Rajmohini Devi
Born
Grogori, Sarguja, North Gondwana, Chhattisgarh, India
Died
Sarguja, North Gondwana, Chhattisgarh, India
OccupationSocial service
Known forBapu Dharma Sabha Adivasi Seva Mandal
AwardsPadma Shri

Rajmohini Devi was an Indian social worker, gandhian and the founder of Bapu Dharma Sabha Adivasi Seva Mandal, established by her in 1951. The famine of Surguja in 1951 involved a great scarcity of food grains and crop failure. The famine had direct bearing on the rise of a reform movement called Rajmohini Devi Movement,[1] a non governmental organization working for the welfare of the tribal people of Gondwana, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.[2] It was reported that she had a vision about Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals during the famine of 1951,[3] and she started a movement, (popularly known as Rajmohini Movement) for the liberation of women.[4] and eradication of superstitions and drinking habits among the tribal people.[5] The movement gradually assumed the status of a cult movement with a following of over 80,000 people and was later converted into a non governmental organization, under the name, Bapu Dharma Sabha Adivasi Seva Mandal.[3] The organization functions through several ashrams set up in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[3]

The Government of India awarded Devi the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1989.[6] Her life has been documented in a book, Samajik Kranti ki Agradoot Rajmohini Devi, written by Seema Sudhir Jindal and published by Chhattisgarh State Hindi Granth Academy in 2013.[2] A research station, Raj Mohini Devi College of Agriculture and Research Station, housed at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University[7] and a government girls' college, Rajmohini Devi PG Girls College, in Ambikapur, are named after her.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Tribal Freedom Fighters of India. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 30 August 2017. ISBN 9788123025216.
  2. 1 2 "CM Releases Book on Padmashree Rajmohini Devi". Daily Pioneer. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Stephen Fuchs. "Messianic Movements in Primitive India". NIRC.
  4. ↑ K N Dash (2004). Invitation to Social and Cultural Anthropology. Atlantic Publishers. p. 421. ISBN 9788126903238.
  5. ↑ Virginius Xaxa (2008). State, Society, and Tribes: Issues in Post-colonial India. Pearson Education India. p. 131. ISBN 9788131721223.
  6. ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Raj Mohini Devi College of Agriculture and Research Station". Indira Gandhi Agricultural University. 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Rajmohini Devi PG Girls College". Rajmohini Devi PG Girls College. 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.


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