“Where there is a will, there is a way.” This saying goes very well with Jodhpur’s Asha Kandara who has proved her mettle by rising from her misery to become Rajasthan Administrative Service Officer.
What sets apart Kandara from the rest is that she was working as a sweeper in Jodhpur Municipal Corporation before her current achievement. The 40-year-old is a single mother of two, who was abandoned by her husband eight years ago.
Kandara decided to pursue her education, a few years after separating from her husband and completed her graduation in 2016. All the while, she has been living with her father, Rajendra Kandara who is a retired accountant at Food Corporation of India. She always dreamed of becoming financially independent and bringing up her children on her own.
“I had to go through a lot from a broken marriage, caste discrimination to gender bias. But I never let myself drown in sorrow and instead decided to fight back. I believe that if people throw stones at you, you should gather them and build a bridge. I appeared for the Mains in 2019. Before the results could be declared, I got a job in the municipal corporation and took it. I kept studying and now the result is before you,” she told PTI and NDTV
Her inspiration was her father because he was educated and knew the value of education.
“My father is educated and understands the value of education. He taught us to study and move ahead. I have chosen the administrative services because I want to help other less privileged people like me. Education is the answer, education opens the door to opportunity,” she told.
Her success was lauded hugely. The Mayor and senior officers of Jodhpur Corporation felicitated her. The RAS officer said that she felt proud when she sat with senior officials like an equal, during her felicitation event.
“This is what I struggled for,” she said.
Speaking of her goals as an administrative officer, she said, “I want to work for bringing justice to society as an administrative officer. My endeavor is not just for my community, but for every victim of injustice.”