Rita Satpathy: Serving the society while unveiling the black coat

Most of us are uncomfortable on the presence of a lawyer around us. It is not only for the black coat that he or she wears, but these set of professionals are of remorseless species. Their nature of job makes them cunning. Though they fight for the justice, yet in personal life they unable to do justice to their family members. Their nature of job is so dull and dumb that makes them such spineless creatures. Seldom there is any creativity or charm in their work. Yet there are a chosen few exceptions to this set of professionals.

When you meet Rita Satpathy a human rights and family court lawyer practising at the High Court of Cuttack, Odisha you would love to get in touch with her to discover how charming our life could be even while we are entangled in our sluggish daily work.

Rita was born in the year 1959 at Sambalpur. She is

the daughter of Late Sashibhushan Satpathy the renowned judge of Odisha. Being a daughter she was very close to his father and even followed his footsteps to opt law as her profession. She was brought up in Pension Pada of Sambalpur. During the Hindu Muslim riots of 1964 her father played a pivotal role in doing fast court settlements. Her father was the founding member of Lala Lajpat Rai Law College of Sambalpur. He has even donated 30 decimal of his own land to the law college, where today the new tower of the college is standing. The other two promoters of this college were Late Manbanjan Bohidar and Late Sradhakar Supkar.

Rita studied from nursery to Class 5^th at Brookshill School of Sambalpur. On passing out her primary school she joined Lady Lewis Girls High School located at Kunjel Pada. It’s an heritage school of Odisha that was built by the Britshers in the year 1947 itself. In 1976 Rita joined BA at Govt. Women’s College. Afterwards she did her MA in Oriya at Sambalpur University. Her subject was “A literary criticism between Radhanath Ray and Wordsworth”. Radhanath was an Oriya poet known across Odisha for his poetic works like “Chilika”, whereas Wordsworth was a Nineteenth Century British poet known across the globe. His famous poetic works were Julius Czar; Hamlet; London; Prelude; Daffodils; We are seven; Ode to Duty; The Solitary Reaper; The Intimations of Immortality and so on.

Rita got a soft corner in her heart for the destitute

and the deprived people. Early in life she had shown the signs of being an angel for the destitute. While she was a student in school when her mother would serve her roti(whole wheat Indian bread), that girl use to hide one piece and give that hidden piece to either a beggar or to the street dogs. While doing so once she was caught red handed and her mother told her to partake her share of rotis and in case she wants to feed someone else, than to ask for extra pieces. Her mother was the role model in her life. She was the one who inspired Rita to work for the society.

In India every male person earns money so as to support just his family. But Rita Satpathy since herself is a working lady thinks, after meeting the basic needs of the family members the surplus amount should be used for the needy people of the society. In the year 2007 she setup Jaymala Socio Cultural Trust. The basic objective of this trust is to look after the welfare of the poor peoples of Sambalpur and Cuttack. They are providing free education to the deprived children of slum dwellers. That apart they are taking care of old age people by providing daily food and weekly medication facilities.

When she was staying at Mangalabag, Cuttack one night while searching for her two girls reached her home. They cried and said they have fled from one religious ashram at Cuttack, because they were being physically exploited. Rita consoled them by serving dinner and giving shelter for a night. Next morning she took those two girls to the police station to lodge a complaint. Afterwards those two girls were relocated to a different place.

Almost twenty years back yet another incident had happened. As usual one evening she hired a rickshaw to return home from the High Court. On the way while the man was pulling the rickshaw he started expressing his sorrow. He said his wife is under the attack of tuberculosis(TB). But he unable to impart the right diagnosis, because of the high cost of medicines. From there she asked the rickshaw puller to take her to his house. On reaching their hut, Rita met the sick lady who was lean and thin and was bed ridden. Over there she met their two daughters. In a couple of weeks the lady expired. The rickshaw puller unable to cope with the situation and took shelter of the alcohol. Finally he either fled or went missing. Rita take possession of those two girls and admitted them in Basundhara Ashram. The good news was that after a couple of years one American couple visited this shelter at Bhubaneswar and they adopted the elder girl by the name Sujata. Now Sujata turn to be an adult and married and happily settled in England(UK). It is just one act of benevolence by Rita Satpathy which rehabilitated many lives.

Rita firmly believes whatever she is today is the mere grace of her loving God Shiridi Sai Baba. She had gone through many upheavals of the life. In the year 2003 soon after the gruha pratistha her husband fell terminally sick. He had a heart ailment called arrhythmia. Because of the disease entire family was disturbed. One night when her husband waked up from the sleep and narrated a miracle that had happened. He said from the frame of Shiridi Sai Baba photo there came a ray and covered his body from tip to toe of his body. On getting to know about this miracle Rita got relieved thinking there is nothing to worry about her husband and Shiridi Sai Baba will take care of him. Subsequently her husband recovered his heath after taking proper medical treatment.

During the devastating super cyclone Phailin that struck the coast of Odisha in October 2013 as many as 45 lives were perished despite minute preparation to confront the situation due to advancement in the technology to monitor the weather. But that cyclone destroyed public infrastructure, civil properties and paddy crops to the tune of a hoofing $655 million USD. Soon after the Phailin Rita Satpathy along with the volunteers of Jaymala organistion reached Aktiarpur a remote village on the sea coast of Baleswar district.

That apart every year in its annual function Jaya Mala social cultural trust felicitated people of Odisha whosoever has contributed in their own field to build a stronger and vibrant Odisha. They are very particular while scrutinizing the right candidates to be felicitated with the Sunakhadika sanmman.

[While singing along with Hollywood play back singer Akshaya Mohanty】

Rita is a professional singer of Oriya songs. She delves her mind in to music, so as to put some charm in the dull and dumb profession that she has undertaken in life. Until now Jaymala has traced many persons from Oliwood film industry and felicitated them.

Nuakhai Bhetghat Samman at Barpali given by Bijepur MLA Rita Sahu

Until now across Odisha she has been felicitated by twenty-two different organisations for the humanitarian activities she is carrying. In the year 2018 itself Life Line, Barpali felicitated her with Nuakhai Sanman. Earlier to this she has been felicitated with Bharat Gaurav Sanman in a grand function organised at Hotel Kalinga Ashoka, Bhubaneswar. The Chief Guest in that fuction was Prasanna Kumar Patasani a multifaceted personality of Odisha known for being a philosopher, Oriya poet and lawyer.