BISWANATH CHARIALI, March 6 - At a time when the government has been spending crores of rupees to improve the overall health of the women of the country, a silent revolution is going on at Biswanath Chariali, that too, without any government help. This silent revolution is being led by a youth, Nayan Saikia (28), who had left a lucrative job at an ITC-owned star category hotel in Bengaluru for a noble cause � to create awareness among the poor rural women of Assam on cleanliness.
Significantly, he was inspired by none other than Arunachalam Muruganathan, the �Padman� of India on whose life a Bollywood film was released recently. Born to Dilip Saikia and Banti Saikia of Garehagi village here, Nayan was working in Bengaluru when he happened to go through an article in Time magazine on Muruganathan in 2015. Already having something like this in his mind, he met Muruganathan and disclosed what was going in his mind. Actually, Nayan could realize what the rural illiterate women had to face during their menstrual periods. Muruganathan assured him all possible help. Nayan left his job and came back to his home. Then he took a bank loan and set up his �Always� sanitary napkin manufacturing industry at his village Garehagi. Muruganathan provided him with the machinery and the raw materials which are available only in the USA. Since then, he has been manufacturing napkins and now his industry produces around 3000 pieces everyday. Nayan Saikia sells his napkins through rural women at villages at a very cheap rate. Parallely, he has been creating awareness among the village women on cleanliness because he believes that cleanliness leads to a healthy life. He holds regular meetings at areas from Lakhimpur to Nagaon.
At the beginning, he had to face a lot of hurdles, �but my parents and Muruganathan sir always used to strengthen my mind�, he told this correspondent. �Actually it was a red letter day in my life when I met Muruganathan sir�, he added. After his marriage, his better-half Bagmita Borah also came forward to help him in this endeavour. He claims that this industry is first of its kind in the entire North East India set up by an individual. His vision is to make the poor rural women aware of a clean and healthy life. He will definitely help if somebody comes forward to carry on this revolution in the rural areas of Assam. Besides this, Nayan also sells organic and green tea at his shop prepared from his own tea garden.
However, Nayan Saikia laments that he has not received any government help so far. He met MLA Angurlata recently who assured all possible help through State Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
