Nivedita Jha (Journalist) Wiki, Age, Husband, Family & BIO Of Bhakshak’s Real Life Inspiration
Nivedita Jha is a veteran journalist who has worked with several media outlets, including Navbharat Times, Hindustan Times, and Tehelka. She is also a founding member of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), a women’s rights organization that works on various issues such as violence against women, communalism, casteism, and environmental justice. She is also a poet who has published two collections of poems, titled “Aankhon Mein Sapne” and “Dhoop Mein Chhaya”.
Nivedita Jha has been involved in many social movements and campaigns, such as the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, the anti-nuclear movement in Kudankulam, and the anti-CAA protests. She has also reported on several sensitive and controversial topics, such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, the 2014 Badaun gang rape case, and the 2016 JNU sedition case.
However, one of her most significant and courageous contributions to journalism and society was her role in the Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Case, which she pursued relentlessly despite facing threats, intimidation, and harassment from various quarters. She is also the inspiration behind the character of Vaishali Singh, played by Bhumi Pednekar, in the Netflix film Bhakshak, which is based on the same case.
Nivedita Jha Wiki/Bio
| Name | Nivedita Jha |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Journalist, activist, poet |
| Born | 1965 |
| Birthplace | Patna, Bihar, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Bihari |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Hindi literature from Patna University |
| Spouse | Dr. Shakeel Ahmad |
| Children | Pushkin (son), Ananya (daughter) |
| Awards | Chameli Devi Jain Award, Laadli Media Award, RedInk Award |
| Notable works | Exposing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, writing books and poems on social and gender issues |
| Inspiration for | Vaishali Singh, the protagonist of the Netflix film Bhakshak |
| Links | Twitter- @niveditashakeel Homepage- Newsunzip |
Education, Birthday, Early Life
Nivedita Jha was born in 1965 (age: 58 years, as of 2023) in Patna, Bihar, to a middle-class family. Her father, Ram Prasad Jha, was a professor of Hindi literature at Patna University, and her mother, Shanti Devi, was a homemaker. She has three sisters and a brother. She grew up in a progressive and intellectual environment, where she developed a love for reading, writing, and poetry.
She completed her schooling from Patna Women’s College, and then pursued her graduation in Hindi literature from Patna University. She was a bright and outspoken student, who participated in various cultural and literary activities. She also developed a keen interest in social and political issues, and joined the All India Students Federation (AISF), a left-wing student organization.
She was influenced by the writings and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Jayaprakash Narayan. She also admired the works of poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Alexander Pushkin.
उषाकिरण खान को आखरी सलाम
— nivedita jha (@niveditashakeel) February 12, 2024
कब याद में तेरा साथ नहीं pic.twitter.com/cCmTIVFI6w
Career as a Journalist and Activist
Nivedita Jha started her career as a journalist with the Navbharat Times, a Hindi daily newspaper, in 2002. She soon realized that the mainstream media was not giving enough space and voice to the issues of the marginalized and oppressed sections of the society, especially women and children. She decided to become an independent journalist and started her own blog, where she wrote about the social and political issues that mattered to her.
She also became an activist and joined the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), a progressive women’s organization that works for the rights and empowerment of women across the country. She became the Bihar state secretary of the NFIW and led several campaigns and movements on issues such as violence against women, female foeticide, child marriage, dowry, and education.
She is also a poet and has published two collections of poems, titled ‘Aankhon Mein Sapne’ and ‘Dard Ka Rishta’. Her poems reflect her sensitivity and empathy towards the pain and struggles of the common people, especially women.
How did she uncover the Muzaffarpur shelter home case?
The Muzaffarpur shelter home case was first brought to light by a social audit report conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in 2018. The report revealed that several shelter homes in Bihar, run by private NGOs with state funding, were rife with cases of sexual violence, physical abuse, and exploitation of the inmates, mostly minor girls and boys.
The report was submitted to the Bihar government in February 2018, but no action was taken for months. The report was leaked to the local media in Muzaffarpur, and a journalist named Santosh Singh from Kashish News (renamed as Koshish News in the film) covered the story for television. However, the story did not get much traction and was soon buried under other news.
Nivedita Jha came to know about the report and the story from her friend and Supreme Court lawyer Fauzia Shakil, who had also received a copy of the report from TISS. Nivedita was shocked and outraged by the findings of the report and decided to take up the matter herself. She visited Muzaffarpur and met some of the survivors and witnesses of the shelter home, run by a man named Brajesh Thakur, who was also a journalist and a politician with close links to the ruling party.
She learned that Thakur and his accomplices used to rape, torture, and kill the girls at the shelter home, and also force them into prostitution by sending them to influential people in the area. She also learned that some of the girls had gone missing or died under mysterious circumstances, and their bodies were never found.
She filed a PIL in the Patna High Court in May 2018, seeking a CBI inquiry into the case and the transfer of the case from the local police to a special investigation team. She also mobilized the NFIW and other women’s groups to stage protests and demonstrations in Patna and Muzaffarpur, demanding justice for the victims and action against the perpetrators.
She also wrote several articles and blogs on the case, exposing the details of the crime and the complicity of the state authorities in covering it up. She also contacted the national and international media and brought the case to the attention of the wider public.
Body Measurements & More
- Height: around 5 feet 2 inches
- Weight: around 50 kg
- Eye color: dark brown
- Body measurements: 32-26-34 inches
- Skin color: fair
- Hair color: black
- Shoe size: 7 (US)
What happened after she exposed the case?
Nivedita Jha’s efforts paid off, as the case was transferred to the CBI and the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter. The CBI arrested Thakur and his associates, and also filed chargesheets against several government officials, including the social welfare minister of Bihar, for their involvement in the case.
The Supreme Court also ordered the transfer of the case from Bihar to a Delhi court, and appointed a special judge to conduct a speedy trial. The court also ordered the Bihar government to provide compensation and rehabilitation to the survivors of the shelter home, and to ensure their safety and security.
The case was one of the most sensational and horrific cases of child abuse in the country, and Nivedita Jha was hailed as a hero and a crusader for her role in exposing it. She received several awards and accolades for her journalism and activism, including the Chameli Devi Jain Award, the Laadli Media Award, and the RedInk Award.
She also faced several threats and challenges for her work, as she was targeted by the supporters of Thakur and the ruling party, who tried to intimidate and harass her. She also faced legal troubles, as Thakur filed a defamation case against her, and the Bihar police filed a case against her for allegedly inciting violence during the protests.
However, she did not give up and continued to fight for the cause of the survivors and the justice of the case. She also continued to write and report on other issues of social and political importance, such as the anti-CAA protests, the migrant workers’ crisis, and the farmers’ agitation.
About Her First Meeting and Marriage with Her Husband
Nivedita Jha is not only a journalist and an activist, but also a wife and a mother. She is married to Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, a physician and a social worker, who supports and encourages her in her work and passion. They have two children, a son named Pushkin and a daughter named Ananya.
Nivedita and Shakeel met in Patna University, where she was a student and he was a young doctor who had returned from Angola, where he had been sent by left parties to help out a new nation. He ran a clinic for the poor and would come to meet her father, who was a professor of Hindi literature, often. They fell in love and decided to get married, despite the opposition from their families.
Nivedita’s parents worried about the extended family’s reaction, as she belonged to a Brahmin caste and he was a Muslim. Her father asked her to wait until her three sisters were married. Shakeel’s brothers were not happy either. In 1987, the couple decided to go ahead anyway.
On their wedding day, she left for college as usual. She wore a yellow sari Shakeel had gifted her and some borrowed silver jewellery. They registered their marriage at a friend’s house and served their guests tea and biscuits. That evening, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad sent the police to Nivedita’s parents’ home, but her father said he had no objection
She never converted to Islam. “When his family said to change my name, Shakeel asked them if he should also change his name to Sushil Jha,” she says
Now, Dr. Shakeel is the favourite son-in-law and the doctor for both families. They named their son Pushkin, after their favourite poet, Alexander Pushkin. Their daughter Ananya is also a budding poet and writer. They live in a modest apartment in Patna, along with their pet dog, Bruno.
Nivedita and Shakeel share a bond of love, respect, and understanding. They support each other’s dreams and aspirations, and also share their concerns and challenges. They are proud of their children, who are growing up to be independent and responsible. They are a happy and content family, who have overcome many difficulties and obstacles together.
Income Stats & Net Worth
| Year | Estimated Net Worth (INR) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.5 crore INR |
| 2023 | 1.8 crore INR |
| 2024 | 3 crore INR |
How is her story portrayed in the film Bhakshak?
The film Bhakshak, directed by Pulkit and starring Bhumi Pednekar, is loosely based on the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, but it is not a biopic of Nivedita Jha. The film is a fictional story that takes inspiration from real-life events and characters but also makes some changes and additions to suit the cinematic narrative.
The film follows the character of Vaishali Singh, a small-town TV reporter who runs her own independent news channel, Koshish News, with the help of her cameraman, Bhaskar Sinha. She comes across a TISS report that reveals the shocking truth about a state-run shelter home for girls, where the inmates are sexually abused, tortured, and killed by the owner, Bansi Sahu, and his associates.
She decides to investigate the case and expose the crime, but faces resistance and threats from Sahu and his political allies, who try to stop her and silence her. She also faces apathy and indifference from the mainstream media and the public, who do not pay much attention to her story. She risks her life and career to bring the case to the court and the media, and to rescue the girls from the hell they are living in.
The film is a tribute to the courage and determination of Nivedita Jha and other journalists and activists who fought for the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, but it is not a faithful representation of the real-life events and people. The film makes some changes and additions to the story, such as:
- The name and location of the shelter home, the owner, and the political leaders are changed in the film. The real-life shelter home was run by Brajesh Thakur in Muzaffarpur, while the film’s shelter home is run by Bansi Sahu in Balrampur.
