From Daily Wage Labour to MLA: The Inspiring Journey of Mrs. Chaturi Nand

Mrs. Chaturi Nand’s life is a portrait of determination shaped by hardship, discipline, and an unshakable belief in the power of education. Known before marriage as Chaturi Chauhan, she grew up with struggles as a constant companion. Yet even when circumstances repeatedly tried to hold her back, she refused to let them define her future.

Her turning point came in Class 10, when she secured the top position and should have been celebrating a bright academic milestone. Instead, her father, a mason earning just ₹100 a day, asked her to leave her studies and help with the household work. Supporting the education of three daughters was a heavy burden for the family, but Chaturi made a decision that would shape the rest of her life — she would not let poverty take away her education.

To continue studying, she began working during every school vacation. For two months each year, she worked on tractors, loading and unloading sand, gravel, and stones to earn money for her fees. When the paddy transplantation season arrived, she went to the fields and planted rice. There was hardly any kind of labour she did not take up. Because her father worked as a mason, she also joined him in masonry work whenever needed. Through sheer effort and sacrifice, she completed her Higher Secondary education with Biology and later joined Fuljhar College, now known as Veer Bahadur College.

Even in college, life was far from easy. But Chaturi kept moving forward and completed her B.Sc. in 2002. During 2001 and 2002, she also represented her university in Kho-Kho competitions, bringing honour and recognition to her institution. Those years became a symbol of her strength — not just as a student, but as a young woman determined to rise through every obstacle placed before her.

Soon after completing her graduation, she began her teaching career as a contractual teacher. Her first posting was in Kushmi Sarar village near Baloda, where she started teaching children with deep commitment. Every day, she travelled 18 kilometres each way by bicycle to reach school and return home. For a young woman, the journey was exhausting, but she served there faithfully for six years. In 2008, she married Mr. Dagrilal Nand of Barhapali, who also came from humble beginnings and understood struggle intimately. After marriage, she was transferred to Government High School, Bhukel.

Having faced the pain of financial hardship herself, Mrs. Nand never wanted any child to abandon education because of money. Along with her husband, she devoted herself to social service by paying school fees for underprivileged children and providing notebooks, books, and uniforms so they could continue their studies. Her compassion soon became a defining part of her identity.

In 2016, she founded the 36 Garh Chauhan Sena and continues to serve as its State President. Through this platform, she has worked tirelessly for community upliftment. During the annual Dulhadev Mahotsav in Basna, the organisation conducts youth introduction meets, helps arrange marriages for financially weak girls, organises sports competitions and cultural programmes, and supports many social initiatives. So far, more than 300 couples have been helped in solemnising their marriages.

As her social work expanded, public life naturally became part of her journey, though politics was never her original ambition. It was her husband’s heartfelt wish that she enter public service. She was first offered a political role in 2008, but she declined. Another opportunity came in 2018, yet she still felt unprepared. A science student and science teacher, she had never imagined politics as her path. Even her mother-in-law, Mrs. Ganga Bai Nand, who had once served as Sarpanch, was hesitant because of the painful loss her family had endured after her father-in-law’s murder. But with time, respect for her husband’s wish and her growing sense of responsibility led her to resign from teaching and step into politics.

Today, Mrs. Chaturi Nand serves as the MLA from the Saraypali Assembly Constituency, elected with a remarkable margin of 42,000 votes. Her journey stands as a powerful reminder that hardship can build character, and that those who walk with sincerity, discipline, and dedication eventually find their way to success. Her message to the younger generation is simple and strong: work hard, stay honest, remain disciplined, and never fear struggle — because success belongs to those who keep moving forward.