Minati – A Life Of Dignity

This is the story of Minati Naik of Tentala Pasi, a village of Keonjhar district, who braved many a rough weather in her young life to come out victorious in the long run. Minati belongs to a very poor family of six siblings constituting of four sisters and two brothers. The family struggled for their very survival and had to work as helpers/maids in different households to make a living.

The small piece of land that her father cultivated was not enough to sustain the family. It was often impossible to arrange square meals a day. Minati is a very industrious and honest girl. However, in a society where money and riches are the parameters of recognition, Minati’s family was often an object of ridicule and snobbery. It was practically impossible for the parents of Minati to think for a better future for her, amidst fate’s trials and tribulations. Little Minati resolved early in her life to fight against these inequalities and strived to overcome the same with determination. Minati was admitted into KISS in Class-IV in 2014. Her life changed for the better since that day.

However, an incident that happened in her life years ago triggered far reaching changes. Once, Minati accompanied her mother to the fields to harvest the crops. The landlord behaved with her in a very rude manner as he came to know that Minati is a better scholar and classmate than his own daughter. His rough behavior was too tough for Minati to tolerate. But she kept quiet.

However, she lost her composure and accidentally wounded her hand. The heartless landlord of higher caste started cutting her wages. The pain of losing her due earnings was greater for Minati than her physical wound. Little Minati could not forget the humiliation. But this incident propelled her to become self dependent, do well in her studies and turn around her fate. Minati has high hopes to become a teacher. As if all this was not enough, Minati’s father is suffering from paralysis and lies bedridden. Minati is counting her days as to when she will complete her education and become economically independent. She is indebted to KISS for supporting her at the hour of crisis and enabling her to fulfill her dreams.

Established in the early nineties by eminent educationist, social activist and philanthropist Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KISS is today a vehicle of social transformation and is handholding thousands of indigenous students from the tribal hinterlands to live a life with dignity and honour. After more than three decades of glorious journey, Dr. Samanta doesn’t require an introduction. From negotiating through arduous early years today he has become a great rallying point for people at home and abroad.

KISS stands out like a signature symbol of Dr. Samanta’s tenacity and determination. Currently, he is a Member of Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha. Besides education and tribal upliftment, healthcare and rural development, he has contributed immensely to art, culture, literature, film, media, society and national integration. His contribution to the field of sports requires a huge canvass to list its rise and expanses, right from the grassroots to the international victory podiums. The enormity of the man can hardly be elaborated within the concise space of admiration on papers.

Besides KISS, he also founded Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), and both educational institutions have achieved global repute and recognition. KIIT is an Institution of Eminence and one of the most prominent universities in India and globe for professional education having more than 30,000 students from all over India and 65 other countries. KISS is a home for 60,000 indigenous children all absolutely free. 

KISS empowers the students with adequate domain knowledge, lifeskills, leadership & entrepreneurial abilities. Traversing the long journey from very humble means, KISS achieved the enviable status of a Deemed to be University in 2017. KISS preserves, protects and promotes diverse cultural moorings and strives to develop a creative and critical disposition among students towards their own communities and world at large.
Thousands of girls like Minati are able to charter a new destiny for themselves having KISS by their side. It is pertinent to note that a large number of girl students are on the rolls of KISS, which is the symbol of change.