Neeti Parti: A Life in Continuity
Read about the inspiring life journey of Council Member Neeti Parti, a distinguished educationist, acclaimed poet, and devoted environmentalist who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge.
Hello! I am Neeti Parti and I’m here to share my life’s story. I hope it resonates with you and kindles the flame to follow your heart and pursue your interests. I will begin with where it all started…
The Beginning
At fifty-five past five on the 5th of June, I was blessed to be born to her. My mother, my teacher, my inspiration, my mentor, my pillar of strength, my role model. In a typical North Indian home that only celebrated the birth of a male child, she became my guardian angel from the very instant of my birth. She christened me ‘Neeti’, meaning ‘Ethical’.
A graduate in Psychology, postgraduate in Hindi Literature, and a Bachelor in Education, my mother was highly educated but could not work professionally due to her constant poor health. My brother and I were lucky beneficiaries of her rich education. She had a flair for storytelling and would not only narrate stories but create them too. Let me give an example. For ‘The Clever Rabbit and the Foolish Lion’ story she made a hand puppet rabbit out of a white sock, used a toy tiger, and filled a jug with water to depict the well and show us how the Lion saw his reflection in the water, thought it was another Lion, and foolishly jumped in!
Little known to me, I had learnt my first lesson in creative writing, in questioning archaic norms and standing by my own beliefs and principles.
My Motto
Find the melody of your soul and move to its rhythm, and you will find the song of your life!
I believe…
The lesson of life
Unfolds page by page
Each day a story hidden from us
Of sorrow, happiness, love, sacrifice
Travails, tribulations, turbulence
Or trials we would withstand that day.
Life is a voyage spanning a lifetime
There are no road signs or warnings
The beginning is unclear
The journey tough, end unknown
One road leads to another
And one must chart out one’s own path.
A path that may lead us to crossroads
Of indecision, fear, insecurity
Yet travel we must, to stop is not an option
Victorious sometimes, often defeated
We fall, we rise, we try again
And life continues to be our teacher!
A Bit Personal…
Growing up as the daughter of an army officer and later becoming wife to one, I have seen strife and struggle at close quarters. Perhaps this is the reason I find joy in all things bright and beautiful and write mostly about nature.
I have served in the field of education all over the country.
As the Pan India Education Director of a prestigious chain of schools, I have provided guidance and mentorship to more than 40 CBSE schools.
I never chose the path of imparting education. The Universe chose me and I am eternally grateful for being the ‘chosen one’. It is indeed a blessing and an honour to be a small part of the growth of this country’s youth.
I feel further blessed to have reached the position of Director, as it gave me the opportunity of putting innovative ideas of learning into practice.
Creative Writing Journey
I started writing about seven years ago at the behest of a friend and realised that writing gives me tremendous happiness. This new journey is rather endearing and I hope to remain its traveller for as long as I am able to.
Achievements & Awards
As Founder Principal of a reputed Senior Secondary School, I received the Award for Best Upcoming School in Uttar Pradesh.
In 2022 I received the Education Icon of the Year Award at the Asian Literary Society (ALS) Women Achievers Awards 2022.
I ran ‘Nari Saksharta Abhiyaan’ for the village women of Jhusi and received press coverage for the same. I was felicitated by the newspaper Hindustan Times on Women’s Day 2015 for my efforts in the field of Education.
My articles on Education have been featured in Hindustan Times, Amar Ujala, and Janadesh.
I was honoured with the Women Prestige Award 2023 by Lions Club Delhi Veg.
As a Poetess
My recently published book, Verdant Verses, received the Best Debut Poetry Book Award at the ALS LitFest 2023.
As an Author
I have conceptualised, edited, compiled and designed seven anthologies:
Life on Track: Reliving the Romance of a Rail Journey
SMC ’77 – A Beautiful Bond
Hat Tip – Paranormal Tales
Colour My World Green
Delhi, My Darling!
Lockdown Diaries
Lockdown Diaries – 2
I have contributed articles, poems, and stories to nearly 50 Anthologies.
For my creative efforts, I have received, among innumerable other laurels for poetry and prose:
The ALSPHERE Awards 2022: Second prize for an article on women’s issues
Indian Women Achievers Award 2021 for Literature
Best Editor, Group Anthology for the book Colour My World Green
ALS Wordsmith Award 2022: Second prize for English poetry
ALS Wordsmith Award 2020: Certificate of Excellence and medal for English poetry
ALS Wordsmith Award 2019: Certificate of Excellence and Medal for Poetry
Best New Editor Award and Trophy from Impish Lass Publishing House
ALS Indian Women Achievers Award 2020: Certificate of Appreciation and Medal in the Literature category
Sagar Memorial Award 2022: Second prize for Children’s Literature
Sagar Memorial Award 2020: Second prize for Children's Literature.
Golden Star Award 2020: Citation at Literoma Literature Festival, Kolkata
The Prassana Jena Memorial Award 2019: Certificate of Excellence and Medal for English short story writing on Women Empowerment
I have been invited to various Literary Fests and rendered my poems at:
Author’s Press Hindi Sahitya Utsav
ALS Literary Confluence 2020
ALS Lit Fest 2019
As an artist, my paintings have been exhibited by:
Aakriti Art Foundation, Allahabad
Asian Art and Culture Society at Civil Services Officer’s Institute, New Delhi
My painting ‘Tree of Life’ has been featured on the cover of the book Colour My World Green.
As an auditioned radio jockey, I have been a presenter of Western music for All Indian Radio
As an auditioned television artist, I have been an expert presenter, having given my voice to various documentaries and performed in dramas and serials at Doordarshan.
I am a keen environmentalist associated with many green causes, including the ‘Aravali Bachao Abhiyan’, cleanliness drives, placing of waste bins, waste management and segregation, e-waste management, and tree plantation.
I love nature photography. My photographs have been featured in various books and used as covers for the books Verdant Verses and Lockdown Diaries – 2.
I am convinced that:
‘When the Universe smiles, a child is born, nature’s greatest tribute to itself!
As for me…
I am destiny’s offspring
The child of universal energy
Drawn towards the eastern sky as the pink dawn
I hang on to the luminescent horizon like the shining Morning Star
My world lights up with the rising sun
Hope fills my being as the glorious day makes an appearance
A bird in flight carrying a twig flashes past the eye
A reminder of my harbourage built on labour of love
A selfish wispy cloud steals the sunshine
I know my day will be overcast by moving shadows
Blessed by Phoebus, I will ascend above the tribulations
And descend in the starlit alpenglow
To rise rejuvenated morn after morn!
©Neeti Parti
Thank you for reading. You can connect with me here and here.