Kaushalya Ravindra Hegde

The unpretentious looking woman has set a record of change in society through her extraordinary work. She is none other than Kaushalya Devi Vrinda Ji. She hails from a small village Ambika Nagar in North Karnataka. The family was rather unassuming, her father headed a business and there was a family of 5 sisters and 2 brothers too. But the family situation was such that she couldn’t get a chance to study much. She only managed to finish school. Yet, the desire to do something shook her heart each day. Her elder brother was engaged in the services affiliated with the Sangh and advised her to join the Hindu Seva Pratishthana and become a teacher committed to service for 3 years. Thus, began Kaushalya Ji’s life journey devoted to service. Kausalya Ji joined the Hindu Seva Pratishthana and underwent rigorous training for 40 days. Thereafter, she became staunchly dedicated to the cause of Hindu Seva Pratishthana and bowed at the feet of Maa Bharti for the service of the nation and society. This initiated a novel chapter full of life trials. Kausalya Ji’s perseverance aided her to assist the tribal women in societal, educational, harmony and sanitation aspects culminating in establishing new milestones. After associating with the Hindu Seva Pratishthana, the service which began with the consecrated pledge of Bharat Mata is still going on. She initiated the field of education as a teacher at the Shishu Mandir and as a teacher for 2 years in the Vanvasi areas. Later, she was sent to the Vanvasi region of Maharashtra for work. Kaushalya Ji hailed from the south and the Shishu Mandir in the Vanvasi area where she was sent was a Marathi speaking area.

This challenge was unlike anything else but if one had to continue working in the field of education, then undertaking the responsibility of the local language was essential. In order to get along with the younger generation Kaushalya Devi began to learn Marathi. The Vanvasi area in which she was working was located in the jungle, at a distance from her residence. As night classes were also running at the school, travelling during the day or night was a constant concern. Thus, she urged the local people that they assist her in building a small hut nearby so that she too should be able to live among them. In this manner, began her service journey with the Vanvasi community. So far 2 out of 3 years have passed. Besides the setback in education, road, electricity and cleanliness are other massive concerns. The inhabitants were removed from the cities and devoid of basic amenities and conveniences. Along with the education work at Shishu Mandir, more stress was given on harmony, cleanliness and cordial existence in the village. Likewise, along with kirtan, the women of the village were also taught self-reliance and cleanliness traits. Under Kausalya Ji’s diligent efforts within 7 months, the road connecting to the city was also visualised and electricity too is now available in the village.

The entire village was overwhelmed with a wave of unbound exhilaration. Meanwhile, she completed 3 years of service work for them. Her elder sister came to beseech her to return home. However, the villagers were miserable when they came to know of this and requested her stay. 

Kausalya Ji was bound in their love in such a way that it has been more than 10 years now that she has been doing service work among them. They didn’t even know how and when time flew away. Shri Prakash Kamat Ji, who was a minister from Dandeli visited the Vanavasi area where she was working. He entreated to open a school for girls in Dandeli with her help and that Kausalya Ji should undertake this responsibility. There are 32 villages in that area, but girls didn’t go to school and their literacy ratio was almost zero. Though hostels were opened but none of the 32 families was ready to send their girls for studies. The challenge was odd, but Kausalya Ji’s goal was definite, proliferating education among daughters and literate families. In the village where Kausalya Devi Ji had commenced the Shishu Mandir for small children, she was able to convince the families of three of the same students. Thus, the hostel of Dandeli was inaugurated with 3 girls. After a few years, Kausalya Ji’s sister came to meet her again. Considering her age, the family was worried about her marriage. Her sister informed Kausalya Ji that she is of marriageable age and a suitable family was coming to meet her at home. At that time, there were about 14 girls living in the dorm. Kausalya agreed to her sister’s request and went to meet Prakash Kamat Ji. Kamat Ji asked her whether she wanted to go home to get married or should he get it done here. Kausalya Ji replied that he might do as he wills. Then he apprised her sister to let Kausalya Ji stay and he will get her married.  With his efforts and Kausalya Devi Ji got married. Her husband was also from the Sangh family. After marriage, another problem surfaced as the hostel which she was looking after could only have women stay there. This rule was also formulated by Kausalya Ji. After marriage, when she reached the hostel, the girls asked that as he is a brother, where will he stay. The accommodation concern came to the fore but with the advice of Prakash Ji, Kausalya Devi Ji started living with her husband at some distance from the hostel and hired another sister to assist in the hostel. In due course, there came a change in the Kausalya Ji’s responsibilities, she became the district women’s head, then the head of the province and later got the responsibility of the region. After some time, her responsibility increased further and the onus of two areas was given to Kausalya Ji. Till now, numerous Shishu Mandirs were opened in all the nearby villages.

More than 40 girls were living in the Dandeli hostel. But in some villages electricity and ration fraud were still a concern and the needy were devoid of everything. Kausalya Devi Ji fought for the rights of the Vanvasi community, staged demonstrations and connected them with the mainstream of development. Due to her tireless efforts, today all kinds of basic facilities are available in almost all the Vanvasi areas. During this fight for the rights of the Vanvasi community, several death threats were also received. Yet, fear could not stand anywhere in front of Kausalya Ji’s courage and enthusiasm. Every difficulty eased in front of her courageous strive. Kausalya Ji used to receive only 300 rupees a month for her expenses. In such a situation, this work of service with the Vanvasi community was demanding. Kausalya Ji was the first female volunteer in that area from Sangh.

Challenges were plentiful but her spirits were equally high. There was a competition between the oppositions and her courage and Kausalya Devi’s valor used to triumph each time. Gradually, the number of women volunteers started escalating. Quite a number of girls started coming to the hostel as well. The girl student who came from the Vanvasi region had many misconceptions about cleanliness. They were indoctrinated about not using water after defecation, otherwise, it’s a sin. Not using pads or cloth during menstruation. If they ever used it, they would profusely apologize to God. Thus, the hostel became overtly filthy. Children started getting sick. A foul smell spread everywhere. When Kausalya Ji began explaining about cleanliness and its mechanisms, their parents and relatives started fighting with her and threatened to die. This was the prime challenge for Kausalya Devi Ji.

Later, in Shishu Mandir, she started making children aware of cleanliness through poetry and story. Consequently, through children, the awareness reached the elders. To make women more aware, she started motivating them towards self-reliance. Today, in all the nearby Vanvasi villages, through community banking contribution is done from the marriage of the daughters to medical treatment from the women’s savings account.

After a few days, along with her present responsibilities, the responsibility of Kerala and Chennai was also directed to her. When there was a flood in Chennai in 2014-2015, all the people and the entire system were involved in the rescue and relief work of the city, but there was no one to take care of the Vanvasi community. In that catastrophic event, Kausalya Devi went to the nearby forest-affected area as a mother for relief work. Witnessing the condition there, she felt wretched.

Kausalya Devi was aided by the Youth for Seva and Seva International along with the Union Minister to provide relief to the residents of the Vanvasi area. She aimed to reach every victim in that particular area of Tamil Nadu. Even during the Covid Pandemic when everyone was locked in their homes and the roads were deserted, Kausalya Ji’s relief work was promptly reaching not only the Vanvasi areas but all the needy. The work of providing ration, medical treatment, blankets and other necessary relief materials was going on at a fast pace. Appreciating her work, Ambika Nagar Panchayat included Kausalya Ji in the Covid team. Under her leadership, all kinds of service work and sending relief material proceeded. During the pandemic period, with Kausalya Ji’s help this relief work went on not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Kerala and Bengaluru.

With Kausalya Ji’s cooperation, more than 15 quintals of vegetables were sent to the Wayanad district of Kerala alone. When people didn’t have money even for medicines, life was haphazard, then people used to reach out to Kausalya Ji and her team for help.

In order to bring harmony to the society from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu and to eradicate the evil practice of untouchability, under Kausalya Ji’s effort collectively a lamp is lit once a month and annually in approximately 95 nearby villages. By lighting 15 thousand lamps together, she set a record of social harmony. In order to extend harmony, unity and organize the society Kausalya Ji also commenced the collective Navratri festival for the first time in 2022. Wherein the splendor and harmony of all Indian traditions, from chanting of the Navadurga Puja mantra to Dandiya, was visible. Due to Kausalya Ji’s unceasing efforts, most of the girls in the Vanvasi area have now initiated reading and writing. The girls of Dandeli hostel are emerging as engineers and bankers too.

Seeing this passion of girls for their studies, a separate hostel has been opened in Mysore for their higher education. Under the shadow of Kausalya Ji’s motherhood, the affection of the Vanvasi daughters is flourishing. After being educated, the daughters of the Vanvasi community are now becoming officers. The benefit of this education has been immense and even the rate of religious conversions is currently negligible. In the Vanvasi areas where Kausalya Ji took the Shishu Mandir, the churches and the missionaries themselves left that place. Kausalya Ji’s service work is still going on continuously, “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah Sarve Santu Niramaya” no matter how odd the circumstances are, Kausalya Ji is marching along with “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita”.>