Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan Receives DD Mahila Kisan Samman at Women Farmers Day in Delhi
Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan Receives DD Mahila Kisan Samman at Women Farmers Day in Delhi
On October 15, 2025, during the special program organized by Doordarshan Delhi on Women Farmers Day, seven progressive women farmers from different fields were invited to the DD Kisan Centre in Delhi. Among them, Dr. Janak Palta McGilligan, a resident of Sanawadia, Indore, known for bringing a revolution in the field of energy conservation in India, was honored.
Janak shared her life experiences on Doordarshan: "When I regained consciousness after the country's first successful open-heart surgery, I told God, 'You have given me this new life, and I will spend it in expressing my gratitude to You.' But I couldn't understand how to thank Him?
"I learned about the Baha'i Faith, and I understood that human beings have been given intellect and a soul to protect all of God's creations, and that is the true purpose of life. To offer full-time thanks, I left Chandigarh and came alone to Indore in 1985. I was given six acres of barren land to Barli Development Institute for Rural Women) for the empowerment of tribal women. For 26 years, I established the institute and trained tribal from 500villagex women in literacy, health, organic farming, and sustainable community development for empowerment. We developed that campus as a sustainable, zero-waste, and organic farming model. We made that land completely sustainable – we grew food there, and taught solar cooking and organic farming. We developed curriculum books using Bhili, Bhilai Nimadi and other tribal dialects so that tribal women could receive education in their own language. I first trained women in 302 villages of Jhabua district on the eradication of Guinea worm (Naru) through Bhili plays, explaining that it would not happen if water was filtered and drunk. The women understood and eradicated Naru. It was then that I understood the true meaning of sustainable development. When I returned to Indore, I saw that both land and water were being polluted in the cities. The situation is like poison in Punjab – the soil and water are full of chemicals. I felt that if something had to change, I had to start with my own life. Therefore, I decided that I would live a life with zero waste, organic farming sustainable living. where every We do not have a choice about how we will die, but we definitely have a choice about how we will live. My belief is that until we live our lives for the benefit of nature and others, life remains incomplete. I am living life with full energy. My belief is that until we live our lives for the benefit of nature and others, life remains incomplete."
Seven women, who have made their mark in different agricultural fields in the country through their talent, were invited to the DD Kisan Centre office. These included Padma Shri Rajkumari Devi, popularly known as Kisan Chachi (Farmer Aunt), Padma Shri Kamachi Chellammal (Nariyal Amma - Coconut Mother), Drone Didi Vimla Sinwar, agricultural entrepreneur Annu Kanawat, Renu Sangwan, who has made an exceptional contribution to dairy farming, and Padma Shri Janak Palta, working for energy conservation. Extensive discussions were held about the achievements of all the women in the agricultural sector. All the women shared their thoughts on their journey in the agricultural sector from the beginning until now.
At the DD Kisan Centre, Director General of Doordarshan, K. Satish Nambudiripad, Chairman of Prasar Bharati, Navneet Kumar Sehgal, Deputy Director General of DD Kisan, Lokman Singh, and Deputy Director and Program Head, Rajkumar Nahar, presented the "DD Mahila Kisan Samman for the invaluable contribution of women to Indian agriculture."
