Jamshedpur: Social worker Tarun Kumar, popularly known as Jharkhand’s Padman, recently visited Bihar’s capital Patna with a mission to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene, girl education, and women-centric issues that transcend regional boundaries. His visit, marked by interactive workshops and community meetings, reflected his ongoing commitment to grassroots change.
During his Bihar tour, Tarun addressed school children and teenage girls, as well as women residing in the slum areas of Patna. At St. Xavier Public School, Patel Nagar, he conducted a workshop focusing on menstrual hygiene and gender equality. Through real-life stories from rural Jharkhand, he introduced students to the shared cultural and social roots of Jharkhand and Bihar, emphasizing that both states must work together to resolve issues affecting women and girls.
In another event, held near Cheena Kothi close to the Patna Planetarium, Tarun interacted with women and adolescent girls from surrounding slum areas. The program, organized at a sewing center run by the Sahaj Shakti Sarva Kalyan Samiti, focused on women’s health, nutrition, and the importance of completing education alongside skill development. Tarun highlighted how creative work like sewing not only provides economic independence but also boosts self-confidence among women.
“Change will only come when women are healthy, informed, and empowered,” said Tarun. “Menstrual hygiene and education are not just women’s issues—they are social issues. Society’s outlook must shift to enable real progress.”
The awareness campaigns saw support and active participation from various social workers and organizations. Key contributors included Kadambini Sinha of Arunodaya Ek Udaan, Vandana Jha of Sahaj Shakti Sarva Kalyan Samiti, senior journalist Rachna Priyadarshini, and Ranu Singh of iTalk Period. Their collective efforts made the sessions meaningful and impactful for the participants.
Tarun also visited several heritage and cultural sites in Patna and used the opportunity to connect with local NGOs and grassroots workers. The discussions focused on collaborative action for women’s health and education across both states.
Following the success of his programs, Tarun received multiple invitations from other districts in Bihar to conduct similar workshops. Speaking on future plans, he shared his vision of building a regional network of social workers and grassroots organizations across Jharkhand and its neighboring states—Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
“As founder of Nishchay Foundation, my dream is to foster a culture of selfless service and volunteerism in the social sector,” Tarun said. “This network will help us reach remote communities and work collectively for the wellbeing of women, children, and the underprivileged.”
