Mother to many lesser mortals
Story of Usha Shankar who despite being uniquely-abled, has been changing lives of many in her own unique ways.
If pursuing your passion is life then this is what Usha Shanker, 70, fondly known as ‘Nani Maa’ has been doing all these years.
The winner of HT Woman Awards 2018 in the uniquely-abled category, Usha, partially paralysed for many years, is all about spreading love and education among the lesser fortunate children.
“I always knew I was born to teach kids. In fact, the journey started when as a little girl I used to teach kids around. I enjoyed so much if I was able to make them learn even a single word.”
Recalling her initial days, she says, “I was born to a freedom fighter Shambhu N Dixit who on Gandhiji’s call adopted a village Burhnamau near Farrukhabad. Earlier to that my father married my mother a master degree holder in Sanskrit on behest of politician Acharya Kriplani, husband of Sucheta Kriplani, India’s first woman chief minister.”
“When I was born my parents settled near Marine Drive in Bombay (now Mumbai). Life was all good till my father decided to adopt a village and we all shifted with him. And then my brother and I both were brought up in the village,” she says.
Usha remembers the time when discrimination was witnessed almost everywhere and how her father used to oppose it.
“My father started up a primary school as the village had maximum population of SC/ST and nobody was ready to teach them. It was really tough for my father to persuade teachers to teach kids and parents to send them to school. I still remember how tough it was for my mother to live in that environment with thatched roof house and earthen pots to cook and eat,” she says.
“My mother was a scholar and married in Bombay. She was made to live in such a tough surrounding with so many struggles and yet she supported my father. She appointed a Christen governess for me and my brother so she could teach us simple etiquettes and English. It was then that I started teaching little kids around my house,” she says.
What hurts this social activist till date is passing away of her younger brother at the tender age of 19.
“My father was a man of principles. The village life didn’t go down well with my brother and he turned into a rebel. He died early and after his death my father too couldn’t live long.”
After her schooling, Usha completed her science graduation from Lucknow University and was married to army officer Maj SL Sharma at the age of 19.
“After relocating with my husband to various cities I finally settled in Lucknow as I had kids and by that time my mother was all alone so she too shifted with me. Lucknow was so different at that time, we lived at Mahatma Gandhi Marg and to commute I drove around on a Bajaj scooter, the every first model. I was the only woman scootering around in Lucknow then. As my husband was away I had to take care of my household and kids both but still wanted to do something in the field of teaching. My mother asked me to look for a job as financially too we needed support as at that time salary of army personnel was quite less.”
“I got to know about a vacancy in Samaj Kalyan Vibhag and applied. I was extremely lucky as I got the job and became a Child Development Project Officer and was posted at Chinhat area in Lucknow in 1982-83.”
During her tenure as CDPO under the Ministry of Woman and Social Welfare, she over-achieved targets for vaccination of women and children, ligation and elementary childhood education at the Anganwadi centres which were highlighted in her Annual Confidential Reports. “I worked really hard to support people in getting TB eradicated from Siraiyya (a village in Sarojini Nagar) with the help of doctors from PHC and KGMC. Also my centre, Semra (in Chinhat) was showcased to the then Prime Minister Dewe Gowda during his Lucknow visit.”
It was a challenge to bring education of government and private institutes at par but Usha had her plans. “To amalgamate the children with the mainstream I myself wrote English conversation modules for each class and ensured smart classes for all children. I regularly counselled on issues ranging from female health and hygiene, skill development and empowerment has to be seen to be believed,” she claims.
She took voluntary retirement in 2006 to pursue her dream of teaching women and children of slums and rural areas. Later, she started to take care of her school that was opened by her mother to provide education to rural children at very nominal costs.
“My mother came up with Holy Shrine Inter College and after my VRS I started to look after the school completely. After I suffered partial paralysis, I stated living in the school premises. Now all my time is with the kids here. My daughter Ujjwala is married and settled and my son lives with me as he keeps unwell.”
On winning HT award
“I was completely overwhelmed, I feel so proud of myself especially after winning this award. I feel that I have really done something big in my life to be recognized and being conferred with HT Woman Award.”
