Pinjore Gardens and blessings of a Fauji...

Pinjore Gardens and blessings of a Fauji....

Chandigarh and Nek Chand's world famous Rock Gardens are inseparables. A tourist's visit to Chandigarh is incomplete without visiting it. But, how many of us know that the same place has the historical Pinjore Gardens? How many of us have ever visited it?
My first visit to Chandigarh was as a part of the Mini Bharat Darshan during our Induction Training Course at LBSNAA, Mussourie. Our itenary did not include it. In fact we didn't get to hear anything about it during our two day stay. It was only when I went on a short trip to Chandigarh with my son during his vacation and googled up on the important places to be seen in Chandigarh that I discovered this place existed. Our love for exploring new places goaded us to head there and we were more than happy with our desicion.
The Pinjore Gardens is one of the loveliest and oldest gardens in North India.
The garden is laid out in seven terraces which gradually descend into the distance. The main gateway is fascinating as it opens into the highest terrace and gives a glimpse of the grandeur about to unfold. The manicured gardens lined with decorative trees and widespread mango orchards are a treat to the eye. The entire garden is engulfed in a huge wall. The first terrace is the highest and has a palace built in the Mughal-Rajasthan style of architecture called the Shish Mahal. The Hawa Mahal is also located on this level. 
The garden had been designed by Fidai Khan, the trusted lieutenant of Aurangazeb. He was an architect and fascinated by the place had created this piece of beauty.
The second level has arched doorways along with the painted palace or the Rang Mahal. The structure was charming due to it's beautiful symmetry. It also gave us a sight of gardens stretching endlessly into the horizon. My mobile went clicketty click as Vishnu and me posed for pictures. We also helped three senior citizens to click their pictures.
The third level has flower beds and cypress trees leading to the orchards having beautiful mango trees full of the lusciuos fruits and litchis hanging down in bunches  from the green trees. The pathway had a beautiful waterway with fountains and cute little bridges in between to cross over.
The next level is the Jal Mahal encircled in water. It had lovely minarets and windows from where one could enjoy the beauty of the garden.
The two levels further down have more trees and fountains, and the last level has an open-air theatre. We walked down till the  end of the garden absorbing its uniqueness and beauty.
Our return walk was amidst the mango and litchi trees leading to food stalls where we bumped again into the 3 senior citizens whose pictures we had clicked. Two of them continued walking but the older one stopped and started speaking to us. He was an ex-serviceman from Jind. He took pride in the fact that he had worked for the nation. He had two sons and both of them had joined the army. His daughters were happily married and settled. He enjoyed his retirement by visiting different places and seeing India's beauty. He said he was very happy that we had helped them to click their pictures. He felt I was like his daughter. Suddenly he put his hand into his long flowing kurta and took out a twenty rupee note and handing it to me said, beta, buraa na mano, ye meraa aashirwaad samazh ke le lo, meaning , please don't mind, take this as my blessing. I felt my eyes moisten. An ex-serviceman, who had dedicated his life for the nation and had enrolled both his sons in the army was blessing me and it was certainly special . I took it with gratitude and have preserved it with similar treasures I received in my life.
We then headed to the food stalls and gorged on the chaat and lassi.
As we walked back hand in hand to proceed to our next destination we discovered that the history of the Pinjore Gardens dates back to the Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas came upon this lovely spot after their 12 year old exile and stayed here and called it ,"Panchapura". After they recovered their empire and reigned for 36 years they frequently visited this place before they finally went to the Himalayas and disappeared into oblivion.
Also though the garden was made by Fidai Khan he hardly lived there due to a fear of the dreadful disease goitre. The Patiala Maharajas took it over and used it. The place is also known as the Yadvindra Gardens.
For me, the visit to Pinjore Gardens became memorable for more than one reason. Make your visit to Chandigarh memorable too by visiting this beautiful monumnetal garden on your next trip , you too will take back with you more than a part of history.....

The rainbow of blessings....DDUGKY

The rainbow of blessings.....DDUGKY

It was evening, dark grey clouds had lined up in the sky, the sun setting on the horizon. I was returning to board a flight from Nagpur to Mumbai after visiting a DDUGKY centre set up by Nidaan technologies.
The day had been extremely satisfying, I was smiling to myself and as I looked out of the window, I saw a rainbow smiling back at me, magnificent and glorious, full of colours and joy, just like my day.
Nidaan technologies had been selected as a project implementation agency, (PIA) under Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, DDUGKY, the flagship skilling programme of the MoRD, Government of India.
Nidan, is one among the topmost accelerated skill training institutes having presence in three states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh. Founded in 2004 by a group IT professionals and Skill instructors, it has trained over 35,000 individuals in highly technical customized courses including Logistics / Transport / Warehouse / Retail / Telecom / Electronics & IT Hardware / IT / ITES.
Under DDUGKY they proposed a plan to train about 500 students. They had a ready centre, infrastructure and equipments in place along with a detailed plan for mobilisation. Taking these aspects into consideration they were allocated targets in Gadhchiroli, Gondiya, Bhandara and Chandrapur districts.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was called for the inauguration of the centre at Nagpur within a fortnight.
A huge campus and a state of art building
with eager and enthusiastic faculty and students waited to receive me. The mobilsation of students was quick and easy due to the support taken from the offices of the CEO, Zilla Parishad, Project Director, DRDA and the District Mission Units.
Against a target of 280 students, 260 students had already mobilised from Gondiya, Bhandara and Chandrapur of which 60 percent were girls.
The jam-packed hall was therefore vibrant . The Centre-In-Charge made a presentation which highlighted the various aspects of DDUGKY and also gave information about their company. Apart from introduction to the course and soft skills, a health camp for the students had been organised and medical support given to those who required it. Yoga day and a tree plantation drive, propgating the concept of "own a tree" and hand it over to the next batch received fabulous response wherein the student who planted the tree would take care of it and hand it over to the next batch to be taken care of.
Leena, a student from Chandrapur shared her experience. She had joined the course in Logistics and was extremely satisfied with the lodging and boarding facilities and the friendly atmosphere. She wanted to complete the course and reach great heights through her work. She felt that given an opportunity one can do a lot in life. So she was happy to have got this opportunity and wanted to help other children in her village by telling them how DDUGKY had transformed her life.
Vaibhav, a student from Kadegaon, Dapoli Bhandara district had appeared for 12th standard examination and was waiting for his results. He was bored in the free time. He happened to meet a friend who told him about a Rozgaar Melava. The faculty of Nidaan had gone for mobilisation and he went there and got selected. On coming to the institute, he felt isolated and lonely as if he was in a jungle. His friends were few and he was afraid that he would be ragged. Instead , he was recieved very warmly by the boys. The institute had planned many activities to ensure they do not get bored . Apart from that they learnt many useful things about body language, how to sit, how to talk, the importance of maintaining eye contact and overall behaviour and personality development.
He was very thankful to DDUGKY which was a blessing for the poor and perhaps the only course which gives a job guarantee on completion of training. It made his dream of being successful true. He had joined the Logistics course and hoped to be employed after training but his ultimate goal was to start his own business and provide employment opportunities to others. Just as he had been helped, he wanted to help poor.
Mr.Vipin of Future Supply Chain Group had also come for the inauguration. He was so motivated by the girls who had been mobilised that he offered placement to a complete batch by initiating a warehouse completely managed by the girls trained at Nidaan.
Mr.Karanjekar, proposing the vote of thanks, mentioned three principles which demonstrated the dedication of the PIA- ' interest, involvement and investment of time and money'. Before starting this centre, he had visited centres of 8 existing PIAs to understand the various aspects of actual implementation of the programme. His team was involved because the Director, Mr.Kamble had personally been camping for 42 days at the centre to ensure all aspects were taken care of. Mobilisation camps were held in the villages to ensure selection of the correct candidate. Also support of the offices of the CEO, Zilla Parishad,  PD, DRDA and the District Mission Manager were taken in all the districts. In fact.the DMMs of Gondiya, Chandrapur were present at the orientation.
The counsellors employed by the PIA  included 2 students who had been trained under DDUGKY.
Pooja Dongre, from a village in Gondiya, had completed her course in retail in 2017 and  had been employed as a counsellor. She excelled in her performance because she knew about the scheme and also doubled up as a skill icon who inspires others to join DDUGKY.
Chandraprakash another student from Gondiya had completed his training in BPO, non-voice and had also become a counsellor. All this truly bespoke of the involvement of the PIA.
Nidan- means patience and combining it with perseverance they had achieved this commendable success. Their motto of enabling a large number of youth through skilling and making them employable to earn their livelihood seemed to be coming true for the poor and needy children from the remote villages of Maharashtra.
The dark clouds had converged into soothing drops of rain and the bright rainbow of God's blessings beaming in the sky reflected my joy. After all, I was working for Umed- hope, and for New confidence and New horizons.....

Banjaras : Journey of Nomads to entrepreneurship

Banjaras : Journey of Nomads to entrepreneurship through MSRLM

How many of us can imagine a banjaraa lady, in a traditional colourful costume, adorning exquisite shell and silver jewellery as a part of self help group under MSRLM? Well, this is no imagination thanks to the social inclusion under MSRLM. Banjaras from Marathwada are a part of self help groups of women. As a clan they have always aroused our curiousity and also made us wary at times, thanks to Bollywood. One got the opportunity to see them occasionally, on streets, cheerful, full of life however speaking to them was forbidden.
My first face to face encounter with a cute old banjara lady was at Mahalakshmi Saras in 2017. The Mahalakshmi Saras are platforms for marketing SHG products through exhibitions cum sales held annually every year at Mumbai. Dressed in the traditional dress, adorned with traditional jewellery she welcomed me to her stall and made me try the traditional odhni. It was extremely fascinating to interact with her as she spoke in the local dialect. She had accompanied her daughter-in-law to support her in the stall which was full of attractive things. Ghagras, Kanchalis (blouses), batwaas(purses), kanguras(patches), exquisite traditional jewellery using coins and shells. That moment of pure , simple joy remained in my mind.
MSRLM supports empowerment of women through self- help groups (SHGs). Banjaras from Marathwada, essentially, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad have also formed SHGs. Banjaras or lamaanis are nomads or gypsies and live in Taandaas. The Banjara women wear colourful and bright costumes like ghagra and kanchali (top). They use mirrors, coins and shells to decorate their outfit.
The clothes are rich in tradition but the designs are rarely improvised. The choice of colours is also the same and the design routine. The community being closed no improvisation has been made despite the huge demand.
MSRLM therefore decided to train them and build their capacity for diversification and enhanced production of their craft.
Parli is a renowned town in Beed District, known for the Vaijnath Temple which is one of the jyotirlings of Lord Shiva. It is the largest taluka and also an intensive block under MSRLM.
We decided to engage artists to train 30 women in designing and for product diversification of the Banjara Art. They were permitted to purchase sewing machines with latest facilities using the revolving fund. Due to the use of machines the production increased and helped in expanding business.
Vimal Dhondiram Jadhav stays in Vasant Nagar taanda of Parli and is a member of the Rukmani Bai SHG. She undertook a training of 10 days and has become a master trainer. She has trained 40 women and has facilitated innovations in Banjara dresses, designed new patterns of batwas,  jute bags, patches etc. She is a member of the Village Organisation and they have purchased 40 sewing machines and material worth Rs.1 lakh to make new products. Her husband Dhondiram Ganpat Jadhav is also a part of the business. Previously they had  to migrate to earn a living to sugarcane fields in adjoining districts and state. Since 5 years they have stopped to go for work in the sugarcane fields. Their life has become stable. They have been able to get their 3 daughters married and settled. Two of their sons have become drivers and also settled after marriage. The daughters-in-law are now part of the SHG. Their products had a good market in Mumbai but now they are also able to sell their products in Aurangabad and Beed and other places.
Her relative Anita Sitaram Jadhav is also a member of the Rajeev Gandhi Swayamsiddha Bachat Gat at Parli.
She is happy that she joined the SHG as now she runs a small manufacturing unit for the last one year.
Both the ladies had come to Mumbai for selling their products at R-City Mall, Ghatkopar. Their products received a very good response in the mall and they could do a business of Rs.80,000. They felt that the training had intrroduced modern innovative design and creativity to them. It was easier to increase their production and propagate their art. This exhibition was the result of the training given in Beed district.
The inauguration of this cluster at Beed had been done at the hands of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who had tweeted about having visited the stalls along with Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development, Pankaja Munde and had seen the display of amazing work of sisters from the Mahila Bachat Gat (Self Help Groups) in Parli, Beed.
Encouraged by the response at the exhibition there which was a sold-out, Vimal Jadhav has many more plans for expansion. From being a nomad and a labourer in the sugarcane fields which entailed migration and instability for six months to being a stable entrepreneur, their journey displays the huge transformation. It is the beginning for many more.....

First retail CXO meet for DDUGKY in Maharashtra....

First retail CXO meet for DDUGKY in Maharashtra....

New ideas, experiences and projects excite us and ignite our curiosity. Yesterday, I attended the first CXO meet for retail industry under DDUGKY organised by the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission.
Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). is a flagship program of Government of India which focusses on skilling of the rural youth through Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs).
On completion of training the students are placed on jobs in various sectors with support for post-placement tracking, retention and career progression.
The Implementation begins with mobilization and selection of the right candidates, training them and providing on-job training, assessment and placement.
Maharashtra has target of training of 58,335 rural Youths under DDUGKY by March 2019 and till date  22,000 rural youth have been trained under the programme. The placed youth receive a salary in range of Rs 6,000 to Rs15,000. About 17% are placed in the retail sector, 16% in Hospitality, remaining in BPO, ITeS, Security, Banking and financial services.
Retail sector is among the most preferred sector and chosen on priority by the students and Project implementing agencies of Maharashtra.
It was therefore decided to organise a
CXO meet of the corporate chiefs of the retail sector to establish stronger connection between the PIAs and youth trained under DDUGKY.
Representatives of companies like Cafe Coffee Day, Westside, Shoppers Stop, Future Group, Reliance Group  and  Retail Association of India attended the meet.
Five Skill Icons trained under DDUGKY and working for over one year shared their experiences.
It was extremely encouraging to hear
Dnyaneshwar Sutar speak confidently in English. An unemployed science graduate , unsuccessful in competitive exams got employed in an outlet of Dominoes Pizza  after getting trained under DDUGKY and his life has completely changed now. He earns above Rs.15,000 a month and is also completing his MBA in HR. He is thankful to MoRD, DDUGKY,for the free training, and lodging and boarding facilities provided. Four others who were trained along with him are also placed. The scheme has been a boon for rural youth since they acquire skills for speaking in english along with the trades they choose.
Four girls, Hasina kharode, placed in Tata Star Bazaar, Madhuri Thotam from Sindhudurg placed in D'mart as a cashier, Shankita Pawar and Deepali Gurav , both working as packers in D'mart Pune also expressed their gratitude to the MoRD for initiating a programme which imparted skills to them and gave them confidence. They were thankful to DDUGKY for transforming their lives.
The professionals from the retail industry present at the CXO meet acknowledged that DDUGKY was providing a great platform for growth to the rural youth and the industry. However for all the companies, tackling retetion of the employees and managing attrition was a major concern. They also felt it was important that the candidates have good conversation skills. They emphasised on presentabilty of the employee and the need to be groomed with knowledge of English.
It was pointed out that companies make their annual budget plans for recruitment and engagement of human resources. These could be shared in advance with the PIAs of DDUGKY for supply of manpower.
It was important that the companies interact with the PIAs and spell out their expectations.
The retail industry is dynamic and is continuously changing. E-commerce and online business were in trend and would soon be as much in demand as the physical retail stores. It was important to be prepared for the same.
Retail markets were thus in extension mode and India has a huge potential.
Cafe Coffee Day, the indigenous coffee company itself has 2000 outlets 10000 employees. Initially their staff was under-trained or untrained but their services improved when they employed those trained through DDUGKY. It also reduced the attrition to 30 percent and increased retention. These candidates were eager to learn and grow too. This had a positive impact on their happiness quotient.
It is a matter of great pride and happiness for CCD that Poonam Kumari, who works in Mumbai, was sent to the IWCA summit in Mexico as a coffee connoisseur, where she was educated on developments in the world of coffee and trained by champions from the World Barista Championship.
Lawrence Dsouza, Director- Retail of the RAI, said that there were more than 1.6 crores stores but only about 10 percent had organised staff and labour. There was a greater need in smaller cities, local hyper markets and super markets and needed to be tapped. The PIAs could also participate in the meetings of the local chapters of the RAI and also in its events.
India is ranked first in the Global Retail Development Index 2017, backed by rising middle class and rapidly growing consumer spending. Retail industry in India is expected to grow to US$ 1,100 trillion by 2020 from US$ 672 billion in 2017. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 8 per cent of the employment.
This sector offers great potential to boost the State’s economy and the employment generation.
At the ‘Magnetic Maharashtra meet in February 2018, the Hon"ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra has set target of leading Maharashtra to a 1 trillion-dollar economy by 2025. This requires huge investment in infrastructure and broader initiatives for skill development. MSRLM through DDUGKY is contributing in achieving this goal by bridging the skill gap.
The idea of "own a batch" was put forward whereby any company can undertake a batch of 10 to 12 or 25 students and facilitate their trainings according to the needs of their company.
DDUGKY is on a threshold and has great potential to attract global retailers. This CXO meet was the first step to introduce all stakeholders to the possibilities of capitalising the students trained under DDUGKY. So into the shops, super markets and malls....jet... set... go....

Father's Day....

Father's Day....

It was father's day yestetday. There was a strange sense of hollowness in me. Imagining our father without mother is indeed difficult. A video clip on a strike by fathers became viral yesterday. It began absurdly with a grudge, on the importance being given to mothers but ultimately drove home the point that fathers are equally important. It made me smile. As parents, the roles of mother and father are complimentary. Mothers are doting and fathers, supporting.... Both of them have their own significance.
Yes, having a father is important for so many reasons. They are so reassuring and protective like a shield to ward off any danger or hardship, providing love, care and support, not always from the forefront but from behind at times.
Of course, mothers are mothers. A child's relationship with the mother begins much before the father, as the child is in the mother's womb for 9 months. The bond gets established there and becomes the emotional strength.
Fathers, on the other hand, come into the picture only after the child is born. It is possible for them to experience some aspects along with their wife due to the advance in technology.  For example,  it is possible for them to listen to the heartbeat of the foetus through a stethoscope, feel the foetus moving and kicking, see its growth in the sonography. However, their  first contact with the baby is only after the child is born. There is a definite time lag in the bonding of the father compared to the mother. The mother on the other hand has this natural opportunity to bond with the baby as soon as it is conceived.
Celebrating Mother's day, Father's Day or even Valentine's Day for that matter are all concepts of the west. Indian tradition and culture in contrast says , Maatru Devo Bhavaa, Pitru Devo Bhavaa, Acharya Devo Bhavaa. We worship our parents like Gods, they are our first windows to learning. They are revered everyday. Probably that is why we have no such days for celebration. In fact, a couple of decades ago, very few even knew about celebration of all these days yet they have become trendy today.
Of course its importance cannot be belittled. Many of us get this opportunity at least to express our sentiments and feelings for our fathers and mothers . However, our race to pour out all our feelings should not be limited to this single day. It should also not be interposed as a day to give material gifts. Online stores and malls rule the roost and laugh their way to the banks as we compete to get better gifts for our parents.
Yet what our parents really want is our company, a few moments of attention, a warm conversation, a loving touch to reassure them of our feelings. They devote the prime of their  life to ensure we get a good upbringing and the best of comforts possible. Being with them in their old age is the least we can do.
Birth into a good family, being loved and cared for is such a blessing. It is important to acknowledge this blessing.
As a child, I too never understood this aspect but as I grew, I realised all the efforts made by our parents and began to cherish them and value them all the more.  They had not only made many sacrifices to educate us but also instilled values in us which in turn gave us the strength to face any fortitude.
Our father believed in each one of us and instilled confidence to achieve our dreams. He respected my decision to pursue a degree im Humanities and do BA instead of following my siblings by doing engineering or science. I can never thank him enough for believing in me and for motivating me when I was down. He has been my pillar of strength and support, undoubtedly.
That is what fathers are, like Gibraltar rocks, giving a sense of security, safety, surety and support. No wonder we feel so stable, thanks to the foundation they lay. So to all fathers of the world, thanks for being there, helping us to take our baby steps as well make us tough enough to survive in this world.
And to my father, love you Appa, for every single thing you have done for me, am blessed to be your daughter.....

Sugar on your tongue and Ice on your heads....2 stories of hope, belief with Umed-MSRLM....

Sugar on your tongue and Ice on your  heads....2 stories of hope and belief, with Umed-MSRLM....

Every year under the directions of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India ( MoRD, GoI), the respective state rural livelihoods mission make their annual action plan in cohesion with the district teams. It is then submitted for approval to the Empowered Committee. On approval it is discussed again in details with the district teams in a workshop and disseminated for implementation in the financial year.
This year too we had the annual workshop in April. A number of persons had joined in the district and block teams recently. The state team had therefore invited two community resource persons to share their experiences to enable the new recruits understand the strength of the mission and experience the transformation it was bringing in the lives of women.
Two fiesty ladies had come from Wardha to share the story of their growth.
Sangita Hivse , a Wardhini from Wardha spoke first.
Sangita had been living a hand to mouth existence in Wardha. Her husband earned a meagre amount of Rs.800/- per month . She would support him by selling clothes, detergent powder, odds and ends. Life was difficult.
A Sanghatika, one of the mobilisers of Umed MSRLM had come to their village to talk about the MSRLM scheme and she met her. She came to know about self help groups and that women who form SHGs get support from the government. They can be part of the group, save money and become eligible for getting loans to start a small enterprise which they can repay at the rate of 2 percent interest.
She understood the scheme and was quick to form an SHG . She started maintaining books of accounts and soon became the Chairman of the group.
Umed- MSRLM had placed an advertisement for taking the services of Community Resource Persons- CRPs. She checked whether she was eligible and became a CRP. The area where she worked was not good and was frequented by drunkards but with encouragement, support and help of the ladies she was able to show good results. The ladies demonstrated their strength by escorting her through the area and even dropping her home to keep her safe. Soon she was able to make 45 SHGs and 3 Village Organisations.
She also started making tiffins to earn a living. Her children began going to school.
She then decided to join as a Wardhini.
Wardhinis are external CRPs and  have to be away from home and stay in the villages they are allocated  for 15 days to facilitate social inclusion and help in forming of self help groups.
She convinced her family members and children studying in school and joined as a Wardhini. She completed her training which included immersion and induction. Initially she was a very afraid to go out of her own village. She slowly got used to it and made 10 SHGs. She would lead the village gaon pheris, mashaal pheris to create awareness about women empowerment.
During her visits she would explain about Umed MSRLM and the benefits of SHGs. She conducted surveys as and when required and gave information to people. The people whom she interacted were poor and had a lot of problems to which she would listen patiently. She was also able to interact with VIPs during the course of her work. Her training as a Book-keeper enabled her to understand various types of records. She learnt about member register, loan register, minutes book etc. She could also open a bank account, understand bank passbooks and SHG accounts.
Through her efforts she has been able to create a positive atmosphere in the villages and has created over 100 SHGs in about 8 villages.
She says that, "I could not even speak out in my own family, but due to the training and capacity building of Umed, I got so much confidence to speak in public and leave my own village for work as a Wardhini. I feel so good now. " My husband had stopped drinking. She added with aplomb in marathi, " Ataa, Mi je mhaneen te aiktaat" meaning, now my husband listens to what I say.
She glows with pride when she says , one woman, one family and many villages are transformed, thanks to Umed.
Aruna Bahaature from Seloo block in Wardha is a Senior Wardhini. Her family was small, with one boy and girl yet they were so poor that they could not even afford two meals a day. Her husband was a drunkard and indulged in gambling. Being used to a patriarchal set up he also dominated and ill-treated her. She did some tailoring work to make ends meet.
She happened to attend a meeting of women and came to know of SHGs under Umed. Understanding its benefits, she promptly became a member of an SHG. Her quick power to grasp was recognised and she was made the Chairman of the SHG.
By taking a loan from the SHG she purchased a sewing machine with additional features of pico, embroidery etc. She started earning more than Rs.15,000 per month.
She soon beacame a member of the Village Organisation and also a Chairman there.
She is greatly impressed by the Dashasutri, which include regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, book-keeping, health, education, participating in Panchayat Raj Institutions, taking benefits of government schemes and sustainable livelihoods. She feels they are bringing about the real change in the villages. Women from SHGs have been able to take benefits of MGNREGA, tree plantation, water issues, tree plantation, farming and other government schemes due to Dashasutri.
She has worked in 5 districts of
Palghar, Solapur, Osmanabad, Gondiya and her own district Wardha. She has set up over 100 SHGs and 5 Village Organisations.
She loves her association with Umed because it gave her the confidence. She learnt how to speak, convince people, specially women. Her guru mantra is be cool and speak sweetly. In her words, one should keep sugar on the tongue and ice on the head.
Over the years she has grown and become a Wardhini and feels happy to see themselves as group.
She has seen a lot of changes in her family too. She used to be miserable since her husband did not work. He has transformed completely and now works in a poultry and earns upto Rs.300/- per day. The family eats heathy food and is healthy now. Her son has become an engineer. She herself is doing a course in MSW. On hearing this there was long round of applause.
Her words had said it all.
The confidence of both the speakers was motivating. The mission has created many such wonders.
The words they used, their demeanour revealed their confidence and their gratitude. For all of us present there, they were learnings for being committed, to work harder for the cause of social and financial inclusion, sustainable livelihoods and to take more women forward towards new confidence and newer horizons and to build on Umed, Hope....

Teeny weeny to teenager.....

Teeny weeny to teenager....

It's 14th June, a big day for my son...he is a teenager today. A day to celebrate a milestone in his life and 13 years of my motherhood. A day to savour the joys of having a son like Vishnu....And here I am, at the call of duty at Delhi, 1400 kilometres away waiting to be back to Mumbai, to see his beautiful face and reassuring smile.
The woes of appearing and re-appearing for the civil services exam are many. The rigmarole also led to my late marriage. Motherhood although delayed was a miracle, a blessing out of the blue almost 9 years after our marriage.
It was Diwali time and I had gone to my sister's place for a short break. It was there that I discovered that I was expecting. It took some time for the feeling to sink in. Suddenly everyone in the family, specially my father-in-law was rejoicing.
The days of my pregnancy however were turbulent on the professional and personal front. Managing professional life was not as big a challenge as managing my personal life specially when medical reports indicated the possobility of a child with Down's syndrome.
The Doctor, a renowned gynaecologist and an experienced professional advised me with termination of my pregnancy. Another Doctor relative questioned how I could possibly manage a child affected with Down's in my busy schedule and in any case she felt that the sitaution was  avoidable.
To me, even a thought of doing that was unimaginable. Sharing this news with my parents or father-in-law would have killed their joy and made them unnecessarily apprehensive. So my husband and me kept this information to ourselves. The only other person who knew my state of mind was my sister. I am a firm believer in God and knew that things would be good. I had waited for 9 years for this moment and I was not going to let any medical report spoil that joy.
My then boss who is a medical professional supported my conviction. "Aren't children with Down's not lovable? Don't they love their parents?", he asked. In fact they love them more was what he said in the same breath. This gave me added confidence.
I just let go my inhibitions, got engrossed in work and did everything that was normal. Days flew and soon it was time for my delivery. My sister and brother-in-law had lovingly invited me for my delivery to their home in Hyderabad. I happily accepted it and decided to go my sister's place for my delivery. Not only because we are extremely close to each other emotionally but more so because she is magnanimous to understand my idiosyncrasies and accept them. The added advantage was that the gynaecologist was not only a renowned doctor but also her relative. So Vishnu was born at Hyderabad.
Considering my age the delivery was to be a C-section. As the doctor began the procedure my heart pounded with fierceness of a gong. The baby was out in minutes and the doctor declared that I had been blessed with a boy. As they showed me my bundle of joy from a distance my whole being radiated with thankfulness, gratitude and joy. The feeling to see a normal child is indescribable. All the bottled emotions flowed out.
My journey thereafter has been wonderful with each passing year.
Watching Vishnu grow up has been life's greatest pleasure. He was a very manageable child, rarely cried. And even if he did he could be pacified easily. His eyes twinkled with laughter, his long porcupine hair attractive, his demeanour cheerful. He was therefore the apple of everyone's eye.
I came back to Mumbai 3 months after he was born and continued to remain on leave. Each day with him would be exciting and different. I would spend hours admiring his beauty, enjoying his sweet touch, gurgling sounds.
For us , as parents, each milestone was a moment of pride, the day he turned , sat up, stood up, put his first forward, spoke the first words. Those moments will always be treasured by both of us as parents. My father-in-law and co-sister along with a dear old nanny were my support system. Our neighbours were like an extended family always there to help me out. Occassionally my parents also joined.
I went back to work after a year at home on a post which was less demanding and also near home. Leaving Vishnu behind would initially lead to guilt. Slowly, I learnt to overcome my guilt and manage my work and home efficiently. My family and husband supported me in the same.
When he became two we put him in a play school. I was heartbroken to see his tears but he was quick in making friends and settled soon.
He joined regular school in Thane at Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School. My joy knew no bounds when he was selected to make the introductory speech in his school programme. Barely four he stood ground on a stage with over 1000 audience in front of him. Tears of joy kept flowing as I watched him speak and lauded by the audience. Since then till now he has brought us endless joy.
Unassuming and friendly he mixes easily and is the most undemanding. I have never been embarrassed by his behaviour at any time nor was I afraid to take him to any shop for fear of unreasonable demands.
His positivity, confidence and sense of humour are amazing and many times make me think of him as my mentor. Maybe the hardships I encountered and my unshed tears had reached him though the umbilical cord. No wonder he is always concerned about my well-being. He is quick to make a refreshing glass of juice when I come tired or even press my sore feet and back when i am exhausted. He had taken good care of his grandfather too when he was alive.
His charm is endearing and being angry with him for the sole reason of occasional neglect in study is short-lived. One look at his cute smile is enough to drive away irritation of any kind.
Being more of a friend it's easy to share all my thoughts, fears, anxieties with him and be sure of receiving the correct response. He has brought calm into my turbulent life.
All good things including our first car, airconditioner and holidays are thanks to him.
He is also the perfect blend of modernism and the traditional. I initiated him into learning shlokas and sampradaayam when he was merely four, taking him for classes to the temple and the Desika Sabha and also an aunt. He was the darling of all the gurus when he recited the shlokas. Till date he follows with bhakti and devotion the path of our Acharyas. It fills me satisfaction and gratitude.
As parents we did not want  to burden him with any classes. When he was five, he himself told me that he was interested in learning cricket and I should enrol him for cricket coaching. Since then, I have seen his love and passion for cricket grow manifold. His knowledge about the game and players amaze me.
From a bonny child to a compassionate teenager he has brought me countless moments of joy. My life would have been so incomplete without him.
As I travel back to my home, to be with him on his special day, I am full of gratitude to God that he blessed me Vishnu. Life's journey would certainly not have been as wonderful nor would it have been so lovable if not for him.
On his 13th birthday when he is a teenager, my wish for him is to continue having faith in himself.
As a student, cricketer, he has immense potential. What is more important is his growth, attitude and development as an individual. His moorings, belief, God's blessings and best wishes of family, friends and well-wishers have kept him grounded. They shall surely lead him to light. As i think of him on my journey back to Mumbai, I find myself smiling....His words, "Be positive Maa" ring in my ears and all I can say is.... Happy 13th birthday my darling....

Har Har Gange....

Har Har Gange....

Rivers have always been a source of inspiration for many of us. Born at Bhusawal, I grew up with the blessings of the Tapti river. Our house was close to the river and many evenings I would cycle or walk down to the river basin and just enjoy the flow or dip my feet in the cool waters. The floowing river never ceased to fascinate me.
Which is why I was overwhelmed by my first
darshan of the Holy Ganga twenty years ago. It was a family trip to the holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The expanse and the flow enthralled me. I kept gazing for minutes, my mind, a myriad of thoughts, of being born in India, a Hindu with the opportunity to experience this feeling of being free with gratitude. I have always felt free, in mind and spirit, to worship and remember God as I like, in a manner, i thought fit, unfettered. That is what i like most about being a Hindu, experiencing the spiritual, as a way of life, of being immersed in karm and bhakti. I felt engulfed in mind, spirit and body akin to attaining Moksha as i dipped myself in the holy waters then, literally cleansed, buoyant with life, rejuvenated.
Thereafter I didn't get the opportunity to go again to Rishikesh or Haridwar despite being so close for training at LBSNAA in Mussourie last year. There is a saying too that the call for darshan of the divine happens only when the divine desires.
Now all of a sudden, our pre-planned visit to Shimla had to be cancelled due to water shortage and instead my son and me headed towards Rishikesh to be among the green hills of the Himalayas and the flowing waters of the Holy Ganga.
We were fortunate to go to Parmarth Niketan Ashram, intereact with Bhagvati Swamini Adityanathji and receive the blessings of Pujya Swamiji Chidanand Saraswatiji who is the President and spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan.
Swamini Adityanathji was generous to facilitate my son, Vishnu to take part in two Yagnyas and also perform arati at the Ganga.
Parmarth Niketan Ashram is one of the largest and oldest ashrams in Rishikesh. Located on the Ganga, it not only provides perfect darshan of the Holy river but also has excellent accomodation and other facilities. It is a centre for yoga, meditation, satsang, bhajan and other cultural activities. It is open to all people without discrimination of caste, creed, colour, sex, nationality.
The sunset Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan is the main attraction as thousands of visitors come there to seek blessings of the holy river Ganga and the Swamiji. The power of arati is beyond religion and is universal. Whether a person understands the language or no, it's aura is transcendent of boundaries or barriers of caste, language and culture and connects us with the supreme.
We were lucky to have the arati led by Swamiji himself. Listening to him leading the arati and the bhajans and hearing his divine discourse was uniquely divine. The flowing waters of the Ganga soothed our fluid minds bringing stillness and calm. Ganga is not just a river, she is truly our divine Mother, giving us life. From times immemorial her waters have witnessed growth of civilsations, supported agriculture, led to spiritual development of human beings.
Standing in front of the Holy river and witnessing the arati opened up my deepmost thoughts and emotions. A sense of gratitude, deep respect and pride for our nation and for being an Indian, a Hindu, with an opportunity to be a part of this divine experience.
I was totally immersed in peace and tranquillity when out of the blue I saw a plastic bottle floating in the water. There was a sudden sense of despair. The Ganga has been flowing since antiquity, it's flow and expanse more or less the same. What has really changed or increased are the number of persons taking the holy dip or bathing. What has increased is the habitation, hotels and industry and with it the onslaught of pollution.
Awareness to keep the holy river clean and also programs to clean the Ganga are in progress since 1985. Raj Kapoor's film Ram Teri Ganga Maili was also a step in that direction. Yet it has been difficult to surmount the problem because of the multitude of people and the magnitude of the task. Blaming the government or passing the buck to others as if cleanliness is their mantle is unfair. Actually, it is upto each one of us as individuals to take steps for maintaining the cleanliness of the Holy river and other places, just as we take care of our own homes and keep them clean. The need and desire, the transformation has to happen from within.
At Parmarth Niketan, Swamiji is also passionate about cleanliness and sanitation The Ashram has came out with a programme to create ambassadors of sanitation and clean Ganga. The Ashram has a dedicated team working to spread awareness on sanitation and hygiene. They also have a programme for training sanitation ambassadors who can go and work dedicatedly in the villages. No wonder the Ashram is so clean. Their film for generating awareness about cleansing the Ganga made me realise how casual we are in using and disposing waste material, sewage,  specially plastic. For us it can be a single bottle but when added up becomes a huge heap. Day in and out thousands and sometimes lakhs take a holy dip in the river. We must exercise caution not to use soap, urinate or defecate in the Ganga. It is for us to preserve our treasures for posterity.
Spiritualism is an act of the mind. Rituals are a part of it. However if rituals supercede the purity of spiritualism they can possibly lose their essence.
As my son and me walked down the river, hand in hand, we took an oath to propogate cleanliness and sanitation.
This visit not only made us rich spiritually but also left us calm and composed, ready to dedicate ourselves for the welfare of the society with renewed vigour. We were grateful to be born in this country and as citizens of being part of the wonder that is India !!!!

Umed SHG products, now at R-City Mall, Ghatkopar....

Umed SHG products, now at R- City Mall, Ghatkopar....

R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, one of the largest malls in Mumbai, thronged by lakhs of people, a shoppers paradise, a place where entrepreneurs vie with each other to exhibit their products. A dream for Self help groups of women to exhibit their products and sell them. However, this dream became a reality on 9th June 2018 thanks to the efforts made by Ms. Sangeeta Lalwani, Chairperson, FICCI FLO, Pune and the other members of FICCI FLO Pune.
MSRLM works under the aegis of NRLM for empowerment of women through self help groups. Training them in social and financial inclusion and building their capacities for sustainable livelihoods are the prime objectives. Maharashtra has more than 2 lakhs of SHGs and over 33 lakh households under it's umbrella. Of these more than 5 lakh have access to livelihood activities. Marketing the products of the SHG, diversifying and standardising them is still a challenge.
A collaborative meeting with Rotarians of Panvel and Pune and members of FICCI FLO Pune, to discuss these aspects and accelerate livelihoods of SHGs was held at the SMU of MSRLM . A few members of the SHGs showcased their enterprise and spoke about their experiences as social entrepreneurs. The women shared their experiences with great enthusiasm. Some made bags or artefacts, some traded in pounded rice, some made spices and masalas yet each had a story of success. They all zeroed in on market access.
We were listening to them with rapt attention, admiring their confidence, their desire to grow and reach for the stars.
Sangeeta Lalwani, present at the meeting felt their ethos. She generously used her good offices and sought permission from the head of Runwal group for setting up a SHGs stall at R City Mall Ghatkopar.
The R City Mall at Ghatkopar is not only one of the biggest malls but also a very happening place. An opportunity for exhibition and sale of SHG products therein on weekends was like dream come true.
A lot of meticulous planning was done by the FICCI FLO Pune team, the R City mall staff and our team.
The SHG stalls were inaugurated
at the hands of Mrs.Chanda Runwal and Ms.Vinita Bhimbet former FICCI FLO President.
Bridgestone, the renowned tyre company, was one of the main sponsors to support this initiative. Tej pratap Tripathi, Assistant Manager of Bridgestone promised to give the best support possible.
Ten SHGs from the districts of Palghar, Talasari, Dahanu, Ambarnath, Murbad and Ratnagiri showcased their products which included Warli paintings, colourful jackets, variety of spices and masalas, pickles and paapads, satin thread jewellery, jute bags, cashew nuts, colourful diyaas.
I interacted with the all the women who had got this exclusive privilege of marketing their products at such a renowned mall. All of them were very overwhelmed by this gesture.They were happy to get an opportunity to exhibit their products at R-City thanks to Sangeeta Lalwani, FICCI FLO Pune and Bridgestone.
True to it's motto, FICCI FLO, Pune had unleashed it's power to empower. The whole group took the effort to travel from Pune to Mumbai for this noble cause. They had shown new horizons to the SHGs by making this platform available to them. The inaugural function was a cosy event and the SHG women settled into brisk business.
My heart said a silent prayer and bowed in gratitude to God that He had made rhis possible. Wishing the SHGs a super business I left with plans in my mind for the next week.....

P.S. The products of SHGs will be on exhibition and sale every weekend at RCity Mall Ghatkopar....

MSRLM-Umed....Hope and little blessings....

MSRLM - Umed....Hope and little blessings....

On a hot and sunny morning, on my visit to Nevali village, in Ambarnath Taluka of Thane district, I find over 100 fiesty and enthusiastic women waiting for me. They greet me cheerfully with Umed claps...thrice...clap clap clap..... The Sarpanch, two Panchayat Samiti members and a Zilla Parishad member also join me in the interaction.
Till the previous year Thane was a district under the non-intensive strategy of MSRLM. It has become an district under the intensive strategy now, meaning henceforth it would have dedicated staff to work at the district, block levels and also have community resource person ( CRPs) at the village level. The intensive strategy had just begun to be adapted, however, I found that all the women in this SHGs were familiar with the Dasha Sutras of MSRLM. It was heartening to know that each of them knew the ten sutras, that is- regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, writing books of accounts, Health, Edcuation, participating in Panchayat Raj Institutions, deriving benefits of various schemes of the government and having sustainable livelihoods.
Many of them were eager to share their experiences. They spoke in turns and most of them said that Umed had been instrumental in transforming their lives. They could become financially independent, could open bank accounts and were free from loans at higher rates of interest. They had become more united, helpful, sensitive to each others needs and cohesive as a group. Previously they would never know when Gram Sabhas took place, now they knew about it and participated actively in the gram sabhas. They were also able to adapt various livelihoods like selling sarees, setting up of a kirana shop, improve agriculture, sell vegetables, do poultry business etc.
Apparently their catering services were also extremely popular. Some of them provided Bhaakris ( Indian bread made from Rice, Jowar or Baajraa), some made puran polis 《Indian bread with jagerry filling). I was able to savour the taste and sweetness of the puran polis as the ladies had lovingly made a few for me. It was really touching as they fussed over me while I gorged on the delicious delicacy.
Among the women, sitting quietly was a typical village woman. Out of curiosity i asked her had the mission helped her. Yes was her spontaneous reply. She said she was able to grow vegetables and sell them.The women also shared that on formation of SHGs it was possible for them to celebrate functions like Women's day, Chatrapati Shivaji Jayanti in the village. Umed had begun reaching out to the people here.
With a sparkle in my eyes and a smile on my lips, we went to the next village Mangrul.
The ladies here too were extremely vibrant and enterprising. Some of them had got into Mandap Decoration business. They had taken a loan of Rs.1 lakh from the bank and invested it in buying chairs to give on hire. They had earned Rs.9800 in just one month by renting chairs at Rs.5/- They planned to buy tables and other items to improve their business as mandap contractors. Like the previous group some of them did catering business also.
It was interesting to visit the home of one SHGs which had started poultry business and purchased a unique cage for them.
Manda Vilas Patil and Vilas Patil of Mangrul managed the business well and had cute little chicks adding joy to their lives.
The third village was near the famous dargah of the revered Haaji Malaang in Malaang wadi. Enthusiastic women waited to meet me here also. They too were well- versed with the basics of SHGs, Dasha sutri and sustainable livelihoods.
Shobha Naik is an artist who does baatik painting on cloth, has a good business. She makes dresses, sarees, bed sheets which give her brisk business in the
Konkan Saras and Mahalakshmi Saras. Her products have even made way to Pakistan. She makes many food products including spices and fries.
Shraddha Srinath Bhosale another women said that Umed had given her strength and hope and the very thought that she can come out freely makes her feel good.
Government of Maharashtra has introduced the Asmita scheme where by women and girls can back good quality sanitary napkins at affordable prices. Asmita sale and usage is picking up in Thane district and at least 2 or SHGs in these three villages I visited were trading in Asmita and vouching that it is good. In fact, one of their SHGs, Shri Krupa SHG was to launch vending machine for selling sanitary napkins at Konkan Bhavan in the office Divisional Commissioner, Konkan division.
Twenty-five kilometres away from Mumbai, three villages in Ambarnath Taluka of Thane district, gave me great insights of hope that MSRLM-Umed had brought into their lives.
Lives of the people are certainly getting transformed.
Thanks NRLM and MSRLM-Umed!

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