Bhawana Dhanik: “Self dependence is a good thing.”

Published by G Rajkumar at May 28, 2023

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Chausala is a small village located in the beautiful Barad river valley which is at about 15 km from Chaukori. The fertile agricultural tracts watered by the Himalayan mountain streams yield bountiful crops all year round. This valley is famous for its ancient temple at Kotgarhi, which is visited by people even from far off places in Kumaon. Bhawana Dhanik hails from this farming village and attended Himalaya Inter College (HIC). She completed her Intermediate level education in 2020. She has a sister and a brother, who are both studying in her alma mater, HIC. Her father is currently serving in the Indian army and her mother is a homemaker.

Chausala village

As a student of HIC, Bhawana received HImalayan Education Foundation’s scholarship for meritorious girl students. At present, she is in her third year pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science from Kumaun University, Nainital.

Talking to Himalayan Voices, from her native village, she narrates her educational journey and how she got interested in the subjects she is studying for her degree course.

“To me, Biology is an interesting subject. Biology lets us know about the processes of life on earth and also about living things. It enables us to develop a more profound understanding of the human condition and our role in this world. Advances in biology help us live a healthier life and improve the lives of others”

Bhawana at DSB Campus, Nainital

A keen observer of the environment and ecosystems, Bhawana opines that a deeper understanding of biology has a bearing on the human actions for the health of the planet. She also loves studying history because it lets us know where we came from and gives us an identity. By its lessons, it contributes to a better moral understanding of the world we live in.

Bhawana currently lives in Nainital, a tourist town with a lake at the heart of it. “Nainital is a gift of nature. The evergreen trees and the colourful flowers in the summer are wonderful. It’s popular among the people of Kumaon for its various educational and research facilities.”

Having spent her childhood in a Himalayan hamlet. Bhawana appreciates her native place for its green environment which has clean air and little pollution, which are essential for good health. For her it’s the finest thing about living in the hill country.

As for the career she would like to pursue, she states, “I am not sure about it now, But I want to be self dependent in my future to fulfil my own needs in life.”

An enthusiastic sports fan, Bhawana plays games like Kabaddi and kho-kho, practises martial arts like Wu Shu and Taekwondo. She was made the head sports girl of HIC. Painting and reading books are her favourite pastime activities which she enjoys very much, besides spending time with her family. Especially with her grandmother who is the most lovable and inspiring person in Bhawana’s life. It’s her grandmother who took care of her during the school years. Her father was in different parts of the country due to his army postings. And her mother was away in their village tending the family farm.

Grandmother of Bhawana- A fount of inspiration

Holy books like “Bhagavadgita” have a special appeal to her as they counsel how to live life wisely. “Shershah”, a war movie with a human love drama is her all time favourite and she loves listening to the songs of Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit singh.

Bhawana visited places like Haridwar, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chhattisgarh as her father was posted to different parts of the country. She enthuses, “Travel is good for the soul. Experiences are necessary for growth.”

When it comes to the challenges faced by the hill communities, she states that road infrastructure is the major issue. “Majority of landslides occur during the rainy season and as a result connectivity is disrupted. Due to lack of facilities like reliable transportation, quality medical care, good education, life is hard in the hill areas. So people migrate to cities for a better life. Addressing these issues seriously is essential for improving the quality of life in the villages”, Bhawana observes.

As for her personal contribution to mitigate these problems, Bhawana would like to first build a local self help group for villagers to discuss what’s needed for the community and how to achieve them. She thinks improvements in farming techniques will help improve the quality of life for the small scale farmers..

Reminiscing about her days at HIC, Bhawana recollects about the great joy she felt when she was appointed as the sports head of the school in her 12th standard. “ It is indeed a great achievement for me and that very fact has helped me increase my confidence and determination. Sports were a big part of my life and they truly shaped my values and morals. School memories never fade.” She thanks the institution for nurturing her with good values to serve the society.

Sharing her views with the current HIC students on how to improve oneself , Bhawana advises, “Make yourself a well rounded person. Consider all four dimensions of life as you strive to educate yourself- Physical, Spiritual, Intellectual and Social. Every day you must spend some time developing each one of these dimensions.”

“And importantly, respect your teachers. They deserve your respect not because they are your teachers but because they are your spiritual parents and they want you to be greater, smarter and better than they themselves are”, she counsels her juniors at the college.