Visakhapatnam: Showers of 'Daya' eases lives of tribals

Visakhapatnam: From Mercy Mathew to Daya Bai, the renowned social activist has come a long way in making a difference in the lives of scores of tribals. Born in Pala, Kerala, Daya Bai is currently placed in Barul hamlet, Madhya Pradesh.

The 80-year-old, who came to Visakhapatnam to participate in the International Women's Day celebrations hosted by Kerala Kala Samithi, says that women should follow the path of their passion without yielding to any pressure from parents, peers or community. "Women should strike off 'ifs' and 'buts' in their life," she asserts.

When she decided to serve society as a nun, little did she know that a priest of her father's age would try to abuse her physically. "I was in a convent then. I could hardly control my rage when I came to know of the senior priest's advances towards me. How can any person violate our body we consider a temple?" asks Daya Bai. In order to avoid his advances, Daya Bai used to burn parts of her body with candles. "I still have the burnt marks on me and the memory is still fresh," says the social activist.

After her brief stint as a nun, she soon realised that convent was not a place she belonged to. "That was when I decided to step out from the convent, get closer to the tribals and work towards their uplift," says Daya Bai, who completed M.Sc., LLB followed by a bunch of diploma courses. Her desire to work in Madhya Pradesh villages forced her to not return. Her name Mercy got translated to Daya and Bai was added as a sign of respect.

Because of this name, many never realised that she is a Keralite until now.

At the age of 22, she worked for the education of the children belonging to lower social groups, fought for their rights and created awareness among communities. In Barul, Daya Bai has also set up a school. "Money was never a problem to reach out to the tribals when they needed my help. I used to do artwork, take tuition classes and sell sandwiches to make money in order to cater to the needs of the tribals," adds the social activist.

Deeply disturbed by the Endosulfan victims of Kasargod district in Kerala, the social activist participated in a number of protests and spearheaded plenty of campaigns. "My heart bleeds when I see children suffering. Soon, I am participating in a hunger strike in support of the Endosulfan victims," says the 80-year-old, who can still ride a horse. When women go through any sort of abuse, the social activist tells them to stand up for themselves. "Why should a victim feel ashamed of speaking out?" she questions. Though her biopic 'Daya Bai' is yet to hit the theatres, the film has made its presence felt in the international film festivals.