Fourteen Women Icons felicitated with Women Empowerment Award at Garhwal Bhawan, New Delhi on International Womens Day

About fourteen outstanding women hailing from various parts of Uttarakhand have been felicitated in Delhi at Garhwal Bhawan on the ocassion of International Womens Day.

A woman is special in so many ways, her strength, compassion and indomitable spirit are her inherent beauty n qualities.

The main theme of the event was “Nay Soch, “Nayi Pahal,”.

The event was organised by the eminent social activist and advocate of Delhi High Court Sanjay Darmoda. Good number of women activists and people from Uttarakhand living in Delhi n Uttarakhand participated in good numbers.

The event was highly appreciated as the organisers ventured hard to honour genuine women activists who’d contributed exceptionally well at the grass root level.

The categories under which the outstanding women were felicitated with the Women Empowerment Awards hailed from sports, regional films, bravery, social activism, education, for empowering illiterate poor women at the grass roots, music, singing, cancer n health awareness n treatment, journalism, literacy n health awareness n resolving peoples’ grievances in the rural sector etc.

The award consisted of a trophy, Shawl, appreciation certificate n cash prizes.

The programme was inaugurated by lightening of lamp by the chief guests senior BJP leader Shyam Jaaju, eminent singers Hiran Singh Rana and Narendra Negi n the organiser senior advocate Sanjay Sharma.

The key slogan of the award ceremony was ” NAI SOCH NAYI PAHAL,” Prominent amongst those felicitated with the Women Empowerment Award were : Sangeeta Farasi from Srinagar Nagar Garhwal for educating the poor n hapless children engaged in begging, Narmada Rawat from Neeti Valley, Garhwal for promoting traditional handicrafts, Manju Bhansali from Ghansyali, Garhwal, for engaging hapless women in earning livelyhood through Pony/ horse driving, Rameshwari Devi from Ukhimath for promoting traditional “Jagar” singing n marriage songs in local dialects n connecting the current generation with the cultural heritage of the hills, Kusum Joshi from Rishikesh for resisting n relentlessly struggling for prohibiting liquor during conduction of marriages, Mamta Rawat from Uttarkashi for showing exemplary courage in saving the life of 40 children during the 2014 ecological disaster of Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, Champa Jalal from Nainital for Yoga training, Adli Kushli from Pithoragarh for incessantly publishing a Kumaoni Magazine for preservation of regional laguages n cultural heritage despite having limited resources, Puja Rawat for spreading awareness n helping village women in cashless n banking system, Vidhu Sharma of Delhi for social service n activism, Shakuntala Kukreti for spreading n treating cancer n helping the needy patients, fight this dreaded desease n Dr. Pushpa from Kotdwar for treating the injured animals.

The most courageous seventeen year old athelete who’d brought laurels for Uttarakhand by winning number of Golds in Marathon Garima Joshi was also felicitated on this ocassion. She was injured in a horrific accident in Bengaluru last year. She came in a wheel chair having grievously wounded her spinal chord. Highly courageous n determined Garima has recently won medals in the disabled marathon.

The special attraction of the event was Urmi Negi, the producer of super hit Garhwali movie, Subheru Gham who’d come from Mumbai. Her second movie is in the pipeline called Bathaaun, ( thunderstorm).

She was also bestowed with a special Women Empowerment trophy n a shawl. The awards were presented by the singing legend of Uttarakhand Narendra Singh Negi n cash prizes by advocate n organiser Sanjay Sharma.

The award function was ably compered by eminent literateur of Uttarakhand, veteran journalist and editor of Garhwali literary magazine DHADH Ganesh Khugsaal Gani. The legendary singer Narendra Singh Negi also sang few of his songs which enthralled the audience to the hilt.