With father and husband by her side, Salem's new collector becomes first woman to hold post after 170 men
- It has not been an easy journey for Rohini Bhajibhakare, a small-town girl turned first woman DC of Salem.
- Having studied in government organisations, she went a long way to prove her mettle as an administrator.
- Her main aim is to serve the poor and work toward women empowerment.
FollowRohini Bhajibhakare could not forget the struggles of her father when he was trying to receive government benefits for farmers. She remembered running him from pillar to post in the Solapur district of Maharashtra to just get a few signatures. That is when 9-year-old Rohini asked him who was responsible to make his tasks easier. She got a clear picture of what she wanted to be in future when her father answered "District Collector".
It has been her ambition since then to be work for the poor and the downtrodden and her father nurtured her to do the same. Exactly 20 years later, Rohini fulfilled his and her own dreams. She is now the first woman collector of Salem district in Tamil Nadu. Incidentally, the district had 170 collectors since 1970, but none of them were women.
Earlier, Rohini was posted as the Additional Collector (Development) and Project Officer for the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) for Madurai district.
Earlier days
Rohini was a small-town girl who completed her education from government establishments. Speaking to the media, she said, "I studied in a government school and did my engineering in a government college." She cleared the civil services exam with no private coaching. Speaking of government schools and colleges, she said, "The experience has led me to believe that our government schools have good teachers but are lacking in terms of infrastructure. That is something I will be addressing in Salem as well."
Her main agenda
While serving the poor is her main aim, she also aims to change the education system in government institutions. Apart from that, health and hygiene are her prime focusses. "With the threat of dengue apparent, there is a need for additional focus on sanitation. That will be my first priority." Next in line is the project for desilting of lakes, initiated by the government.
As an Additional Collector too, she has been siding with women's issues and has been fighting for their dignity and honour. She also championed the cause of safe sanitation for them. She has been an innovative person and is said to have brought dimension to her own pet projects.
Her views on the present political scenario
Rohini believes that becoming the first woman DC has its own challenges. She explains, "I see this as a sign of women empowerment and believe people can relate to me and what this stands for. It is important that women are made part of the decision making process at the highest levels."
But, she is all geared up to face them all. Laced with the dialect of the region, she believes that she can connect to the people more and get to the grassroot-level issues easily. She said, "I have been practicing from 2009 and believe there will be no language gap."
Her husband is her biggest support
IPS officer and her husband Vijyendra Bidari has been the biggest support in her life. With a mind of his own, he has been with her through all her trials and tribulations. Speaking to the Hindu, he once said, "She is a very positive and sensitive person who believes in making women employees confident.” He further goes ahead and says, "Rohini is a good orator and a sketch artist too." He also applauded Rohini's drive to do multiple things, without being over-competitive. He also appreciates his calm and cool confidence that helps them both strike the best balance.
Rohini beams back with an equally inspiring observation, "The best thing about my husband is he is extremely supportive and non fussy about so many things at home. I am not a great cook but that is never an issue. He never bothers if I am late from work. When I travel, he takes care of our son.”
Rohini has her own set of challenges managing office and home, but she ensures that she has at least one meal together with her family. She also does not miss the morning walk with him. She said, "We discuss general news and lots of social issues but never work. Being in the same profession, we are able to correlate and understand our respective roles better."
Beaming at each other's achievement, Rohini and Vijyendra take turns in complimenting each other. "Life after marriage has contributed positive changes because both of us complement each other and contribute equally, both at home and on the work front," she says. "I am lucky to have found a compatible partner”, he says.
Meanwhile, Rohini's 65-year-old father is beaming with pride for her daughter's achievements in both the fronts.
