Rajkumari

I am Rajkumari, the leader of Chinmaya Shri Guru Ravidas Mahila Mandal in Block Indora, Panchayat Surajba. Since 2000, my association with CORD has been a journey of immense learning. Under the blessings of Gurudev ji and the guidance of Dr. Didi ji and Narendra Bhai ji, our confidence and morale have soared. We have upheld the strength of women in our country, society, and village, never letting it be overshadowed.

Let me share an incident from my panchayat that occurred in 2022. It was January 26, Republic Day, and I arrived at the panchayat house at 11:00 am to celebrate. When I inquired about the flag hoisting time, a retired soldier questioned, “How would women know the right time to hoist the flag?” I replied, “This is a village, not an army base. Shouldn’t village rules apply here? Do people think women are only capable of cooking and washing utensils?” There was silence, but I couldn’t hold back. “Wasn’t Indira Gandhi a woman?” I argued. “She led the entire country.” He retorted that she was always accompanied by four bodyguards. I countered, “Bodyguards may have been present, but it was Indira Gandhi herself who made the decisions.”

Questioning the soldier’s presence, the head and deputy head informed me he was from another panchayat invited to assist with the flag. I challenged them, asking if our panchayat lacked someone knowledgeable about flag hoisting. From that day on, I declared that I would take charge of the flag’s rope. And so, on August 15, alongside my Mahila Mandal members, we took on the task of proving that there’s nothing women can’t do.