A motherly figure to inmates’ children, Ranamagar new Deputy Speaker

Once a caregiver of inmates’ children, Indira Ranamangar has become the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A resident of Salbadi from Arjundhara-11 in Jhapa, Ranamagar, has two schools and 10 childcare centres under her guardianship. In the centres, as many as 2,000 children of inmates from Jhapa to Palpa district are getting care and education at Ranamagar’s initiative.

The 52-year-old has now reached one of the top posts to work for the needs of people from across the country.
She was born to Father Pratap Ranamagar and mother Manmaya Ranamagar as the youngest child in 2027 BS. She began taking care of the inmates’ children by renting two rooms in Kathmandu 22 years ago. The Deputy Speaker was inspired by renowned litterateur Parijat.

Seminal litterateur Parijat had given protection to her when she moved to Kathmandu for study. Ranamagar did her school education by getting enrolled at Grade 4 at the age of 12 in a local Maharanigunj Primary School, Arjundhara, according to her elder brother Jagat Ranamagar.

Deputy Speaker Ranamagar holds a MA degree in Sociology. She has a daughter.

She also worked as a volunteer at a humanitarian association run by Parijat. She found the children of prisoners in a sorry state when she visited jail along with Parijat.

With this in the background, Ranamagar set up Bandi Sahayata Nepal (Prisoners’ Aid Nepal) in 2000 and ran the childcare centres in Jhapa, Palpa, Kathmandu and other places.

According to Ranjit Pariyar, Principal at Junkiri Basic School run by Ranamagar in Jhapa, she set up two schools to educate the prisoners’ children.

It has not been long since Chairperson of Bandi Sahayata Nepal, Indira Ranamagar joined politics. She had not been a party member till the formation of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

When RSP Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane urged her to join politics from social service, Ranamagar was reluctant in the beginning. As she was persuaded that politics is ultimately for social service, she joined the RSP.

She was elected member to the House of Representatives under PR election from the RSP. In the very short political journey, she has now become Deputy Speaker at HoR.

In 2005, Ranamagar got the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, and the ‘Asia People’s Service’ award in 2009. In 2014, Ranamagar got the prestigious ‘World Children Honorary Award’ making her known to the world.

Moreover, the BBC news service included her in the list of world’s creative women in 2017.

-Chandrakala Bhandari/RSS