The district SVEEP icon for Belagavi is a 28-year-old home-maker who went back to college for her degree, after a decade long break in studies.
Vimala Kadam Chinkekar, a mother of two, joined college after nine-year break. A student of Political Science (BA fourth semester) at AA Patil Women’s College, her extra curricular work has won her awards. She won the Best ‘LEAD’er award from the Hubballi-based Deshpande Foundation for her efforts in making a village almost open defecation-free.
As district SVEEP icon, she will be touring select areas to create awareness about the need to vote. She will visit schools, hospitals and other public spaces along with poll duty officials and speak to first-time voters and others about the poll process.
“I am already doing that in Chikkodi,” says Ms. Chinkekar. “We try to explain the polling process and introduce the ballot machines and the VVPAT units to voters. All that is easy. The difficulty starts when voters, especially seniors, start asking questions about the utility of voting,” she said.
“An old woman asked me why she should vote if her life was not to change after elections. I had to recall all I had learnt in my Constitution class,” she laughs. She had to tell her that voting was a sacred duty and democracy would not move ahead if every voter thought voting was futile. “I told her about NOTA. I also told her we had no right to complain if we did not participate in government formation. Finally, she relented,” says Ms. Chinkekar.
Earlier, she worked with Chikkodi municipality for creating awareness about health and hygiene. She has gone around the wards with fogging teams, speaking to residents about the ill effects of mosquito bites and advised them about steps to avoid mosquito breeding.
Her involvement in social activities and engagement with the local self-government body has got her an opportunity to work on the SVEEP team.
Municipal council executive officer Jagadish Hulgejji recommended her name to the SVEEP committee for making her the district icon after considering norms such as political neutrality, popularity and recognition among the public, said R. Ramachandran, zilla panchayat chief executive officer.
Hailing from Arjungi in Vijayapura, she was married at 18. She shifted to Chikkodi after marriage and had no opportunity to study till her children were old enough to go to school. She joined AA Patil Women’s College in 2017.
“My teachers Jaishree Nagarale and Vishaka Chitare introduced me to the LEAD programme of the Deshpande Foundation. She led a group of 25 girls in convincing the women of Umrani village to build toilets, as part of the LEAD project. “Their work yielded results. After regular counselling and group meetings for one year, they were able to convince 800 families to build toilets,” says D.M. Kulkarni, college principal.
“It will be hard to find time for SVEEP, as I have examinations on May 3, 5 and 7,” Ms. Chinkekar said. “But I will steal a few hours every day for it. After all, you don’t get such opportunities every day,” she said.
