Dr. Shila Dasgupta
In communities where social diktats are overwhelmingly stringent after a few generations pass, everyone becomes comfortably numb in the roles that they understand they are supposed to perform. People lose the ability to deal with difficult situations, and there is little motivation to move forward and change things for the better. Dr. Shila Dasgupta has turned the restrictive stereotypes of women in our societies upside down, and she has done it with kindness and empathy. A mother to a specially-abled kid herself, she advises families with specially-abled children on how to help their children navigate their world without letting negativity seep in.
I had to manage a big family, everyone’s emotions, expectations, desires, and many more things. That’s how society tags us to be and to behave. When we see outside society, housewives are not getting enough respect, which they deserve, and we sometimes feel their activities for granted.
She is a Professional Sales Executive with over 10 years of experience in providing excellent customer support. In addition to that, however, she wears a number of hats – she is a renowned Cook, an Acupressurist, a Reflexologist, a Naturopathist, and a Numerologist too. She graduated from Allahabad University with a Bachelor’s in Music, where she won the titles of “Sangeet Kalashree” and “Sangeet Bivakar” for her proficiencies in the field. Her talents have reaped interesting dividends over the years as well; today, she holds the World Record for chanting the whole Hanuman Chalisa in the least time.
Her attitude towards her life and her family is personified in a single word: empowered. She interprets her freedom of conscience and action in an interesting way too – for her, her reasoning for wanting to work and have a professional life is not some vague idea of self-actualization, but rather that a woman should be able to contribute to the house financially as the man does. This is a perfect example of how she doesn’t separate her progressive ideas from the positive lens of compassion, empathy, and love – her idea of freedom is based on the freedom to have the same experiences for growth and better mental well-being as the man does.
She is also an incredibly loving mother and wife. She considers her eldest son to be her greatest inspiration, and at the same time, it is so inspiring to see just how well she has nurtured her son over the years. Today he is an ambassador despite his circumstances and the difficulties of balancing home and a job that his mother faced, and any upbringing that can produce that type of self-esteem and capability is worthy of being lauded. It also speaks to her commitment to a life of spirituality – she has become one of the spearheading figures within housewives across communities, of how to liberate oneself of their own mental barriers with spirituality.
We should never complain about our fate as these special kids can change our destiny. They just need cooperation and love to create history.
Today she has record ratified by multiple organizations; India Book of Records 2019, Kalam’s Book of World Records 2019, and Pondicherry Book of Records 2019 being some. She has also won a number of accolades, ranging from India Star Young Achiever Award 2019 to the India Excellence Award 2019. She also has an Honorary Doctorate in Stress-Free Living.