<p>Well, she has not been prevented by her in-laws or a victim of domestic violence as usually happens with many of her ilk. It is the herd of cattle instead, which came in her way whenever she thought of staying for a day or two with her parents. <br /><br />After all, for her, the cattle are just like her own children. And why not. They are the ones that have made her independent and the proud recipient of several prestigious awards. For the fifth consecutive year, Bitana Devi was felicitated with the prestigious ‘Gokul Award’ (Gokul Award is given by the Uttar Pradesh government for making significant contribution in the production of milk in the state) recently.<br /><br />“Cattle require regular care and if one wants good production of milk…they have to be looked after in the same way as mother takes care of her children’’, said Bitana Devi.<br />“I have not been able to go anywhere, especially during the evenings and the mornings, as I have to feed them….but I have no regrets….these cattle are behind my success’’, she told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />Bitana Devi, who dropped out after fifth standard, gets up at dawn, feeds the herd of 25 cattle, milk them and then takes the milk to the nearest dairy farm. And she has been doing this for the past 25 years.<br /><br />“Dairy business demands continuous hard work …you must love your cattle and they will also shower their love in the form of milk’’, she claimed. <br /><br />Her herd gives a yield of 100 litres everyday. A symbol of women empowerment through sheer hard work and determination, Bitana Devi’s journey began on a modest note when she got married. Her parents had given a `she-buffalo’ as a wedding gift. A few years later she bought a cow.<br /><br />Buoyed by the initial success, Bitana Devi made it her full time business some 15 years back and continued to invest the profits in buying more cattle. <br /><br />She first won the Gokul Award in 2007 and has bagged it five times in a row. She received a cash prize of Rs 11,000 and a memento from a UP minister at a glittering function in the state capital recently.<br /><br />The success also reflected in her better living standard. One of her sons is working in a metro while the other wants to follow her footsteps after completing his education. <br /><br />She has got full support from her teacher husband. “In the initial days, family doubted about the success and even advised me against investing in cattle. But I managed to convince them…now the whole family supports me’’, she said.<br /><br />Bitana has now become an example not only in her own village of Nigohan, about 40 km from Lucknow, but also in the nearby areas.<br /><br /> “Several women from the village and nearby areas have started rearing cattle with the aim of starting dairy business’’, she said adding that they visit her for advice and suggestions. And she is always ready to offer her expertise.</p>
<p>Well, she has not been prevented by her in-laws or a victim of domestic violence as usually happens with many of her ilk. It is the herd of cattle instead, which came in her way whenever she thought of staying for a day or two with her parents. <br /><br />After all, for her, the cattle are just like her own children. And why not. They are the ones that have made her independent and the proud recipient of several prestigious awards. For the fifth consecutive year, Bitana Devi was felicitated with the prestigious ‘Gokul Award’ (Gokul Award is given by the Uttar Pradesh government for making significant contribution in the production of milk in the state) recently.<br /><br />“Cattle require regular care and if one wants good production of milk…they have to be looked after in the same way as mother takes care of her children’’, said Bitana Devi.<br />“I have not been able to go anywhere, especially during the evenings and the mornings, as I have to feed them….but I have no regrets….these cattle are behind my success’’, she told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />Bitana Devi, who dropped out after fifth standard, gets up at dawn, feeds the herd of 25 cattle, milk them and then takes the milk to the nearest dairy farm. And she has been doing this for the past 25 years.<br /><br />“Dairy business demands continuous hard work …you must love your cattle and they will also shower their love in the form of milk’’, she claimed. <br /><br />Her herd gives a yield of 100 litres everyday. A symbol of women empowerment through sheer hard work and determination, Bitana Devi’s journey began on a modest note when she got married. Her parents had given a `she-buffalo’ as a wedding gift. A few years later she bought a cow.<br /><br />Buoyed by the initial success, Bitana Devi made it her full time business some 15 years back and continued to invest the profits in buying more cattle. <br /><br />She first won the Gokul Award in 2007 and has bagged it five times in a row. She received a cash prize of Rs 11,000 and a memento from a UP minister at a glittering function in the state capital recently.<br /><br />The success also reflected in her better living standard. One of her sons is working in a metro while the other wants to follow her footsteps after completing his education. <br /><br />She has got full support from her teacher husband. “In the initial days, family doubted about the success and even advised me against investing in cattle. But I managed to convince them…now the whole family supports me’’, she said.<br /><br />Bitana has now become an example not only in her own village of Nigohan, about 40 km from Lucknow, but also in the nearby areas.<br /><br /> “Several women from the village and nearby areas have started rearing cattle with the aim of starting dairy business’’, she said adding that they visit her for advice and suggestions. And she is always ready to offer her expertise.</p>
