“If you need access to basic public transport, you have to walk at least five kilometres on foot and then reach a bus stand,” shares 23-year-old Smita Tatewar from Yavatmal district in Maharashtra.
This is still a reality for many across India beyond the metropolitan hubs. Smita shares this fate with millions of youngsters who struggled harder to get the same opportunities as their peers from urban India.
Yavatmal district is a part of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. This part of the state suffers from underdevelopment compared to other parts of the state. The most pressing issues have been accessing basic amenities like education, healthcare and public transport. Even today, it is considered normal for people to walk several kilometres to access schools and hospitals.
Smita was born in Loni, a village with a mere population of 500. Her mother is an Anganwadi teacher, while her father is a farmer. Eklavya India, a grassroots collective based in Vidarbha, which guides first-generation learners from underprivileged communities with higher education opportunities, helped shape Smita’s career.
She joined the collective as a student in 2017 since the organisation’s founding. Today, she manages the organisation’s events and mentors younger students seeking higher education.
“Until Eklavya, I didn’t know someone like me could have a definite career. Most of my peers were discouraged from taking up higher education. They had to drop out and marry,” says Smita. The collective’s support transformed her outlook towards higher education and boosted her confidence to take up more challenges.
After completing her primary education in the school near her village, Smita’s family moved her to a hostel for secondary education. Despite social pressure to get married, she relentlessly chased opportunities to study further.
For her undergraduate studies, she enrolled in a Bachelor’s in Social Work program in Yavatmal. This is where she met Raju Kendre, the founder of the Eklavya India movement. At the age of 20, Smita started working at the community level.
In 2019, Smita and her mother surveyed the Prime Minister’s Rural Housing Scheme, previously known as Indira Awas Yojana, to help families below the poverty line in her village get funds for building houses. They helped 30 households receive benefits under the scheme with their effort and dedication. This experience made her realise how her work can drive a change in the community.
Smita’s community recognised her commitment to society and convinced her to contest for the gram panchayat elections of their village in 2021. At 22, she was elected as Deputy Head of Loni-Netajinagar.
Meanwhile, she was also selected for SBI Youth for India fellowship in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, where she is currently working on rural education. Simultaneously, she is also running a virtual night school for students struggling to access education.
As a village council member, Smita has just begun on her journey. She wants the council to prioritise issues around education and water management. While discussing her plans as a council member, she mentions, “Our village has enough water, but there is poor management, so I want to ensure that we work on resolving that issue at the earliest.” She also wants to establish a library as a dedicated study space.
Smita’s story reflects how India is missing out on harnessing its young talent at the grassroots. In the long term, Smita intends to complete her Masters’ in a discipline that can prepare her in public problem-solving. While doing that, she is determined to improve the situation around her and ensure future generations do not have to go through the same struggles.
The article was first published in The Daily Pioneer
Neeraj Shetye is a writer from Maharashtra. Share your feedback on features@charkha.org.