Olivia A I Bang

[caption id="attachment_12932" align="alignnone" width="125"] Olivia A I Bang[/caption] Olivia grew up watching her town's people get harassed by inefficient and apathetic bureaucracy. She saw tribals get duped of their own land, and stay ignorant of their rights because they had been told that it was wrong to fight against the administration. “Even going to a government office for something as simple as an voter ID application was a task -- the rudeness, the wait and rejection that people have to undergo for their identity is so wrong,” she says. This helplessness she saw around drove her to take up law, and today, she uses her position at the Socio-Legal Information Centre to fight for basic human rights -- right to food, to education, SC/ST rights, against domestic violence and sexual harassment, among others. She contends that this profession has made her more responsible, but instead of buckling under the pressures of her various responsibilities, she focuses on being grateful for these opportunities. “When you rise in the morning give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks the fault lies with yourself,” she quotes from her favorite book, The Magic by Rhonda Bryne.