DRIVING DREAMS
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar|December 08, 2024
At the tender age of 16, Santoshi Deo's life took a terrible turn when she was married off to a Brahmin family in Haryana.
Hemant Kumar Rout
DRIVING DREAMS

What followed was a harrowing tale of dowry torture and domestic violence that nearly crushed her spirit. But she refused to bow down to the circumstances and chose to fight back.

Two decades later, this school dropout's journey from mineral-rich Keonjhar district is a remarkable story of resilience, grit, and determination. Santoshi left her in-law's house, worked in a spinning mill in Tamil Nadu, drove an auto-rickshaw, bus and did whatever she could to eke out a living. This gritty woman, sixth among nine children of her parents, is an inspiration for many as she drives a 40-tonne Volvo truck, once a men-only job, through the uneven patches of an iron ore mine in Koida in Sundargarh district.

This story is from the December 08, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 08, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS BHUBANESWARView All
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Don't Stress Out to avoid rapid ageing, comorbidities

FOR six months, Akshay (name changed), an expat in Dubai, had been experiencing abdominal bloating sensation, pain in the abdomen, and constipation.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Raising the bar pays off for hockey coach Sangwan

A SNUB can either break one down or spur the individual on to scale new heights. Unfortunately, a majority of people end up heartbroken. But a better future awaits those who manage to swallow the bitter pill. Haryana hockey coach Sandeep Sangwan falls under the second category.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Focus on TOPS list as new-look MOC set for 1st significant meet today

NEW Year, new dawn, so it seems for the sports ministry's Mission Olympic Cell that is expected to meet on Tuesday.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Maiden ODI call-up for Bist against Ireland

AFTER nine white ball fixtures in less than a month, three against Australia in the away series and six against West Indies at home, India's regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested for the three ODIs against Ireland.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

FINDING ROOTS OF ENIGMATIC CUMMINS

The Australian captain's on-field success and personality off of it are intertwined and it goes back to his upbringing

time-read
4 mins  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

HIL: Soorma beat Delhi SG Pipers in penalty shootouts

SOORMA Hockey Club clinched a penalty shootout victory against the Delhi SG Pipers in the Hero Hockey India League 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Monday.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Saweety 'even more motivated' after Arjuna honour

AWAY from the spotlight, India boxer Saweety Boora, at a time when she was just 21, had gone on to capture a silver medal in her very first World Championships at Jeju City in 2014.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Govt Launches Updated ₹4k Cr PLI Scheme for Steel Sector

The government on Monday launched a new round of steel production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with a total outlay of ₹4,400 crore.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Govt Must Shift Capex Focus to Social Sectors

As pre-budget consultations got over on Monday, industry representatives and analysts want the government to continue its thrust on capital expenditure (capex), albeit with a shift in sectoral focus.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar

Rupee hits new low of 85.83 on strong dollar

THE rupee continued to its southward-ho for the fourth month, losing 4 paise to close at a new low of 85.83 on Monday, weighed in the blood bath on the equity markets amid persisting bearish tilt.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025