“Women stay because the fear of leaving is far greater than the fear of staying, but they will leave when the fear of staying is far greater than the fear of leaving.” - Anonymous
Kiran Chawla (name changed) was married for four years. Every night her husband came back home, drunk. He often slapped her, pulled her hair and even threatened to kill her. One year after marriage, she thought things might change for the better when she gave birth to a son. But the violence continued, harming even her child. She got herself a divorce. She now lives with her son, but continues to be haunted by memories of times she narrowly escaped death at the hands of her husband.
Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of physical abuse. It is devastating to be abused by someone you love. For many years, women have silently suffered severe atrocities at the hands of men fearing they would otherwise be condemned and ostracized by society. Unfortunately, most women accept this as their destiny and forego their right to raise their voice against this malpractice committed against them. The lack of an appropriate justice system only aggravated their agony.
The Domestic Violence Act addresses various issues related to women and domestic violence. This Act came into existence when the Lawyers Collective released their report “Staying Alive” in 2005, which highlighted the enormity of the physical, mental and sexual abuse that women face in their domestic sphere.
This act is unique in many ways. It clearly identifies violence as emotional, physical, sexual and economical. Moreover, the act does not restrict itself to domestic relations in the marital context but also extends itself to live in relationships, relationships in the nature of adoption and joint family. Most importantly, it is victim oriented and does not aim to penalize the perpetrators of violence through fines or imprisonments, but only when they do not follow the dictates of the court. It also addresses matters related to custody of children and entitles the mother to legitimate custody of the child if he or she is less than five years of age.
Priyanka Sarkar, Communications and Knowledge Manager, PACS Program, points out: “The evidence of physical violence can be erased easily and so it becomes difficult to put up a case on these grounds. Therefore these cases are put on fast track so that justice is imparted to victims in time. For this reason, the government has also appointed various NGOs that help in settling matters outside the court by mediating between family members and the victims.”
Factors like social stigma and invasion of private domestic life still play in the minds of women and so they hesitate to file a case under the DV Act. A lot of the women simply resort to the act as a way to avoid filing a divorce. Even though at times matters have been settled in the court, the husband has refused to pay monetary compensation to his wife or provide for an appropriate shelter for her to live in post separation. The absence of follow ups after initial outcomes and counseling, reduced the faith that women had in the Ac t. As a result of these factors, a lot of the efforts ended in failures.
Friday, April 16, 2010
THE BEAT BOX OF LIFE
They say music is food for life. It is not only an important part of our culture, our past and present, but also helps building relationships between individuals and determines their relationship to the world around, thereby shaping their attitudes and beliefs. The “Music Basti” program for children, is a reflection of this strong belief in the power of music to understand and access the world around us.
Music Basti aims at creating cultural and social awareness for “children at risk”. Children at risk are those who live and work on the streets and face a series of problems that are interconnected, including a physically unsafe environment to live in. Most NGOs primarily provided accommodation, food and clothing to these children, where institutionalised development programs often did not have the capacity for any cultural and recreational activities.
Keeping this in mind, the Music Basti program was started in 2008, by the Integrated Development Educational Association (IDEA), supported by The Youth Parliament (YP) Foundation and Aman Biradri, as part of their “Dil Se” program to uplift the dignity of street children. Founder and Project Coordinator, Faith Gonsalves says, “ Music Basti seeks to use music as a tool of personal empowerment for children who may be runaways, homeless, living in slums , or streets, in shelters or in rehabilitation centers. Our programs are geared towards social and cultural awareness and child rights based education.”
Apart from honing the musical skills of these children, the primary objective of this program is to enlighten them about child rights, human rights, life skills, gender equality and other social issues. This also helps to engage and empower the young music community in Delhi, by gearing them towards social activism and change in the lives of children at risk. The program is designed in such a way that it does not fall back on a child’s ability to read or write, but emphasizes on their sense of rhythm, knowledge about instruments, their vocal tonality, music appreciation skills and how much they gauge through music.
Faith says, “While choosing the volunteers and musicians for this program, we ensure that they are committed, enthusiastic and open to learning themselves. These children are aged between 3 to 12 years and often do not understand the process that they are a part of. The volunteers must understand the background and learning needs of these children. For this, we conduct workshops for them, where we train them to recognize, value, support and encourage these young talents”.
Sumeet Singh, a volunteer with the program adds, “The volunteer training sessions are really eye opening. We discuss about different notions, values and our opinions. This helps in broadening our own minds and developing our perspectives. To know that we play such an important role in making these children better and more capable human beings, is truly fulfilling”.
Music Basti however is not established as an independent NGO and works majorly in collaboration with other NGOs, organizations, educational and cultural units. They believe that establishing it as an NGO is a tedious process involving too much legality that leads to nothing but a wastage of time and defeats their main purpose of social upliftment. They attain their funding from partnerships, sponsors and donors whose contributions are acknowledged through multiple annual public programs, print and online publications, collaborative programs and media coverage.
This however does not ensure a steady flow of resources which is why they are currently working on a model that enhances income flow, at the same time promoting their project at various forums, looking for collaborations that will support and sustain it in the upcoming years. Being supported by a credible organization like IDEA, facilitates this process for them.
Till date, the project has conducted over 40 workshops, with over 200 children, and 25 sessions for volunteers on training and skill building, and have established three centers in Delhi, at Okhla, Kashmere Gate and Shastri Nagar. It has built relationships with organizations like The YP Foundation, Aman Biradri, Bridge Music Academy and the American Centre and has organized innumerous performances and concerts by the children and the renowned musicians.
Sunil, a student of the program, exclaims, “I always look forward to the workshops. I really enjoy the song writing exercises, the games and the lectures. It has made me aware of so many things around me”.
Today, Music Basti’s primary goal is to expand their outreach, develop a well defined musical program and involving more people in the project, so that they can make a difference to the lives of more children like Sunil.
Music Basti aims at creating cultural and social awareness for “children at risk”. Children at risk are those who live and work on the streets and face a series of problems that are interconnected, including a physically unsafe environment to live in. Most NGOs primarily provided accommodation, food and clothing to these children, where institutionalised development programs often did not have the capacity for any cultural and recreational activities.
Keeping this in mind, the Music Basti program was started in 2008, by the Integrated Development Educational Association (IDEA), supported by The Youth Parliament (YP) Foundation and Aman Biradri, as part of their “Dil Se” program to uplift the dignity of street children. Founder and Project Coordinator, Faith Gonsalves says, “ Music Basti seeks to use music as a tool of personal empowerment for children who may be runaways, homeless, living in slums , or streets, in shelters or in rehabilitation centers. Our programs are geared towards social and cultural awareness and child rights based education.”
Apart from honing the musical skills of these children, the primary objective of this program is to enlighten them about child rights, human rights, life skills, gender equality and other social issues. This also helps to engage and empower the young music community in Delhi, by gearing them towards social activism and change in the lives of children at risk. The program is designed in such a way that it does not fall back on a child’s ability to read or write, but emphasizes on their sense of rhythm, knowledge about instruments, their vocal tonality, music appreciation skills and how much they gauge through music.
Faith says, “While choosing the volunteers and musicians for this program, we ensure that they are committed, enthusiastic and open to learning themselves. These children are aged between 3 to 12 years and often do not understand the process that they are a part of. The volunteers must understand the background and learning needs of these children. For this, we conduct workshops for them, where we train them to recognize, value, support and encourage these young talents”.
Sumeet Singh, a volunteer with the program adds, “The volunteer training sessions are really eye opening. We discuss about different notions, values and our opinions. This helps in broadening our own minds and developing our perspectives. To know that we play such an important role in making these children better and more capable human beings, is truly fulfilling”.
Music Basti however is not established as an independent NGO and works majorly in collaboration with other NGOs, organizations, educational and cultural units. They believe that establishing it as an NGO is a tedious process involving too much legality that leads to nothing but a wastage of time and defeats their main purpose of social upliftment. They attain their funding from partnerships, sponsors and donors whose contributions are acknowledged through multiple annual public programs, print and online publications, collaborative programs and media coverage.
This however does not ensure a steady flow of resources which is why they are currently working on a model that enhances income flow, at the same time promoting their project at various forums, looking for collaborations that will support and sustain it in the upcoming years. Being supported by a credible organization like IDEA, facilitates this process for them.
Till date, the project has conducted over 40 workshops, with over 200 children, and 25 sessions for volunteers on training and skill building, and have established three centers in Delhi, at Okhla, Kashmere Gate and Shastri Nagar. It has built relationships with organizations like The YP Foundation, Aman Biradri, Bridge Music Academy and the American Centre and has organized innumerous performances and concerts by the children and the renowned musicians.
Sunil, a student of the program, exclaims, “I always look forward to the workshops. I really enjoy the song writing exercises, the games and the lectures. It has made me aware of so many things around me”.
Today, Music Basti’s primary goal is to expand their outreach, develop a well defined musical program and involving more people in the project, so that they can make a difference to the lives of more children like Sunil.
Monday, March 8, 2010
ZANSKAR AND SATPURA BATTLE IT OUT FOR THE TITLE
It was a match that pitted one of the favorites for the IIT football league title, against a team languishing near the bottom of the table. And the result was nothing less than expected. On Monday evening in cold weather with fog developing, Zanskar hostel took on Satpura hostel in the IIT football league and Zanskar came out on the top with a facile 2-0 victory. A lot was at stake for both the teams with Zanskar looking to maintain their title credentials and Satpura desperate to climb out of the bottom three. But in the end a goal in each half from the two strikers was enough for Zanskar to see off the challenge of Satpura. The captain of the Zanskar football team, Shubham Sandeep said, “It was a tough game as the conditions were quite difficult and Satpura had a defensive mindset. So we had to be patient and wait for the opportune moment.” Zanskar opened the scoring 5 minutes before the stroke of halftime after missing a host of chances including 3 ‘one on one’s. Sudhir Garewal, the coach of Satpura team was visibly disappointed, “The goal just before the halftime was a killer blow. I thought we were doing doing well defensively though upfront we lacked the cutting edge with our main striker out due to injury.” The match was watched by supporters of both the teams who braved the cold and were vociferous till the final whistle. Mr. Negi who is the Head of Sports, IIT Delhi summed it up appropriately, “ These tournaments are not just for pleasure but they help inculcate a sense of hostel spirit and are a breeding ground for the Institiute teams.”
When the Goddess Arrives...
Durga Puja is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil. It is the most important festival of the Bengalis and is widely celebrated across India and among Indians across the globe. Spread over a period of generally 4-5 days, it is an incessant play of ceremonies, prayers, festivities, culinary delights, socialisation and cultural performances. An amalgation of all these can be fully experienced at the Durga Puja celebrations in Eros Garden, Charmwood Village, Faridabad, which is organised by the Suraj Kund Bangiya Samaj.
Here Durga Puja was celebrated for 6 days on Panchami, Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya Dashami. The festivities began on Panchami evening with the Ananda Mela, which is a culinary fair, along with exhibits of all kinds for women. Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, followed more or less the same daily routine. There was ‘puja’ in the morning, followed by ‘pushpanjali’ (offering of prayers along with flowers). Meanwhile Brahmin women prepared the ‘bhog’ that was to be offered to the goddess. At the same time, competitions were held in the pandal for children and adults like painting competition, recitation competition, fancy costume competition and many more. In the afternoons ‘bhog’ or lunch was served that mainly comprised of the staple ‘khichdi’ or a sort of culmination of rice and ‘dal’, ‘papad’, a vegetable dish and ‘kheer’ which is a sort of a sweet dish. The evenings kicked off with the ‘arati’, followed by cultural events of sorts like dance, musical and theatrical performances. One of the most notable features of the evenings was the fact that massive crowds of people thronged to the food stalls, producing huge profits for them. Vijaya Dashami, as usual, was celebrated on the same day as Dussehra. It is a day of double celebration among the Hindus to mark the victory of good over evil; one in the form of Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana and the other of Goddess Durga’s over the demon Asura. On this day, there was vermillion play among the women and people bid a final adieu to the goddess, before she was finally immersed in the river Yamuna.
Over the years, Durga Puja has become an extremely commercialized festival. Commercialization has creeped into every aspect of the festival. Apart from the fact that today, lakhs of rupees are spent on the celebrations in its entirety; it works on the major principles of a market; advertising/ publicity and maximum accumulation/ derivation of wealth from the entire process. There was sponsorship from various brands like Vodafone, Idea Cellular Company, Aircel, and Manav Rachna Institutes, which helped generate funds for the Puja. Apart from this, there were food stalls and other kinds of stalls that attracted large numbers of buyers, garnered significant publicity as well as handsome amounts of wealth. But the most notable form of competition was that among the pandals in the entire NCR region, which was organized by The Times Of India newspaper, and was called ‘Durgostuti Namostute’.
The pandal of Surajkund Bangiya Samaj has received huge acclaim over the last four years. This year the theme of the pandal was peace and it was executed in the form of a lotus shaped pandal. Prashant Mukherjee, who conceptualized the theme of the pandal, said that he was inspired by the Mumbai Terror Attacks and the dire need for the establishment of peace and non violence in the world. This year, however, the pandal failed to win any award. When asked, the President of the Puja Committee, Partha Pratim Mitra said, “Awards are not the purpose of the Puja. They are just an additional bonus. What is important is that the Puja in its entirety was a huge success and that can be gauged from the fact that there were massive flocks of people in the pandal at all times and people thoroughly enjoyed themselves.” He concluded by saying in Bengali what truly sums up the feel and the purpose of Durga Puja, “next year, we look forward to a Durga Puja that shall be even more grand, successful and entertaining as the year that just passed by”.
Here Durga Puja was celebrated for 6 days on Panchami, Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya Dashami. The festivities began on Panchami evening with the Ananda Mela, which is a culinary fair, along with exhibits of all kinds for women. Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, followed more or less the same daily routine. There was ‘puja’ in the morning, followed by ‘pushpanjali’ (offering of prayers along with flowers). Meanwhile Brahmin women prepared the ‘bhog’ that was to be offered to the goddess. At the same time, competitions were held in the pandal for children and adults like painting competition, recitation competition, fancy costume competition and many more. In the afternoons ‘bhog’ or lunch was served that mainly comprised of the staple ‘khichdi’ or a sort of culmination of rice and ‘dal’, ‘papad’, a vegetable dish and ‘kheer’ which is a sort of a sweet dish. The evenings kicked off with the ‘arati’, followed by cultural events of sorts like dance, musical and theatrical performances. One of the most notable features of the evenings was the fact that massive crowds of people thronged to the food stalls, producing huge profits for them. Vijaya Dashami, as usual, was celebrated on the same day as Dussehra. It is a day of double celebration among the Hindus to mark the victory of good over evil; one in the form of Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana and the other of Goddess Durga’s over the demon Asura. On this day, there was vermillion play among the women and people bid a final adieu to the goddess, before she was finally immersed in the river Yamuna.
Over the years, Durga Puja has become an extremely commercialized festival. Commercialization has creeped into every aspect of the festival. Apart from the fact that today, lakhs of rupees are spent on the celebrations in its entirety; it works on the major principles of a market; advertising/ publicity and maximum accumulation/ derivation of wealth from the entire process. There was sponsorship from various brands like Vodafone, Idea Cellular Company, Aircel, and Manav Rachna Institutes, which helped generate funds for the Puja. Apart from this, there were food stalls and other kinds of stalls that attracted large numbers of buyers, garnered significant publicity as well as handsome amounts of wealth. But the most notable form of competition was that among the pandals in the entire NCR region, which was organized by The Times Of India newspaper, and was called ‘Durgostuti Namostute’.
The pandal of Surajkund Bangiya Samaj has received huge acclaim over the last four years. This year the theme of the pandal was peace and it was executed in the form of a lotus shaped pandal. Prashant Mukherjee, who conceptualized the theme of the pandal, said that he was inspired by the Mumbai Terror Attacks and the dire need for the establishment of peace and non violence in the world. This year, however, the pandal failed to win any award. When asked, the President of the Puja Committee, Partha Pratim Mitra said, “Awards are not the purpose of the Puja. They are just an additional bonus. What is important is that the Puja in its entirety was a huge success and that can be gauged from the fact that there were massive flocks of people in the pandal at all times and people thoroughly enjoyed themselves.” He concluded by saying in Bengali what truly sums up the feel and the purpose of Durga Puja, “next year, we look forward to a Durga Puja that shall be even more grand, successful and entertaining as the year that just passed by”.
Women and Vocation
Even after 60 years of independence, India continues to follow the education system that was introduced by the British during their rule. Over the years, there has been an accelerated growth in the number of colleges for general studies while institutes for vocational studies, have been increasingly sidelined. Vocational education in India aims to develop skilled manpower through a host of professional courses that would enable students to venture into the unorganized sectors and at the same time, inculcate self- employment skills through a variety of self employment oriented programs. As a result, by the time students complete these courses, they are well equipped to attain a job. In India, vocational training is majorly imparted by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) or institutes called ‘polytechnics’.
In a patriarchal society such as India, women are attributed a position, subordinate to that of men. The services rendered by women are heavily ignored, moreover they are expected to be chaste and modest about any characteristics that may enable them to perform exceedingly well in the work place and even outperform their male counterparts. While the women from the elite and upper middle class of society have gained ample exposure to the global scenario, women from the lower class, are confined to their domestic sphere and denied any opportunities to hone their talents. A lot of the times, these women from the lower strata of society, who are doubly handicapped by class and gender, are uneducated and work as unskilled manual labor at construction sites, as domestic help, washer women, vendors of small shops and so on.
However, there is one such organization that dares to transcend the traditional boundaries laid by the socio- cultural context of India. Adharshila, is a non governmental organisation, situated in New Delhi, which aims to build foundations at the grass root levels of society with dedication and sincerity. They aim at uplifting the under privileged in society by offering them a plethora of development programs. For this purpose they offer three kinds of vocational training programs for women; computer and informatics training, health and beauty care, and sewing and dress designing, all absolutely free of cost. Ms. Neena Jolly, who established the organization in 2004 along with Ms. Geeta Arora, says, “We set up this organization with the aim of ensuring tangible benefits to women of the slum communities. Our projects are designed to cater to the needs of these women and empower them through these programs. Even though we do not charge any money for these courses, the fact that we are able to secure these needy women bright futures by educating them, is quite rewarding. Today, we hold a record of having trained more than 1000 women in various vocational courses, and helping them obtain well paying employment opportunities.”
In 2005, Adharshila established its computer centre in view of helping women from slum areas cultivate vocational skills. The computer centre is sponsored by Bharti Foundation, a leading telecom brand in India and after completing the course which is nearly 12 weeks long, graduates receive certification directly from Jana Shikshan Sansthan, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. With 20 computers at the centre, students are taught essential concepts in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, DOS, internet usage, along with resume building and speedy typing. Teachers, who teach at the computer centre says, “We enroll about 15 to 20 women and girls in each batch. Over the 4 years that I have been teaching here, I have seen more and more women seeking admission in the course and the determination among these women to prove themselves is remarkable”. Shilpa Anand, a graduate of the course says while recounting her experience, “Before joining this course, I had absolutely no knowledge about the computer. As I come from a poor family, I could not afford any fancy institution for my training. So I joined Adharshila and the experience here was extremely enriching. Today I work in an electrical equipments company and the knowledge I gained here has helped me widely.”
Adharshila also conducts a course in beauty and heath care which is scheduled for six months, after which graduates receive certification from Jana Shikshan Sansthan. Nearly 40 students per batch are given basic education in nutrition, yoga, massage therapy, skin care and various kinds of beauty treatments. Kaynaad, a student of the course says, “I have always wanted to build a career in beauty and health care. My family was not very supportive of my education as I come from a poor family and my education would have been an added burden on my parents. The best part about Adharshila is that I am learning so much here but am not required to pay anything in return. Today, my family is also encouraging me in all my professional endeavors. I hope that after completing this course, I can realize my dream of being a successful beautician and owning my own beauty salon.”
Apart from these, Adharshila also offers vocational training in sewing and tailoring, which enrolls 20 students per batch and here too graduates receive certificates from Jana Shikshan Sansthan on completion of the course. One of the teachers, says “Most women joining this course are aged between 20- 35 years. Since most of them are married and are tied by various domestic responsibilities, the classes are held in the afternoons, to suit their convenience. We teach them various kinds of embroidery and designing and by the end of the course, each student has an impressive body of work to boast of”. Sunita, a graduate of the course says, “I hail from a small village in Haryana and I came to Delhi after I got married. Since my husband’s income was quite meager, I decided to work, but lacked the skill to perform any job well. So I joined this course here and today I have my own boutique. My husband and I run the boutique together. Sometimes I even come and teach students here. This place has given me a new lease in life and I feel this is my way of thanking Adharshila.”
Adharshila gets most of its funding from voluntary donations by corporate institutions and philanthropic individuals. The expenses of the computer course are borne completely by Bharti Foundation. Since the teachers work on a voluntary basis, the organization makes up for some of the expenditure, by saving up on their pay. Neena jolly adds, “Even though finances are really scarce at times, what drives us is the satisfaction we get, when we see the growth that each woman charts out here. In times of crises, we all stick together like one big family and help each other surmount all obstacles. It’s not about financial benefits, but about providing someone with adequate opportunities for a well rounded life. It’s about making people realize that nothing is impossible, if they have the determination and courage to follow what their heart desires. It’s about helping these under privileged women realize their dreams.”
In a patriarchal society such as India, women are attributed a position, subordinate to that of men. The services rendered by women are heavily ignored, moreover they are expected to be chaste and modest about any characteristics that may enable them to perform exceedingly well in the work place and even outperform their male counterparts. While the women from the elite and upper middle class of society have gained ample exposure to the global scenario, women from the lower class, are confined to their domestic sphere and denied any opportunities to hone their talents. A lot of the times, these women from the lower strata of society, who are doubly handicapped by class and gender, are uneducated and work as unskilled manual labor at construction sites, as domestic help, washer women, vendors of small shops and so on.
However, there is one such organization that dares to transcend the traditional boundaries laid by the socio- cultural context of India. Adharshila, is a non governmental organisation, situated in New Delhi, which aims to build foundations at the grass root levels of society with dedication and sincerity. They aim at uplifting the under privileged in society by offering them a plethora of development programs. For this purpose they offer three kinds of vocational training programs for women; computer and informatics training, health and beauty care, and sewing and dress designing, all absolutely free of cost. Ms. Neena Jolly, who established the organization in 2004 along with Ms. Geeta Arora, says, “We set up this organization with the aim of ensuring tangible benefits to women of the slum communities. Our projects are designed to cater to the needs of these women and empower them through these programs. Even though we do not charge any money for these courses, the fact that we are able to secure these needy women bright futures by educating them, is quite rewarding. Today, we hold a record of having trained more than 1000 women in various vocational courses, and helping them obtain well paying employment opportunities.”
In 2005, Adharshila established its computer centre in view of helping women from slum areas cultivate vocational skills. The computer centre is sponsored by Bharti Foundation, a leading telecom brand in India and after completing the course which is nearly 12 weeks long, graduates receive certification directly from Jana Shikshan Sansthan, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. With 20 computers at the centre, students are taught essential concepts in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, DOS, internet usage, along with resume building and speedy typing. Teachers, who teach at the computer centre says, “We enroll about 15 to 20 women and girls in each batch. Over the 4 years that I have been teaching here, I have seen more and more women seeking admission in the course and the determination among these women to prove themselves is remarkable”. Shilpa Anand, a graduate of the course says while recounting her experience, “Before joining this course, I had absolutely no knowledge about the computer. As I come from a poor family, I could not afford any fancy institution for my training. So I joined Adharshila and the experience here was extremely enriching. Today I work in an electrical equipments company and the knowledge I gained here has helped me widely.”
Adharshila also conducts a course in beauty and heath care which is scheduled for six months, after which graduates receive certification from Jana Shikshan Sansthan. Nearly 40 students per batch are given basic education in nutrition, yoga, massage therapy, skin care and various kinds of beauty treatments. Kaynaad, a student of the course says, “I have always wanted to build a career in beauty and health care. My family was not very supportive of my education as I come from a poor family and my education would have been an added burden on my parents. The best part about Adharshila is that I am learning so much here but am not required to pay anything in return. Today, my family is also encouraging me in all my professional endeavors. I hope that after completing this course, I can realize my dream of being a successful beautician and owning my own beauty salon.”
Apart from these, Adharshila also offers vocational training in sewing and tailoring, which enrolls 20 students per batch and here too graduates receive certificates from Jana Shikshan Sansthan on completion of the course. One of the teachers, says “Most women joining this course are aged between 20- 35 years. Since most of them are married and are tied by various domestic responsibilities, the classes are held in the afternoons, to suit their convenience. We teach them various kinds of embroidery and designing and by the end of the course, each student has an impressive body of work to boast of”. Sunita, a graduate of the course says, “I hail from a small village in Haryana and I came to Delhi after I got married. Since my husband’s income was quite meager, I decided to work, but lacked the skill to perform any job well. So I joined this course here and today I have my own boutique. My husband and I run the boutique together. Sometimes I even come and teach students here. This place has given me a new lease in life and I feel this is my way of thanking Adharshila.”
Adharshila gets most of its funding from voluntary donations by corporate institutions and philanthropic individuals. The expenses of the computer course are borne completely by Bharti Foundation. Since the teachers work on a voluntary basis, the organization makes up for some of the expenditure, by saving up on their pay. Neena jolly adds, “Even though finances are really scarce at times, what drives us is the satisfaction we get, when we see the growth that each woman charts out here. In times of crises, we all stick together like one big family and help each other surmount all obstacles. It’s not about financial benefits, but about providing someone with adequate opportunities for a well rounded life. It’s about making people realize that nothing is impossible, if they have the determination and courage to follow what their heart desires. It’s about helping these under privileged women realize their dreams.”
A Boon to the Handicrafts Industry in India
Indian handicrafts form an extremely important part of not only Indian culture but also, Indian economy, especially rural economy. About 70 % of the Indian population stays in rural areas and a major source of their livelihood is the manufacture and sale of their handicrafts. In spite of showcasing a steady growth of about 15% per annum in the last decade, handicrafts industry remains one of the most neglected industrial sectors in India which becomes evident from the fact that while the global handicraft industry is pegged at US $ 400 billion, India’s share in it is only 2%.
In a situation like this, the annual Surajkund Mela, organized every year from 1st to 15th February, by the Tourism department of the Haryana government, acts as a respite for most handicraftsmen and artisans. Since, most of these handicraftsmen are settled in rural areas, this fair gives them the opportunity to exhibit their work to an urban audience, which today has inculcated that sense of aesthetics to appreciate their art. Moreover, people in the urban areas have greater purchasing power and are therefore more willing to contribute monetarily to this industry.
Dilip, who is from Bundi, Rajasthan, is a puppet maker. For the last 17 years, his family has been involved with this form of art. They make puppets by weaving cloth and stuffing it with cotton or wool. These could be in the shape of human or animal figures. The faces of the puppets are generally made out of wood and then painted. The cloth used is typically bandhani, a traditional tie and dye form of clothing in Rajasthan, and is embroidered with glass and thread work.
Dilip maintains that his family being involved with puppetry over the last so many years, has seen very little growth in this industry. He attributes several reasons for this. He says, “Earlier, puppetry was a major form of communication and entertainment for the masses. Today, with the advent of so many improved forms of the media, this art is slowly dying. Since it is rarely used for these purposes today, it is majorly used for purposes of decoration. It is assumed that the government has done quite a bit to develop the handicrafts industry, but in reality, it has provided very little funds to puppetry and puppet makers, which could provide it the impetus to grow.”
For craftsmen like Dilip, that Surajkund Crafts Mela is a boon. He says that he has been coming for the mela, for the last 6 years, and over this period of time, he has seen a steady growth of about 5%- 7% in his trade and income generation. He finds more takers for his art here, especially foreign visitors who say that they find his puppets really colourful and attractive. Moreover, he admits that though he sells them for a higher cost here than in his village, people generally are willing to pay that much. A puppet he makes could cost anywhere between 150- 700 rupees. On an average he sells about 10- 15 puppets, amounting to an average income of 3000-4000 rupees per day, which he says he “can not even dream of earning in his village”.
There are many like Dilip, who look forward to the Surajkund Mela, every year, for the reasons that this festival provides a real boost to their trade. They find here a lot of encouragement for their art, which is translated in the huge number of buyers who are willing to spend a decent sum of money on their works. For them, this is like blessing in disguise that accounts for nearly 35-40% of their annual earnings.
In a situation like this, the annual Surajkund Mela, organized every year from 1st to 15th February, by the Tourism department of the Haryana government, acts as a respite for most handicraftsmen and artisans. Since, most of these handicraftsmen are settled in rural areas, this fair gives them the opportunity to exhibit their work to an urban audience, which today has inculcated that sense of aesthetics to appreciate their art. Moreover, people in the urban areas have greater purchasing power and are therefore more willing to contribute monetarily to this industry.
Dilip, who is from Bundi, Rajasthan, is a puppet maker. For the last 17 years, his family has been involved with this form of art. They make puppets by weaving cloth and stuffing it with cotton or wool. These could be in the shape of human or animal figures. The faces of the puppets are generally made out of wood and then painted. The cloth used is typically bandhani, a traditional tie and dye form of clothing in Rajasthan, and is embroidered with glass and thread work.
Dilip maintains that his family being involved with puppetry over the last so many years, has seen very little growth in this industry. He attributes several reasons for this. He says, “Earlier, puppetry was a major form of communication and entertainment for the masses. Today, with the advent of so many improved forms of the media, this art is slowly dying. Since it is rarely used for these purposes today, it is majorly used for purposes of decoration. It is assumed that the government has done quite a bit to develop the handicrafts industry, but in reality, it has provided very little funds to puppetry and puppet makers, which could provide it the impetus to grow.”
For craftsmen like Dilip, that Surajkund Crafts Mela is a boon. He says that he has been coming for the mela, for the last 6 years, and over this period of time, he has seen a steady growth of about 5%- 7% in his trade and income generation. He finds more takers for his art here, especially foreign visitors who say that they find his puppets really colourful and attractive. Moreover, he admits that though he sells them for a higher cost here than in his village, people generally are willing to pay that much. A puppet he makes could cost anywhere between 150- 700 rupees. On an average he sells about 10- 15 puppets, amounting to an average income of 3000-4000 rupees per day, which he says he “can not even dream of earning in his village”.
There are many like Dilip, who look forward to the Surajkund Mela, every year, for the reasons that this festival provides a real boost to their trade. They find here a lot of encouragement for their art, which is translated in the huge number of buyers who are willing to spend a decent sum of money on their works. For them, this is like blessing in disguise that accounts for nearly 35-40% of their annual earnings.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
comparison between msnbc.com, hindu.com and timesofindia.com
the three websites are news based websites and are effective in their own ways..the purpose of serving information of utilitarian value for the viewers is served..in all cases political news and national news of the relevant countries take precedence over other genres of news..in case of msnbc.com it is primarily news regarding the us while in case of hindu and timesofindia,it is india..apart from this one can also vies articles on world news which is divided into subcategories of various geographical zones in the world...the hindu and timesofindia also provide with specific state based news...there are other genres of news that are covered by all three websites such as entertainment,business,sports,advertisements,classifieds,etc...hindu and timedofindia also provide with information available in the various supplements of the print editions..apart from this one can also view various editorial articles...all in all the three websites make the process of news viewing simpler, less tedious and less time consuming
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