Woman's era, still a distant dream ?!

Rajubai Jadhav a handicraft artisan from Bijapur Karnataka at Saras exhibition;  one of  my favourite "Sheros"  

We celebrated yet another International Womens' Day a fortnight back and once again witnessed world waking up to the realization that women are indeed God's greatest gifts to humanity! As expected, there was frenzy on social media with posts on women, many of them paying unrealistic homage that perpetuate stereotypes. The advertising world went gung ho trying to have a piece in the pie by positioning the products as "sensitive to women",  playing marketing gimmicks for eye balls. My phone kept buzzing with endless invitations for talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches to celebrate "International Womens' Day". Some of the events/talks I attended organized by corporate companies/cultural institutes were truly meaningful albeit most lacked representation from rural women and were reserved for the select few.

For majority of working women, the day was largely about flowers, balloons decoration, roses, chocolates and cards and "special celebration parties" with free stalls for mehendi, makeup, fashion shows and talks on "women oriented" topics, more or less remaining nothing more than fun/party time. Of course, there is absolutely no harm in dedicating an entire day for fun and frolic. But is that where the day should be confined to? 

Don't get me wrong. I am all for celebration, gender equality and women empowerment but am bit apprehensive about diluting purpose of the day to nothing more than sheer tokenism. It doesn't serve much purpose except granting 'feel good" factor for our collective conscience. A day that has garnered immense significance in the human history calls for critical planning, commitment and sharp focus on gender parity, addressing issues of gender politics, discrimination and danger faced by women world over. But changing reality needs changing mindsets, attitudes, behaviour and a paradigm shift in our narrative. 

The awareness about Womens' Day is limited to a very small percentage of women population. For many women from rural parts or lower social/financial strata of society the concepts of women empowerment, gender parity and equality don't exist. How can the celebration of women's day be complete without participation of women whose voices are never heard? How can we expect to change our social landscape if women who matter are not part of dialogue? How do we address the real issues of women with dichotomies existing almost in all spheres of life? 

  

There is dire need to integrate the voices that reflect our ground realities and raise the issues to local, national and global level to the extent that they become movements, helping harness influence over policy/decision makers and protect woman's rights. No doubt, celebrating International Womens' Day is a step in that direction but unless we make a conscious effort to work towards making each day count as womens' day, the dangerous disconnect will continue to erode our social fabric.

I remember having read an article recently about women from smaller towns driving change in India. Those women are participating in the work areas traditionally known as male bastion; food/parcel delivery, kirana network, mobile repairing, carpentry etc. Looking at the joyous, confident photos of those young women from lower income strata of society, I felt proud.  

At one of the hand loom exhibitions I attended recently, a weaver from Benaras divulged an interesting story about how the scene of sari weaving and traditional gulabi meenakari (pink enamelling, a quintessentially Benarasi weaving technique) considered to be exclusively male bastion is being transformed by women who have slowly but certainly learnt the art form, taking center stage.

The more we read about such random tales of women entering in organized and un-organized sectors, we get an impression that all is hunky dory and women are finally claiming their rightful place in work force. Sadly, the reality is far from truth. Recently at an event, I learned about World Economic Forum's estimation that revealed a shocking observation that it will take eighty years to achieve gender parity in the world! Yes, eight long decades, just imagine!

The Organization for Economic Co-operation Development(2014) observed that the G20 countries would experience economic growth and increased citizen welfare by increasing labour force of women. While the gender differences are slowly shrinking, barrier to womens' participation rates still remain very low. While increasing representation of women in the public spheres is important and can potentially be attained through some form of affirmative action, an attitudinal shift is essential for women to be considered as equal within their homes and in broader society. 

It is constant endeavour for any Indian woman to protect her freedom from being clipped by her personal or professional environment that sometimes demands blind subservience to conformity or slavish attitudes towards rigid traditions and mindsets, the real malaise where women are thought to be dispensable! Unfortunately, the reality around me sometimes shows even some privileged young urban women not having a clue, enough courage and drive to create their own destiny. And that makes me realize the change needs to be from within; from our own minds, homes, communities and society in general. And till that happens, I don't see women getting their long deserved and much awaited place.   

“And though she be but little,

She is fierce.”

-William Shakespeare, A MidsummerNight’s Dream

Rest in peace Pulwama martyrs, our battle continues!

Politics isn't my forte hence I avoid writing about it on this blog. But the recent fidayeen attack in Pulwama that butchered nearly 50 men, has left me numb with the sheer madness of this dastardly terrorist attack by Jaish E Mohammad, an Islamic terrorist group. 

The social media is flooded with chest thumping proclamations of patriotism, urging one and all to unite and create pressure on government to attack Pakistan and "take revenge". How can I forget the "intellectual elite" and their self-proclaimed "secular" breed with their opportunistic methods trying to gain fleeting moments of glory with endless debates? 

There is wave of overwhelming outrage created by utter helplessness and frustration in people who have raised questions after watching macabre scenes of this tragedy. The answers however uncomfortable need to be answered. We must also understand that national pride is remarkably beautiful sentiment albeit when used as a tool to malign other race/country/religion/culture it loses its very essence. Patriotism is not about getting a high from titillation of spewing venom. 


Dealing with terrorism is not easy and looking at pictures of grieving families of our martyrs, I fail to comprehend perverse mindset behind any religion demanding people from other faiths to be killed! What kind of religion endorses killing in name of its God and honours the culprits as martyrs/heroes?  It is difficult to fathom politics of hatred that encourages inhuman acts of violence not a regrettable obligation but the whole point and make people who subscribe to such ideology barbaric savages! Deeply ingrained hatred, mindless greed and filthy power games are exercised to settle personal, social or political scores. With insanely high stakes invested in terrorism it has become new industry to establish religious, political and economic power games for global domination. My real concern is deeply disturbing trend of cult of hatred becoming a global epidemic endorsed by religious extremists. 
   

We have witnessed a paradigm shift world over post 9/11. Entire political climate changed forever, establishing  terrorism as legitimate tool for politics and religious fundamentalists globally. Terrorism from Islamic fundamentalists has compelled us to live with the nightmare changing our psyche.

The Pulwama terrorist attack has united our nation in grief, pain, anger and helplessness but soon the high decibel angry, intellectual debates, candle light marches, protests, signature campaigns will start waning and the media coverage will become nothing more than just an archival data till such tragic events occur in our backyard again! And before we go back to our normal life and Pulwama terrorist attacks and its aftermath is pushed to history, let us not forget the supreme sacrifice of brave sons of India, our martyrs and their families. It is easy to demand revenge from comfort of our homes without realizing price our forces and their families pay in wars. 

For any healthy democracy it is crucial to have more voices in open to question with erudite judgement as to what is wrong with the system of country. But we have to be mindful about not letting our voices espouse animosity and discord that alienates people further.

Terrorism, the unfortunate reality of current times, needs to be handled in strategic manner and let us remember, there are no quick fix solutions to it. The first step would be to concede truth. Fortunately, we have strong forces in defence capable of taking any challenge and the government that is determined to fight terrorism and has will and courage to take necessary action. Going forward, the only way I find possible is through compassion and reconciliation. But before we take that path, we must quell the disruptive forces. I know it is not a simple task but the onus is all the more on enlightened minority, the educated class to ensure we walk towards path of constructive solutions instead of useless rage and damnation devoid of humanity. If we as nation can't achieve that we can't call ourselves a proud nation.

If we are truly angry about the loss of our brave hearts at Pulwama, let us at least assure we become a nation worthy of their sacrifices. 

Rest in peace Pulwama martyrs. Our battle with terrorism continues to ensure no other precious life is lost. 

Jai Hind! 

Snippets from "A Hundred Hands exhibition"

Bombay is known for its exuberant art scene and come winter, a passionate art and handicrafts lover like me is overwhelmed with the sheer number and range of exhibitions of art and craft the city hosts! One of the distinct exhibitions I never miss around this season is organized by an NGO, "A Hundred Hands, a Handmade Initiative". This year, the third edition of exhibition was showcased at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum a fortnight back and as expected, it brought an interesting menagerie of artists and artisans from various parts of the country.

There was a time when art and crafts blossomed under royal patronage and were highly regarded and duly rewarded until the outbreak of 19th century industrialization. Unfortunately, with time stigma of inferiority and backwardness was attached to handicrafts, diluting its true value. The handicrafts industry still continues to be viewed as decorative, peripheral and sometimes even elitist despite being the second largest source of employment!

Millions of Indians still depend on indigenous modes of production, traditional skills and techniques to make a living based on handmade products. Most of the times, artists and artisans from smaller villages and towns suffer at hands of middlemen.  Typically, due to lack of exposure and proper education beyond their art form, they aren't equipped to handle urban markets and lack confidence to match up to the prerequisite skill sets and compete in larger markets. This trend leads to exodus of artisans to urban cities in search of livelihood. 

The founders of A Hundred Hands initiative, Mala Dhawan and her sister Dr. Sonia Dhawan discovered the lacunae in Indian handicrafts industry and decided to find a way to sustain revival of arts and handicrafts by providing a platform. Their NGO plays great role in reaching out hundreds of artists and artisans by creating a huge network, empowering and encouraging them with guidance on different concepts, design aesthetics, communication and presentation skills and enhancing their product/craft with providing knowledge on contemporary styles and thus equip them to compete with global products without losing ethos of their art form or craft. 

It is need of the hour as nation to have more initiatives like A Hundred Hands to sustain and carry forward legacy of our rich and diverse country and its culture, myths and religions in our art practices. Traditional arts and handicrafts are unique expression of a culture or community and define a civilization hence they must be protected and promoted to keep our identity alive and relevant. I must say, A Hundred Hands initiative is doing a fine job at doing their bit considering how crucial the concept of "handmade" is in today's times and how it helps bringing together such wonderful creativity from gifted artists and artisans! 

Here are some snippets from the exhibition that showcased amazing art with its complex, colourful and simple yet captivating raw charm and immensely gifted artists who were such delight to meet with! 

Artisan Abdul Kalam and his group of weavers from Mirzapur are reviving old tradition of fine craftsmanship and intricate designs of  Kilm and carpet weaving 

Ironsmith Hanuman Lohar and his community's ironware  making skills date back to Rajput era in Rajasthan from 

Bio degradable bags made from banana fiber by artisans at Gramya, a social enterprise 

Traditional Patwa thread work accessories made by artisan Vishnu Patwa 

Add caption

Chemical free earthern cookware by artisan Bhansing

Chanderi sarees from artisan Afzal Ansari

Art of Metal sculptures carried forward from the Gupta period,  artisan M.Raju 

Revival of natural, traditional remedies by Sonia Dhawan

Kawad artist Dwarika Prasad Jangid 

Shibori by Umoya designs 

Fascinating work from Siyahi studio 

Traditional work from Rajasthan with interesting social message

A traditional work from Rajasthan 

Tales of change from Mann Deshi Mahotsav

सुंदर माझे जाते ग फिरते बहुत

ओव्या गाऊ कौतुक तु येरे बा विठ्ठला

जीव शीव दोन्ही सुंडे ग प्रपंचाच्या नेटे ग

लावूनी पाची बोटे तु येरे बा विठ्ठला.... 

It was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by these melodious lines from ovees (songs sung by rural women while performing arduous tasks like using grinding stone, mortar and pestle or rahat; a manual wooden wheel used for fetching water from well), as I entered Mann Deshi Mahotsav, at Ravindra Natya Mandir last week. 

Mann Deshi foundation, an initiative where women are at helm, provides a dynamic platform for rural women and their communities  from lower strata of society (women who work as homemakers, goatherds, vegetable sellers, roadside tea stall owners, domestic helps and farm labourers), empowering them to be entrepreneurs; helping them equip with knowledge, capital, access to markets and social support nurturing financial and digital literacy. 

One has to really meet women working at grass root level at small and medium enterprises and listen to their stories to understand what terms like "inclusive growth" and "women empowerment" really mean and how it impacts their life and society in general.

For most of us from financially affluent and educated class, it is impossible to imagine plight of an uneducated, hard working woman with saving potential of barely five rupees a day!

A latest International Finance Corp, (IFC) study shows that nearly 75% of women-owned small and medium enterprises have an unmet financial need leaving huge gap that usually ends up being met with help of family members or money lenders who charge exorbitant rates of interest, forcing women into a debt trap. The critical challenge of lack of credit compels most of these small entrepreneurs to wind up their businesses or stunt growth of their startups.

At Man Deshi Mahotsav, I met many successful micro-entrepreneurs who once faced lack of access to institutional banking services, opportunities for skill building and access to support networks due to complete lack of education and skill sets. Listening to their experiences of starting their ventures from scratch was great learning and quite an eye opener for me! 

A micro enterprise movement in a small village of Mhaswad, in Satara district that was started about two decades back has spread into a strong platform for myriad community initiatives like organizing cattle camps, building check dams, running a local radio station and sports talent hunts, helping millions of rural women pulling them out of dire conditions and give them wings. When one meets these gritty, confident rural women with dreams in their eyes, one agrees with the visionary founder of Mann Deshi Foundation, Chetna Gala Sinha's words,"Literacy is not just about reading and writing." 

A warm welcome at the entrance by women singing ovees

A woman singing ovees while grinding grains 

Display of organic produce at Mann Deshi Mahotsav 

 Gaji dance performers in their traditional white attires and hand embroidered red scarves

A woman selling Masalas and chutneys 

 

Farm fresh fruits at Mann Deshi Mahotsav

Beaming with pride and confidence, these women explained how they make medicinal oils using more than a dozen plants and tress

One of the stars of Mann Deshi Mahotsav, Kerabai Sargar a radio jocky,  who launched her CD at exhibition 

Woolen blankets made with organic wool 

A couple from Karnataka, selling sarees and  handicrafts 

 member of Eklavya Foundation, answering queries from curious minds 

Farm fresh vegetable stalls 

From Ravi Varma calenders to New Year diaries...

We are barely a week in the new year and the euphoria of last few days is fading. Predictably, those chest thumping proclamations of new year resolutions are also losing the steam. Life is slowly getting back to normalcy and I love it! 

At breakfast table this morning, while discussing our respective schedules to check feasibility of attending a social function, we all opened our apps on mobile phones and got busy for few minutes. It struck me how one ritual that most of us have witnessed growing up, is also on verge of dying its natural death. I am talking about acquiring the new year calendars/panchang (almanac) that one would eagerly await (post Diwali) and the corporate diaries.

If you are born in seventies or eighties, you will remember all the fuss about new year calendars and corporate diaries. The sheer anticipation and curiosity about the touch and feel of new pages and that enticing golden sheen of the tail, top edge and fore edge of the diary was the ultimate kick! Owning a new diary till one had reached a certain age was "unnecessary". Usually, diaries were hand me down "gifts" containing scribbled notes and despite the charm of newness missing, they were still cherished as prized possessions! Once in a blue moon if by some divine intervention and testimony of good karma, parents felt too generous and passed on new, spare diary, the thrill of carefully and neatly writing one's name and other details on first page with the best ink pen available (usually borrowed from older sibling or parent) was beyond words!  

With high tech world and fancy apps for just about anything under the sun we all are privileged to have, there is paradigm shift in our life bringing great convenience. Gone are the days of writing things down anchoring events in one's muscle memory, silencing the mental rambling for those fleeting moments and crossing the tasks off once completed!

The new year calendars...

The new year wall/desk calendar, once the most sought after commodity seems to be disappearing quickly from our everyday life.

Do you remember seeing beautifully bright calendars; prints of Ravi Varma's paintings on walls, framed paintings of our favourite Gods and Goddesses in puja rooms/corners of almost every Indian home while growing up? With Ravi Varma's three-dimensional form and radically transformed religious iconography with very human depiction of divinity, Gods and art became accessible to everyone! And those images were so vividly ingrained in us that while praying, one could visualize and as if knew how Gods looked like. Those Puranic stories of Nala Damayanti, Vishwamitra, Shakuntala, Satyavan-Savitri and so many other tales from the Mahabharata and Ramayana that granny told us at night had great context as one could instantly identify the characters through Ravi Varma calendars and decorative illustrations. In a way, those calendars awakened national and cultural identity. 

With passage of time calendar art changed and paintings of Gods were replaced with pictures of Nature followed by Bollywood brigade that ruled the world of calendars for some time. With corporate gifting becoming a growing industry, diaries and calendars evolved and became more personalized and hyper functional catering individual needs, profession and aesthetic sense.

With our fast-paced existence and constantly changing needs, high tech devices are becoming pivotal in ensuring we sail through everyday routine smoothly and life without them feels almost impossible! 

Calendar art today is a thing of bygone era. Once in a while I do get a peek of this important piece of cultural history at some art exhibition, or at auction house. Diaries have vanished completely from the scene too. With our high-tech devices that keep us connected to the world 24/7, catering our every possible need at just one click, there is barely any room for the good old diary. 

The new digital versions of the diary give no reasons for any complain, albeit I do miss the romance of seeing a dry peepal leaf or a flower from between musty pages of a diary, reading a hurriedly written recipe, unfinished poems and notes pregnant with tales and possibilities, poignant quotes and beautifully drawn sketches that were witness to the times less hurried. 

Call me old school if you wish but the more time I spend disconnected to gadgets and digital world, the more Zen like life feels! And oddly enough, those are the times when I really understand meaning of what my son often tells me, "to take a chill pill" in its true essence!