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Dated : Sunday, October 14, 2012 |
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Keeping Gandhi's vision alive in the other India
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Gandhi believed that since 80 per cent of India lived in the villages, with the vast majority being poor and resourceless, Independence would be meaningful for them only if they became self-reliant. In a densely populated country, unemployment, according to him, could only be removed by the regeneration of the rural economy
Vina Vinati Bhargava Mittal
As 21st century India battles with political instability, multi-crore scams and ethnic and gender violence, it’s just the right time to revisit Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for an ideal Bharat. Gandhian values may truly be a thing of the past today, and yet there are smaller Indias where Bapu’s principles of swavlamban (self reliance) and the construction of a social order based on non-violent people power and the empowerment of rural women, are still being kept alive.
Gandhi firmly believed that nation-building was directly linked to the development of the villages, which, in turn, was connected with the progress of rural women and children. It was with this idea in mind, that he had established the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT) in 1945, from the resources contributed by eminent people as well as the anonymous masses, after the death of his wife, Kasturba Gandhi, while she was in detention at the Agha Khan Palace, Pune, in 1944. Gandhi was the first chairman of the Trust and at that time, following his call, several sevikas (women activists) had left their homes to work in remote villages under challenging conditions.
Today, the Trust is headquartered at Kasturbagram, Indore, a sprawling self-sufficient village campus of 400 acres on the Indore-Khandwa road in Madhya Pradesh (MP). It is the “best practical expression of Gandhi’s timeless vision, Sarvodaya or the reawakening of the spirit, in harmony with nature and environment for all forms of life”. Gandhi believed that since 80 per cent of India lived in the villages, with the vast majority being poor and resourceless, Independence would be meaningful for them only if they became self-reliant. In a densely populated country, unemployment, according to him, could only be removed by the regeneration of the rural economy, particularly through the revival of traditional crafts. Thus, his blueprint gave priority to agriculture and spinning; the latter had the potential to generate employment with the minimum capital investment.
Kasturbagram integrates all the different activities that the Mahatma felt would set India on to the path of economic self reliance. True to its mandate of doing constructive work among women and children, it runs some innovative programmes in the fields of health care, education, vocational training and employment generation.
Like in any rural set up, agriculture and animal rearing is central to Kasturbagram, with the Kasturbagram Krishi Kshetra overseeing the farm work, the running of the orchard and gaushala (cow shed), spread over nearly 300 acres of the land. In addition, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, an initiative of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, which runs from the premises not only produces and sells improved seeds, it also transfers new agricultural technology to farmers through regular trainings. Ensuring quality healthcare is a small hospital, the Kasturba Arogya Sadan, which extends its services to 14 villages nearby. It also has a one-and-half year nurses training programme for female health workers, who come here from different parts of the country.
But the one initiative that is impacting the lives of young rural and tribal girls in the region is the educational opportunities they are being given at this unique village. All the educational institutions at Kasturbagram, from the Balwadi (nursery) to the post graduate college, have created their curriculum keeping in mind their particular needs. Shares Vidya Patni, Principal, Kasturba Kanya Vidya Mandir said, “The idea is to make our students self sufficient. After regular school hours, they form small tolis (groups), which, on a rotational basis, participate in varied activities, from cleaning the campus to growing vegetables, de-husking wheat and even making chappatis.”
Rekha Ganesh (16) from Umrali Gaon in Alirajpur district, is a residential student studying in Class Nine. Earlier, this daughter of a farmer, who aspires to become a doctor, used to travel 15 kilometres by bus to reach her school that was only up till Class Ten. Life has taken a turn for the better ever since she got inducted in this school at Kasturbagram. Lessons apart, spinning cotton into khadi has become a major passion in her young life. “All members of the Kasturbagram family spin thread on the charkha for half-an-hour every day. In fact, the khadi of the uniform we wear has also been spun by us,” she points out animatedly, adding that once she returns home she intends to introduce some of the Gandhian concepts she has learnt here to her friends in her villager.
Ganesh’s friend, Varsha Nagar (18) a resident of Alri village in Dewas district, who wants to become a pathologist when she grows up, describes some of their everyday activities, “Our day begins with prayers. We are introduced to Gandhian thought and philosophy. In fact, several students are reading Gandhi’s autobiography right now.”
Shares Lata Shrivastava, Principal of the Kasturbagram Rural Institute, which runs from the same campus said, “The reason several parents leave their children to study here is that our environment gives us a flavour of village life, away from the hullabaloo of the city.” An alumnus of the institute herself, Shrivastava says that most girls enrolled here come from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) backgrounds and are studying on scholarships. After graduation, her students work in rural and tribal areas as social activists.
Affiliated to Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, this residential institute - the only rural institute of higher education for women - enjoys an autonomous status. It offers a Bachelors degree in Arts and Social Science, and Home Science, besides a post graduate degree in Rural Development and Extension. “Extension education is not offered as a subject elsewhere but we incorporated it as we have designed our own syllabus. We have also adopted three villages. Our students learn what they can from the villagers, and teach them in return,” explains Shrivastava. Besides the traditional courses, students are exposed to job-oriented training in remedial English and computers. “Gandhi gave great importance to skills. Thus, along with the core subjects, the final year Bachelors’ degree students have to choose one of the applied courses such as dairy science, rural handicrafts or food preservation,” she adds.
Women are at the core of the Trust’s other programmes as well. There’s a telephone helpline, Swadhar Yojna for women needing assistance, while Ba Ka Ghar serves as a short-stay home for destitute women, who are rehabilitated and taught employable skills.
Over the decades, the ideals of this Trust have remained unchanged. It has grown to have a pan India presence across 22 States, from Mishriwala in Jammu & Kashmir to Erode in Tamil Nadu. Each State branch is led by a Pratanidhi, or Executive Leader, and it comes up with its own agenda. Just recently, 52 girls were rescued from broken families in the strife-torn district of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. These girls have found a peaceful home in KGNMT’s centre at Belsonda, even as the Trust has taken complete responsibility over them now. Similarly, the Assam branch has been trying to bring solace to those in that State affected by ethnic violence, urging them to resist hostility in the name of identity or religion. In Rajasthan, the Single Women Empowerment Scheme, is reaching out to widows and deserted women, enabling them to become economically independent.
The role of Kasturba Trust remains as powerful and relevant as it was at its inception. But in this era of turmoil, can the Kasturbagram approach, a working example of the Gandhian economic model and way of life, be a practical solution to India’s mounting problems? Dr Karunakar Trivedi, Trustee and Member Secretary, KGNMT, puts it this way, “The Kasturbagram is a tribute to the Gandhian philosophy that propagates gram swaraj. Perhaps the time has come to give it a chance.”
(Women’s Feature Service) |
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Buddhist destination Kushinagar beckons with promise of tranquillity
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Welcome to the land of the Buddha. A breather from most other religious destinations, which, ironically, reel under chaos, Kushinagar - the place where Gautam Buddha breathed his last - is a place where you can pray in peace or simply soak in the beauty of the architectural marvels and the natural surrounding.
Situated 51 km east of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar is one of the four important religious destinations for Buddhists. This is the place where the Buddha delivered his last sermon, and died. The other three important destinations are Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath.
It’s of little surprise then that the place, which is well endowed with greenery, is flocked by tourists - both domestic and foreign - through the year, but especially so in the cooler months between October and April.
It is estimated that nearly two million tourists visit Kushinagar every year.
“Many tourists come to Kushinagar to pray and to pay their respect to the place where Lord Buddha delivered his last sermon and finally rested in peace. From among foreign countries, we mainly have people coming from Thailand, Japan, China, Korea, Sri Lanka and Myanmar,” said Bhadant Choudhury, a Buddhist monk at the Mahaparinirvana temple.
One of the main attractions of the place, the Niravana Chaitya or the Main Stupa, was excavated by Carlleyle in 1876 and stands at a height of 2.74 metres. A copper vessel was unearthed at this site and it bore an inscription in ancient Brahmi, which stated that Lord Buddha’s remains had been deposited there. The Stupa was restored and its chamber was ceremoniously closed in 1927, in the presence of 16 Buddhist priests. Several gold, silver and copper plate-inscriptions were deposited inside, recording the facts of discovery and identification of the monument.
Right in front of the Nirvana Stupa is the Mahaparinirvana temple, which you wouldn’t want to miss - not just for religious purposes but also for the grandeur of a 6.10 metre-long statue of the Buddha in a reclining position which dates back to the fifth century and was also excavated in 1876. While it looks as if it was made of gold, the statue, which represents the dying Buddha, is made of monolith red sandstone.
“One of the amazing things about the statue is that the facial expression of Lord Buddha seems to change when you look from different positions. If you stand in front, from an angle, it looks like he is smiling; from behind his head, it looks like he is thinking; and from his feet, it looks like he is dying,” explained Amit Kumar, a resident of Kushinagar.
Sitting on the steps of the temple, Choudhury motioned to the beeline of devotees to wait for some time until a Thai delegation of 20 people inside were done with their chanting.
“The foreigners travel great distances to reach this place and that too for a few days. So it doesn’t make much of a difference if the rest of us wait for a few minutes...and people really don’t mind. Everyone is patient,” he said, as other devotees sat on the steps with him, chatting with the monks.
One of those waiting, Lakshmi Devi, from the neighbouring State of Bihar, said: “It’s all right if we have to wait for a little while for the foreigners...they have, after all, come from so far and are our guests. My family and I wanted to pay our respects to Lord Buddha, and we are here. What will we get by creating a fuss?”
Considering the heavy flow of foreign tourists, many neighbouring countries have built their own temples near the Mahaparinirvana temple. Their temple complexes also have guest houses to accommodate their citizens and are again a must-see for the sheer beauty of their architecture.
The Watt Thai temple, for instance, is a huge temple complex built in the Thai-Buddhist architectural fashion. The Japanese temple has a beautiful Ashta Dhatu (eight metal) statue of the Buddha which has been brought from Japan. The Linth Son Chinese temple, Myanmar temple and the Korean temple, among others, are also some must visits.
Just about 400 yards from the Nirvana Stupa is the Matha Kuar shrine which has a colossal statue of the Buddha in the ‘Bhumi Sparsh Mudra’ (earth touching posture) under the ‘Bodhi tree’, carved out of a single block of stone. The inscription at the base dates it to the 10th-11th century. Also on the itinerary should be a visit to the Ramabhar Stupa which is the cremation ground of the Buddha.
Although there is no air or rail link right to Kushinagar, it is well connected to Gorakhpur, which in turn has a railway station and an air strip. Food and accommodation are not a problem with numerous guest houses and restaurants with, predictably, names like Vipassana and Nirvana! So pack your bags for a few days of nirvana in Kushinagar!
Azera Parveen Rahman |
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How scenic alleppey left poverty behind
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From the airport we headed straight towards Alleppey. Like many towns and cities across the country, Alleppey has now reverted to its original name, Alappuzha. In Malayalam, alla means ‘deep’ and puzha means ‘river’. What brought us to this district, famous for its criss-crossing rivulets and backwaters, were the three lakh women engaged in various coir related activities. In 2007, Alleppey coir was registered under the GI (Geographical Indication of Goods) Act.
As the car sped towards Alleppey, we passed Ernakulam. Rows of upmarket restaurants and shops lined the road. This time, the hoardings featured Kerala girls in Delhi-style salwar-kameez suits. Not a single advertisement of white-and-gold Kairali sari, which is a must for every Malayali bride was to be seen. As we passed the city, we looked in disbelief at what was rural Kerala – a continuum of densely packed habitations. These villages did not look like villages at all. The typical features of Indian villages – fields, hand pumps, ponds, thatched houses, stray animals – were missing. All the houses were pucca; many were painted in bright pinks, purples and oranges. It was difficult to make out where one village ended and the next began. Kerala seemed an uninterrupted urban agglomeration.
Finally, we entered the Kanjikuzhy block panchayat office which was located on the main road. Four women in silk saris with oiled and loosely plaited thick black hair greeted us. A young woman came forward and introduced herself as Jalaja Chandran, block pradhan. The red bindi on her forehead was thinly lined with white sandalwood. ‘Kanjikuzhy block covers five villages and one town and has a population of 1.61 lakh people. Our block has 2,000 SHGs (Self-Help Groups) which have a turnover of Rs 2 crore per month.’ Jalaja spoke with quiet confidence. ‘Men work on the manufacturing side of the coir industry, and earn between Rs 100-150 every day. Women are the primary workers – cultivators and yarn spinners; they earn between Rs 40-60 a day.’ We listened intently to this forceful young woman. Women panchayat heads are no longer an uncommon sight in India. Yet, be it the salwar-wearing sarpanch of Punjab and Haryana or the ghoonghat-clad (veiled) sarpanch of villages across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, often the woman is little more than a token. The plains of northern India are full of ‘MPs’ and ‘SPs’ – mukhiya patis and sarpanch patis – who run the show with elan. In the past we had met many a woman sarpach who did not express a single opinion. Every question directed at them was fielded by the husband or the son. Jalaja was different. Not only did she know her panchayat well, she carried her charge with confidence. For us, she epitomized the usefulness of women’s leadership in the primary sector. …
That night, Thomas Issac, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from this area, later to become the finance minister of Kerala, joined us for a simple meal at the guest house. Hearing of our experiences, he smiled. “Would you believe how backward this area was? At one time Kanjikuzhy had become famine-affected. Malnutrition levels were high, illiteracy was rampant as was unemployment. Its sandy soils did not allow much cultivation. Then we decided to pursue education, simultaneously people started vegetable gardens and coir work. Prosperity followed. Look at us now. We are the best panchayat in the State,”Thomas said. He went onto explain the success of Kerala’s Panchayati Raj system. Beginning in 1997, the State began extensive training for panchayat members. Every year, surveys were carried out, needs assessed, sorted and prioritized. Thereafter, project proposals were prepared and discussed. From him we learnt other things about the state. Forty per cent of Kerala families rely on remittances from the Gulf; the people have enough money to spend. Hence the excessive displays of flamboyant consumer advertisements.
The next morning, Jalaja took us to the new building of the food processing centre, established by the Kanjikuzhy panchayat. Sparkling floors, neat, clean kitchen, women wearing gloves and aprons – everything about the centre was orderly. On the stone kitchen counter, neat rows of bottles contained pickles made from bitter gourd, mango, ginger, garlic, lime, amla and asparagus. It was a hygienic, appetizing and affordable array. “We make twenty kg of jams and squashes every day. Our women work from 10 am to 5 pm and earn Rs 50 per day,” Jalaja explained.
Accompanied by the other panchayat women – seven of Kanjikuzhy’s seventeen panchayat members are women – we moved to the village panchayat office. The famous Kudumbashree SHG programme was running here. We saw women making umbrellas, chappals and bags. A two-fold umbrella sold for Rs 95 and a three-fold umbrella one for Rs 125! Women were bent over rows of sewing machines in small shops. The panchayat’s own computer centre had four desktops. The women panchayat members spoke to us about their day-to-day work. Like Jalaja, they too were well versed about the PRIs. They ensured that most of the panchayat funds went into water supply, sanitation, agriculture, small industries, women and children. They ran the schools, the anganwadis and the health centres. Local committees to supervise the anganwadis were active. For children’s daily meals, pulses, groundnuts, rice and occasionally eggs were locally procured. If children participated in sports, they got special food to ensure proper nourishment. “By the end of this year, every house in our village will have a latrine. We also have 90 per cent electrification,” Jalaja said. We were impressed by what we saw. There was no trace left of the poverty-ridden, educationally backward place which had been described by Thomas Issac the previous night.’
( Women’s Feature Service) |
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Cerebral palsy didn't deter him from becoming a doctor
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Working around his physical limitations since he was born, this 31-year-old has proved cerebral palsy cannot stop him from achieving what he desires. Rightly so, he is soon to become a homoeopathic doctor despite the condition.
Husein Jetpurwala is the epitome of self-reliance and goes about doing his day-to-day chores like any other person, although he occasionally needs crutches. “But only when I am in a crowded place,” he chirps with a smile.
Having undergone 18 corrective surgeries over the years, Husein moves around the city on his own. He travels from his home to his college, 50 km away, alone in a Mumbai local train.
Appreciating his mother for constantly looking after him and also teaching him to be self-reliant, Husein said if not for her, he would have never been independent. “From admitting me to special and normal schools and college to encouraging me to take up medicine, my mother has been a guiding light. I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for her to deal with this,” Jetpurwala said. “Mother took care of me and always dropped me to school when I was a child. However, she also wanted me to be independent and so started sending me to school in a rickshaw. She made a special identity card for me and also put Rs 100 inside the ID card cover in case I needed it,” he reminisced.
Narrating an incident when at the age of 13, he took off alone to meet his grandmother and cousin, Jetpurwala said it was only later he was told that he was not alone. “My mother was in a fix. She did want me to travel alone and be independent. But as a mother, she didn’t have the heart to leave me to it. So, she followed me and kept an eye at me from a distance. She even went to the control room of the local railway station and spoke to the motormen and requested them to halt the train a little longer as I might take a while to alight,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
Growing up, Jetpurwala decided to take up medicine. While at a fitness test at Mumbai’s famous JJ Hospital, the examiners were aghast at his determination. “They even asked me how could someone like me even think of becoming a doctor? What if I fail?” he said.
He however overcame the gruelling sessions with a panel of 17 doctors and they certified him to be mentally fit. “Of course, my physical disability was very visible,” he said.
Going around his college, Virar Homeopathic Medical College, that took him under its wings and taught him to be a doctor, it becomes clear that Jetpurwala is not only special but also popular with one and all. Be it fellow students, juniors or teachers and college staff , Jetpurwala has a special place in the hearts of everyone, including his mentor and college principal BR Mishra. “I have never come across anyone with cerebral palsy becoming a doctor. I have been an examiner at many examinations and have not seen anyone even making an effort to study something as difficult and lengthy as medicine,” Mishra said. “Jetpurwala might be the first person with the condition to become a doctor,” he added.
Appreciating Jetpurwala for his willpower and the constant support of his parents, Mishra emphasised that he never felt Husein was different or needed any special attention.
“Except for Jetpurwala taking a writer during written exams, we have done nothing special for him. He has had no concessions owing to his condition. He didn’t need them. He has a keen sense of observation, strong grasp and sharp understanding. His immense tolerance is just commendable,” Mishra said. “He asks intelligent questions and has never once asked me for any special favour citing his condition. I am sure he will be an excellent doctor,” he added.
Born premature, Jetpurwala had turned blue while being shifted to another hospital with incubator facilities much needed by him soon after his birth. “This affected his brain and my son was hit with palsy,” said his mother Fatema, who is also a homoeopathic doctor. “My husband Ismail has been a constant support, a strong shoulder to lean on while I studied medicine from this very same college,” said Fatema, who is also a lecturer there, apart from practising.
Jetpurwala, who has been married for over a year now, plans to study further. “I will either take up an MBA in hospital management or an MD in homoeopathy,” he said.
Mauli Buch |
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