Varanasi's Nirmala Devi and her ‘Green Army’ praised by PM Modi for ushering in social change

New Delhi: Nimala Devi, a resident of Deora village near Varanasi and her ‘Green Army’ have received a letter of praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their commendable and laudable work in ushering a big societal change.

The Green Army, a group of determined women in Deora, has made a name for itself not just in their village and also getting the spotlight for bringing a revolutionary change in people’s lives, through their collective effort and endeavour. Their selfless service recently got acknowledged and admired by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

These women, hailing from Deora, a small village near Varanasi, came together to empower each other and began their journey by establishing a shoe-making factory. Interestingly, the first slipper they made in the factory was not for sale, rather was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They sent the slippers to PM Modi with hope and conviction that if he wore them, the world would recognize their efforts and their dreams.

Days later, they received a letter of appreciation from the Prime Minister.

As Nirmala Devi shared the letter on cameras, her eyes gleamed with joy. "It felt like he was right here with us. It felt like I met PM Modi himself!"

The video of Nirmala Devi and her Green Army bringing in the societal change was shared by Modi Archive, a popular social media handle on X.

The inspiring letter by Prime Minister also carried a heartfelt message for the sisters of the 'Green Army', "I am delighted to learn about your slipper factory and deeply appreciate the thoughtful gift of your creation. It fills me with immense pride to see women like you leading the way, and contributing to the progress of our nation and society."

This is not the only ground-breaking initiative launched by the 'Green Army'. They have also been running crusade against many social evils for years. They have undertaken awareness campaigns against drugs and gambling, visited homes of fellow villagers to celebrate the birth of every girl child like a festival and also launched a mass campaign against dowry.

With their efforts being recognized at the highest level, their movement for social change is set to intensify further.

"Chaar chand lag gaye!" Nirmala Devi and her Green Army rightly exclaimed on receiving the accolades, with their eyes brimming with joy.