Meena: Name of a beloved childhood for many

Ami baba ma-er shoto adorer meye 

Ami boro hoye shokoler bhalobasha niye

Amaro du chokhe onek shopno thake

Ami poralekha shikhte chai….

The music, lyrics, and song, even after decades, give goosebumps. Doesn't it? A glimpse of Meena, Raju and Mithu passes in your head!  In the Meena cartoon, the character Meena was an idol for the 90s kids. Everybody wanted to be Meena. No matter if it's your study time or playing time, kids would jump before TV sets when Meena starts. Nobody can deny its impact on their childhood nor challenge its existence. Meena was a game-changer!

If we look back a few decades, the society we live in today, which we often criticize, was not even this better. In the late 90s, South Asia, which was still developing at the time, was rife with superstitions, cultural rigidity, and troubling social customs that oppressed people in rural areas. The primary victims were girls and women of all ages. Even urban women were not immune to the barriers of that era.

Addressing the issues, governments of South Asia (SAARC) designated the 1990s as the "Decade of the Girl Child" in recognition of the disadvantaged position of girls in this region.

In response, UNICEF decided to mark this decade by creating an animated film series designed to inspire girls, their families, and communities across South Asia.

The series introduced an animated character named "Meena," who was distinct from other girls due to her progressive thoughts and actions. After years of research, Meena's character was crafted with insights specific to South Asia. Her appearance, along with those of other characters, was designed to be culturally relevant and acceptable across the region.

UNICEF, aiming to drive change, recognized that improving the status of girls and women in South Asia required a strong emphasis on girl child education. Consequently, the series included episodes focusing on the importance of educating girls.

Subsequent episodes addressed topics such as health, sanitation, gender equity, child marriage, population control, abuse, and freedom from exploitation. Throughout the series, Meena embarked on engaging adventures with her brother Raju and their talking parrot, Mithu.

Soon, Meena became a popular character because of her interest in social problems and her wish to make everyone's life better when she was just a 9-year-old girl.

Meena is a fictional character from the cartoon, but the social concerns she was interested in were not fictional. At times, Meena counts chickens and catches thieves. Sometimes, she saves her infant sibling from diarrhoea, and at other times, she is fighting for her rights and standing up to bullies, stopping child marriage, prohibiting the dowry system, standing upright for girl education and more. 

They were written in accessible language, and the stories were entertaining so that children could understand them easily. These simple stories also portrayed the real lives of South Asian girls. Soon, the generation learned many things by watching it, which could take us much more time to learn in real life.

You will be amazed to know that Bangladesh was the first country to launch Meena. It was broadcast on national television in 1993. Since then, Meena has starred in 26 films for television, as well as radio programmes, comics and books.

Meena is also well-known in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. Meena episodes have been dubbed into local languages and shown on TV in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Looking back at history, Ram Mohan, a renowned cartoon artist in South Asia and often hailed as the father of Indian animation, was initially approached to create a universally acceptable character. After considerable effort, he brought Meena to life in his artwork.

Early episodes of the series were produced by Hanna-Barbera's studio in Manila, Philippines. In contrast, the remaining episodes were created at Ram Mohan Studio in India, with Ram Mohan himself directing the series. Despite Bangladesh having only Bangladesh Television as a satellite channel, the story and message of the cartoon reached all corners of the country and beyond, as it was translated into various languages.

Meena received unanimous appreciation from Bangladesh. Each corner of the country wholeheartedly accepted it. UNICEF claims that about 97 per cent of urban and 81 per cent of rural children and adolescents in Bangladesh recognize Meena.

The dialogues Raju saying 'boddo hoyran lage', Meena saying 'Ekta chor amago murgi loiya gese', 'oww Mithu', the wicked Dipu harassing 'Rita o Rita tumi amar mita' is still pronounced by us now and then. 

Since 1998, 24 September of every year has been observed as 'Meena Day'. This character will always remain iconic in developing a generation with good memories and a cherished childhood. Unfortunately, there are barely any other characters found with so much impact.   

afranawmi175@gmail.com