Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has lauded the social work done by his granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda, for the menstruating women of the rural areas and opened up on how the mindset of the people in the villages should change.
In the episode 21 of the quiz based reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati season 15, host Amitabh Bachchan welcomed Neeru Yadav, popularly known as Hockey Sarpanch, from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu, and Chhavi Rajawat former Sarpanch of Soda, a village which is 60 kilometers from Jaipur, Rajasthan, to the hot seat.
Talking about her journey, Neeru said, “When I got married and came to this village I saw a lot of differences. Women had to struggle for their basic needs. In Rajasthan, women wear the veil. Women couldn't say what they want. They are carrying pots filled with water on their head. So, I thought, since l am living in the village, I should do something nice for my village. I contested to be the Sarpanch with this motive.”
The Sholay actor said, “I would like to inform our viewers and audience that Chhavi is the first Sarpanch with an MBA. You gained education in renowned educational institutions. What made you return to your village?”
Also read: SRK praises PM Modi for G20 Summit, Nora Fatehi thanks him for supporting quake-hit Morocco
Chhavi replied, “Sir, it was not my idea. I give the credit to the 73rd and 74th Amendments Acts. Because of that, a woman got a chance to contest an election for this post. And, the villagers made this decision. So, I thought that if I don't help being the daughter of my village then how can I expect others to help us? Around 65 percent of the population of India lives in the rural area. So, if you want to see the country change, our villages need to progress. And that's what inspired me.”
Sharing how his granddaughter Navya is working for the cause of the rural women, Amitabh said: “There are many young girls now who study in colleges and have decided that they will go to such villages and make a hut for these women equipped with all the necessities. During those days every month, they can stay in those huts. I won't shy away from saying that my granddaughter is doing this. She goes to villages. Her name is Navya. She runs an organisation.”
“She visits villages to get an idea of the conditions there. It was her idea that huts be made for these women. I hope that your statements will change the mindset of the people in the villages,” he added.
For the unversed, Navya is a women's rights advocate and is the founder of ‘Project Naveli’, a non-profit initiative tharsupports gender equality in India. It focuses in the fields of education, healthcare and financial independence.
Also read: Preity Zinta joins Priyanka Chopra at Jonas Brothers' LA concert, fans go gaga