GUWAHATI: Tripura has taken some tangible steps towards attempting a transition to become one of the most developed states of the Northeast and India.
An NGO named Purvaudaya has taken the task to promote the backward people of the state with special focus on women. Since its inception on July 23, 2019, the NGO has made a remarkable presence having undertaken several projects which have been highly appreciated by the general public, media, academia and other segments of the society.
G Plus spoke to Niti Deb, General Secretary of the NGO, who stated that the plan is to break barriers between VIPs and the layman. "Earlier, we didn't get a platform to showcase our talents. Tripura is one of the states with high levels of poverty. But now, the aim is to create a linkage between Tripura and the rest of the world," said Niti Deb.
Another key focus has been on women empowerment along with a call on "Vocal for Local.” "The best time for women empowerment is when everyone receives the benefits in society," said Niti Deb.
Through the initiatives, locals in Tripura along with the NGO have managed to create indigenous products such as bamboo cookies of the Muli variant. The bamboo water bottles have been a big hit and Bollywood celebrities have even tweeted about it.
The general secretary further stated that every state in the northeast has different aspects of tourism. "The focus should be to highlight each state individually along with its success stories," added Niti Deb.
Niti Deb is the wife of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb. Originally hailing from Punjab, she wants to create similar prosperity in Tripura without compromising on the essence of the culture. As such, she has started a concept called "Heart of Humanity", where small rooms in selected cities keep unused and discarded objects in good condition so that the needy people can pick them up for their use. There will also be a special arrangement for food with a refrigerator properly installed inside the outlet. "I am a mother myself and I keep my son’s clothes in perfect condition. This can be useful for someone else in need," Niti Deb told G Plus.
"At Purvaudaya we sell motivation by creating a market," Deb concluded.
Purvaudaya is an inclusive neutral forum apart from having common well-meaning members of the public also constitutes representatives of the government, non-government institutions, media, academia, industry and entrepreneurs who get together to inquire, discuss and debate in order to formulate actions. It aims to uplift economically the backward people in the northeastern states of Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.