Women who inspire me - The person behind Divyaguda

I was sent this link by someone who is more protective of me than my own brother. The minute I read this, I was jumping in joy. The article is about a former collector in Adilabad and how Adivasis named their settlement "Divyaguda" after her. This is very unusual for them and that makes it even more special. Divya is my senior from school and my brother's classmate. Someone my brother initially did not consider a friend as she would sometimes score more marks than him(and now one of his closest friends). Strange how competitive he was during school days and how the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rankers formed the best friendship ever while staying in different continents/states.

Divya is a very silent, yet a determined person. She is even more refined and dignified now as an IAS officer than how I remember her during school days. I am in awe of women leaders like her who are so passionate and service-minded. If there is anyone who deserves such an honour, it is her. When all the lockdown and Covid-19 spread is over with, I hope one day I visit Divyaguda and feel the pride of seeing a settlement dedicated to her efforts.

She, as always, remains humble and smiles and continues to work with dedication. We need more such women in our midst to keep our next-gen motivated. I hope to keep sharing more about women who inspire me in this series. May their tribe grow.

This is Divya from school days. She has not changed a bit even after all these years. :)

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