & others departing from Congress party, & became CM of Odisha from Jun 1972 -Dec 1976.
Satpathy’s literary works have been translated & published into other languages. She has translated Taslima Nasreen’s novel Lajja into Odia. For her contribution to Odia literature, she had received Sahitya Bharati Samman Award (1998). Daughters’ Day (Nandini Diwas) is celebrated on June 9 (Nandini’s birthday) each year. In 2006 Srimati Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (@snsmt ), was established in her memory, post her death.
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For Women's Day on March 8 2021, we present stories of 8 Inspiring Women of Odisha. For this, at the outset, we want to thank
#bmcbhubaneswar @smartcitybhubaneswar for conceptualizing the Street Art and Mural Project (STAMP) & making murals of fine women on Bhubaneswar's walls before #InternationalHockeyWorldCup2018. In busy city dwellers' lives, these 60 plus numbers of women's murals over a dedicated km-plus stretch of walls, have kept denizens connected to their awe-inspiring life stories. And Team Utkalamrita pays tribute to 8 such inspiring women, having done a humble photoshoot with these Larger-Than-Life Murals in the backdrop.
#womenempowerment #womensday #women
