Dr Savita Singh
Two people mattered the most in her life, her father Sh. Dayanand Singh and the father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Quite early in her growing up stage she came across a book from her father’s well stacked collection called the story of my experiments with truth which introduced her to the magical person of MK Gandhi. Her attachment to Gandhi, too, was organic as he always had a powerful presence in the surroundings she grew up. Her late father better remembered as Sh. DN Singh was a veteran journalist. He was all set join ICS but a t the call of Mahatma Gandhi abandoned his dreams like thousands other young men and women of his time and opted for the rough and tough life of a journalist. His life for the next 65 years as a journalist, indeed, was a saga of struggle and hardship. But for his journalism like to his mentor was not merely a profession but a mission devoted to the service of nation building.
Dr Savita Singh, too, in her search for a vocation in life found herself willy-nilly caught in the general atmosphere prevalent in her home and surroundings dominated by Gandhian ethos. Therefore, it was not surprising that when Prof BR Nanda suggested she should serve the GSDS she agreed to give the proposal a serious consideration
The assignment was not easy. She was given a target restore the National Memorial to the glory it deserves. Savita Singh requested for time to reflect on the task. Her father’s writings and her interactions with her illustrious neighbours Acharya JB Kripalani ,Sucheta Kripalani and others in their pursuit of the Gandhian Way of life helped to understand that to others it may have been all utopian or pretentious were in fact the only way out of the impasse. She could now find a meaning in the suggestion to serve the GSDS and through this discover The life message of the Mahatma.
Her education too helped her in understanding MK Gandhi. A master degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology from Punjab University, Chandigarh under the enlightened teachers helped in acquiring a deeper understanding of Gandhi’s critique of the modern civilization. Savita Singh had early education in Delhi and Jaipur. She graduated from prestigious University Mahrani’s College, Jaipur. Throughout she was a good student. She formally joined the GSDS on December 1 1988 and become it’s Director.
Amongst the achievements during her 22 years tenure foremost is the Restoration and Redevelopment of the GSDS. She had inherited a crumbling and disintegrating Memorial very unbecoming of the National Memorial of the Father of the Nation. But she left behind a most modern and contemporary Museum in India with several new components including a multi-media section.
Redevelopment and revival of two Buniyadi Vidyalayas founded by Mahatma Gandhi in Bettiah, W, Champaran in 1939. The schools cater to the needs of basic education in the region. Together they have nearly 1400 students. The schools were conferred Heritage Status by the NCERT and UNESCO Director Mr. A Persuraman paid a visit to the school.
The late Mewaramgobin a close associate of Nelson Mandela and also a member of Parliament of South Africa had participated in the Inauguration and the rededication of school in February 2002.
Founded Srijan a Center of vocational training for children and youth. -Mahatma Gandhi Centre for the study of North Eastern language in collaboration with the Hindi Department of Presidency University, Kolkata. The Center brought out some significant publication of rare material on early phase of Gandhian Movement in Bengal and North Eastern region.(1915-1925)
Another significant contribution of Savita Singh has been to motivate the youth of different states of North East to establish a network of Kasturba -Gandhi youth Centres. Another focus of her work has been to write book and monographs covering major aspects of Gandhi’s work. Her simple writings addressed to the youth sought to bring out Gandhi’s growing and changing thought and teachings. Gandhi was constantly growing in his outlook on the ever evolving world. It is pointed out that if Gandhi has sat down to write a comprehensive treatise on his unique doctrine-Truth and Satyagraha -it would have been valuable addition to a library and archives but no more. Gandhi’s thought on Satyagraha which was all inclusive, over-arching link that he developed to guide the life of individuals and society was born one step at a time in relation to the various challenges Gandhi faced-discrimination -race and social, the need for everyone to be involved in productive labour, the life of poverty and destitution, rural regeneration violence unleashed by the foreign government. The application of Satyagraha to an issue of small and apparently harmless thing like Salt. Dr Savita Singh wrote a comprehensive book on Satyagraha to mark the Centenary of the Birth of Satyagraha in 2006. The book was released by Hon’ble Prime Minister. In this book she has brought out all these aspects.
- Her other publication are :
- Gandhi and the Contemporary Word
- Empowerment of Women : miles to go
- Global Concern with Environmental Crises and Gandhi’s Vision
- Kasturba a symbol of women empowerment.
- Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha : contemporary relevance
- Rashtriye Andolan, Hindi Aur Gandhi
- Character and education
are some of her important work.
One major contribution of Dr. Savita Singh has been the exhibitions developed by her
- Kasturba and woman empowerment
- Satyagraha: and eternal century UN Head Quarter New York
- Count Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi: their unique legacy, Moscow Russia
Dr Savita Singh also has the unique distinction of being invited by the World Science Forum, Budapest, Hungary to speak On Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha “a science of peace” in 2007.