Woman of the year Ane Talyang Shanti A woman called Hope

She is an extraordinary woman from Arunachal Pradesh who is popularly known as ‘Ane’ (mother) among the inmates of 'Mothers’ Home', a place which has of late gained the centre of attraction and goodwill for sheltering the ‘children of lesser god’. She has not only created a niche for herself but for others by achieving the incredible and refused to give up despite hardship, tragedy and appalling odds. She is not a Padmashree winner or a popular figure but the lady is an apostle of practical religion and her works aligns with calling in life, which is to contribute to the development of the disadvantaged and vulnerable human race.
The most sought and beautiful hill stations of Arunachal Pradesh in the North Eastern Region in the midst of the pine clad mountains is the Hidden plateau-Ziro the headquarter of Lower Subansiri District. It is one of the quaint oldest towns in Arunachal Pradesh with a throbbing pulse and is filled with many extraordinary people achieving the incredible and they refused to give up despite hardship, tragedy and appalling odds.
Such extraordinary people with extraordinary powers to do yeomen service in a world where success is measured in terms of money and muscle power, comes as a refreshing change when someone like Talyang Shanti stands up from the crowd and dedicates herself, without seeking personal glory or rewards, to a service that has gone unattended by those who have the resources to do it but do not exercise that choice.
Recipient of the Anita Sen memorial award, Talyang Shanti is one such face in the crowd – a mother figure to all who know her, and a woman who knows the strength of dignified perseverance in the face of apparently insurmountable odds.
Her journey began when, shaken by the tears on the faces of orphans, the wails of poor abused women and the society’s apathy towards the physically and mentally challenged, Shanti along with likeminded fellows floated a voluntary group Achukuru Welfare Society dedicated to taking care of the economically deprived and socially despised. The AWS established Mother’s Home in 2005. Today it serves orphans, widows, the mentally challenged, the destitute and the aged, expecting nothing in return but their prayers and good wishes.
We live in a world where people don’t have time to take care of their near and dear ones. However, there are some who not only think about their own families but also about others. Shanti who always wanted to serve the downtrodden humankind, fulfilled her long cherished childhood dream by establishing the Mother’s Home in 2005. Shanti is not alone in her cause; her entire family supports her noble endeavour. “I don’t have money, but it never became a reason to stop me from doing the job. Whatever I am doing is from the bottom of my heart,” says Shanti. “During my childhood days I had a desire to help the poor and destitute people and am fulfilling my childhood dream now,” she adds. Relegated from the society and with nowhere else to go, the home is a source of food, shelter and solace to these inmates. The main source of income is the ‘fish pond’ above which is housed the home.
''With no help forthcoming easily, our only source of income is the fish pond from which we earn some money to keep the kitchen running,'' informs Shanti.
Explaining the modus-operandi, she tells that visitors and patrons are allowed to fish in the pond for which a modest fee of fifty rupees is levied per hour. ''There are many visitors during the peak season which is from June to September. However, during the off season it is difficult for us,'' she added.
Shanti says she never received help from the GoAP: “Whatever funds we have are earned from ecotourism and from the fees we charge on anglers who come to fish in our pond. Sometimes people voluntarily give us money.” Speaking about Yaba Muda, a young woman whom she found about six years back in a garbage dump in Ziro, Shanti says Muda has improved a lot and now helps in the activities of Mother’s Home. “These people don’t need much, what they need is love and affection. Our behavior can change their lives,” Shanti says.
Located at idyllic and lush green remote corner of Ziro the home, conceptualized and founded by Shanti, is truly ‘a home away from home’ to those deserted inmates coming from various places of  the state. Mother’s Home provides vocational training in bamboo basket making and cultivation to the inmates.
However, as other rehabilitation centers in the state, the home is facing accommodation and financial problems. But despite this, Talyang Shanti who started the Home few years back is devotedly offering her services and undertakes numbers of recreational activities within the home to raise fund for the children and development of the home. Now, the home is successfully providing facilities in boating, angling, tailoring training and a small museum is also in under construction.
Of late, many dignitaries both from within and outside the state are making it a point to visit the home to have a glimpse of the famous abode.
With a mission to establish a Mother’s Home unit in State Capital for destitute women and mentally challenged children, Mother’s Home recently branched out its yeoman activities by establishing another Mother’s Home in Lekhi village, Naharlagun in Papum Pare district. It was a natural progression as needy folks exist in other parts of the state too,” she says.
However, though she tries her utmost to provide care and compassion to the inmates on a daily basis, Mother’s Home has hit a dead-end in the matter of financing the setting up of more shelter and rooms for those in need. Left with no other choice, Shanti has appealed to our sense of humaneness to contribute in cash or kind towards providing food and shelter to the inmates of Mother’s Home.
The move of the chairperson to open its Mother’s Home branch unit in state capital is indeed an admirable step as there is no any home for mentally challenged women and children in the state capital. The state government or the concerned authority needs to think seriously for the well-being of the mentally challenged children and women particularly within state capital, or extend a helping help to any recognized NGO that is willing to take care of mentally ill people in state capital.
Mother’s Home in Lekhi Village, Naharlagun adopted three mentally challenged women from the Capital Complex recently. Till now Shanti has managed all by herself the expenses towards feeding and clothing them. Those among us, the fortunate ones, who wish to step up to the plate and lend a helping hand, may donate to SBI bank account number 11450014474.
Mother’s Home also wholeheartedly invites queries, and it can be reached at these numbers: 09436692986 and 09615170002.
We can do our bit, if we want to.
Here, we had a talk with Talyang Shanti to get her views on her mission and life.
CBN:  Why did you choose to serve the society selflessly?
TS: During my childhood days I had a desire to help the poor and destitute people and am fulfilling my childhood dream now. I love to deal with personal and social problems in a variety of settings. In the course of my profession I have been privileged to work in a variety of settings.
CBN:  Do you enjoy your job? What is your future plan?
TS: Whatever I am doing is from the bottom of my heart. The job I do involves working with disadvantaged and vulnerable people who are going through a difficult period in their lives. My future plan is to extend my service to all the other districts of the state in a near future, but due to financial problem the Home is not in position to gear up its activities in other districts.
CBN: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
TS: I don’t have money, but it never became a reason to stop me from doing the job. The most rewarding part is when I know I have made a positive difference in somebody’s life.
CBN: What advice would you give to people considering getting involved to this work?
TS: The most important advice is that this is not a profession for those seeking a big income and you have to be willing to work with the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our community. The job requires a commitment to serve with compassion while determining how to advance the best interest of individuals without compromising their basic rights to fairness and justice.
Caption:
1. Ane with one of the inmates.
2. Disadvantaged people of Mother’s Home at Lekhi village, Naharlagun.
3. Ane with her 6 disadvantaged people at newly opened Mother’s Home.
4. Ane interacting with the media people at her Mother’s Home.
5. Ane shows how to be self confident in life to one of the inmates.
6. Ane in her forties.
7. Ane with her 6 disadvantaged people at Mother’s Home.
8. Media team accompanied by Shanti with her 6 disadvantaged people at Mother’s Home.