As the world celebrated the International Human Rights Day on December 10, here is an activist-lawyer from Tihidi block of Bhadrak district who has not only filed more than 13,000 cases before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) but also proved to be a corona warrior of rare calibre.
Radhakanta Tripathy has been tirelessly working as a saviour for the downtrodden in Bhadrak since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The district administration also recognised his work and issued him a pass to move around the district during the shutdown and lockdown period.Tripathy has established and become a beacon of hope for the leprosy patients, transgenders, differently able and for the people who don’t get two square meals per day in Bhadrak district during the pandemic.
He not only distributed snacks and rations to them but created awareness, solved issues related to quarantine centers and also fed stray animals. For last seven months of the pandemic, he has been tirelessly working for human cause including timely medical care, shifting of patients, arrangement of funerals and post death rituals. As monsoon arrived in Odisha, he undertook plantation of hundreds of saplings along with a few local volunteers at Talagopbindha Gram Panchayat, his native place.
An interesting and important concept he has developed during the pandemic is observation of the “World Duties Day” on June 30. Tripathy served the mentally ill and attempted to bring communal harmony among the people from different communities through all possible means.
Pertinent to mention, during the pandemic, the NHRC issued notices to all the Chief Secretaries of all the States and Union Territories on his petitions covering issues like mental health, plight of the transgender and sex workers across India.