It was on a very dull, dreary and wet August day in Kolkata,
I first met Ratnadi, one of the most exuberant, dynamic and stylish woman I've
had the privilege of getting to know. I had gone to her office to give an
interview for the position of Program Lead for a youth related project that her
organization, Anjali, was about to start. My first reaction on seeing the short
lady with the fashionable cropped hair was ‘Wow, she looks hep!’. It’s not every
day that you meet a 48 yr old Bengali lady wearing a shirt, skinny jeans,
colorful chappals, gorgeous silver jewelry and absolutely rocking that look.
She welcomed me with a big, bright smile and I immediately felt a connection
with her. I liked Ratna di and I hoped she would like me too to give me the job
so I would get to work with her. Like she did and a couple of week’s later, I
was back at Anjali’s office working to get the youth project, Lattoo get a
headstart. It was during that time I got to know more about Ratnadi and her
passion.
Ratnaboli Ray is a fiercely articulate activist on issues of
mental health, sexuality and gender and is a renowned figure in the Indian development
sector. She was elected into the Ashoka Fellowship in 1999 and in 2005,
co-founded National Alliance for Access to Justice for persons with Mental
Illness (NAAJMI). She is the founder and managing trustee of Anjali : Mental
Health Rights Organisation. Her first few years as a professional were spent in
women’s rights advocacy, de-addiction and rehabilitation till in 1999, when she
realized her true calling lay in working for the rehabilitation of the mentally
ill. Through Anjali, her non-profit initiative, Ratna di works towards
rehabilitating and reintegrating men and women with mental illness to
mainstream society and running mental health resource centers in communities
across West Bengal. The going has definitely not been smooth for her and
Anjali. Visiting Govt mental hospitals with her, working with people diagnosed
with mental illness, seeing the reaction of society and their own families
towards them and at the same time looking at the relentless energy and
dedication of Ratna di in trying to create awareness and work for their
rehabilitation have been nothing short of awe inspiring. Here is a woman
dedicating her life towards a cause she passionately believes in. One day I
came upon an old photograph of her with long, flowy hair and I asked “why did
you cut it off? You had such beautiful hair”. She replied with a smile “it used
to be very difficult to maintain. I used to get lice from the visits to the
hospital when I went for my counseling and rehab sessions. I could not stop
going so I just cut off the hair”.
I can go on and on about Ratna di and how she is an
inspiration to many men and women who know her and her work. Not only is she a
fearless champion of human rights, she is also a very successful TV talk show
host of ‘Bhalo Achi Bhalo Theko’, a show that discusses issues surrounding
mental health and wellbeing. And I must add she has an incredibly awesome
collection of sarees and silver jewelry!
Ratna di truly embodies the spirit of the Mia woman – a change
maker, an inspiration and a very dear friend.
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