She guarded the riot-hit with a sword

HYDERABAD: The frail frame of Thakur Gita Devi belies her strength, courage and determination. Flashback to the riots of December 1990: Her village, Kottapet, was one of the worst hit areas in the state.
People of both communities left their homes in search of safer places. Those who stayed back feared for their lives and came to Gita Devi for help.
Her house turned into a temporary relief camp with about 250 people staying at her house."Single-handed, with a sword in hand, I guarded them for two-nights and three-days - till the riots subsided," Gita Devi said.
This ''Rani Lakshmi Bai'' didn''t stop at that. "My father is a farmer and I cooked and supplied food to not just the people who took refuge at my home but to the policemen in nearby camps too."
The courage she displayed didn''t come in a day. "I was the only girl in my family who went to school and even as a four-year-old I had to walk for more than seven km to school - from Kottapet to Falaknuma."
Though Gita Devi, born on January 21, 1961, was married before she turned 18 and did not complete her graduation, she helped women of her village find a vocation. She is involved in activities such as maintaining a nursery, running a tailoring unit and holding numerous national level environmental campaigns.
Gita Devi and her husband had moved to Secunderabad for a while. After their house was burgled in 1989, they moved back to Kottapet.
And till date, this gritty woman rides a two-wheeler back home through the lanes and by-lanes of the Old City in the dead of the night, after working with the people of these areas.
"People, including well-built men and young ones, have asked me if I am scared. I have only one thing to say: Believe in yourself. You could not just reach home safe, but help everyone live a safe and happy life," she said.