Farmer and Woman Farmer.....

Farmer and Woman Farmer.....

I spent half my evening yesterday poring over various dictionaries to find the feminine gender of the word "farmer". My school lessons in grammar on masculine and feminine gender didn't come to my rescue. There used to be something known as the "neuter" gender- neither masculine or feminine. That too had changed to being known as " common" gender now.
Yes the word "farmer" appeared as common gender just like a teacher or a doctor.
We are certainly gender neutral when we think about doctors, they could be male or female . However when we think about teachers it is more often than not female.  And when we think of farmers, in all likelihood we think of a man.
A woman maybe spending a lot of time on the fields , participating in many of agricultural activities from sowing to harvesting. Yet she is never considered as a farmer. She maybe the farmer's wife, sister, daughter or a farm woman but certainly not a farmer.
This is mainly because women are absent at the higher end of the value chain in agriculture. They could be labouring in the fields but are rarely seen in the markets or places of auction. That still remains the forte of the men mainly because average women are not equipped with those skills.

The National Rural Livelihoods Mission therefore came up with the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, MKSP, which looked at capacitating the technical and management skills of the women through continuous capacity building of the women as farmers. Therein too women farmers had to be christened as "Mahila Kisan".

Under MKSP, women are provided financial support for mechanisation, for purchase of equipments or use of technology suitable to them to reduce their drudgery. This has led to the creation of over 4 lakh women farmers in Maharashtra.
My mind has therefore been in a flurry since yesterday after I attended a meeting to discuss the state annual credit plan and the targets for distribution of crop loan to farmers. There was a mention of small and marginal farmers but women found no place in this discussion. There was no data on the number of women farmers who had received loans. SHG financing was not a part of the discussion. Women from SHGs would certainly be taking loans for agriculture. In fact project proposals by women SHGs for loans are often neglected during the period of distribution of crop loans.
This again brings me to the thought of subsitnece farming wherein the whole family of the farmer maybe working but it is the male who ultimately gets recognised as a farmer and women are relegated to be support providers. So while women's role in farming is largely accepted, it wouod normally be at the lower end of the value chain.
Programmes like NRLM may have brought about a change. Women farmers who are members of SHGs have certainly benefited through capacity building. They have better access to information, they understand input and output, including seed variety, pest management, sorting and grading and moisture content, post harvesting activities etc.
Yet the single most important reason for their recognition of men as farmers is their right and title to land. While a lot of reforms have been made to ensure the names of all the woman of the household are entered into the record of rights yet in reality this is still a distant dream.
Women who hire land for cultivation are therefore not recognised as stakeholders. This is one of the main reasons for women having limited access to finance as the title to property are clearly not theirs.
Access to finance and banking by women therefore gets restricted.
Also their recognition as farmers gets jeopardised due to lack of managerial, mechanical and technical skills. At times norms and traditions are a hindrance , for example women farmers are denied access to auction of farm products in Maharashtra. Also the patriarchal approach of restricting women as helpers or labourer exists. This is due to lack of awareness of the important role women play as farmers and also due to the lack of sensitivity of every stakeholder.
Their ideas on land preparation, cropping patterns, pest management, harvesting, post-harvest, marketing are rarely recognised.

A dual approach of capacitating women and sensitising men should therefore go hand in hand keeping in mind this difference in gendering of agriculture.
The challenges and concerns of women entrepreneurs’ are different from male entrepreneurs. The gaps in participation of women in value chains of selected commodities, their constraints in moving upwards in value chains and in market linkages need to be identified. Special efforts have to be made therefater for their inclusion in every step by designing specific policies and programmes. Empowering women as farners socio-economically will hasten the speed.
Credit plans for agriculture need to consider the specific concerns of women and men and formulate policies for mainstreaming of gender.
Including the participation of women in mainstream agriculture will lead to utilization of the women's potential appropriately leading to the growth in GDP.
It has been proved beyond doubt that women's participation in any economic activity has led to increased growth upto 25 percent.
The need of the hour is to recognise this potential and treat women as major stakeholders in agriculture.

The FAO has stated that, ‘Closing the gender gap in agriculture would generate significant gains for the agriculture and society. If women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30 percent and raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 per cent (FAO, 2011).
The standing guidelines for ensuring 30 percent participation of women in all
central sector programmes (DAC, 2011) and the gender budgeting approach of checking what percentage of funds and
benefits are allocated for women and are actually availed by women beneficiaries under each sector are some of the
monitoring mechanisms introduced for enabling the women farmers to access development support and services.
However as pointed out by Geethakutty et al 2014  even Central sector programmes of agriculture such as RKVY do not keep any priority for farm women empowerment

MKSP, the only project specially envisaged for women farmers in the State is being implemented by the Department of Rural Development.
Isn't it high time that some of the real focus in agriculture actually shifts to women farmers? Till then all discussion on credit plan for agriculture would only be mere lip service not only to women but also to society. 

The end of elections, of Desh ka Mahatyohaar, the country's biggest festival.....

The end of elections, of Desh ka Mahatyohaar, the country's biggest festival.....

My day suddenly feels empty, my mind unbusy and there is nothing much to do. Almost a vacuum as the celebrations of the largest festival of the country, Desh ka Mahatyohaar ended day before yesterday.
In a flashback , I go back three months to March 2019 when we had been called to Vigyan Bhavan to attend the training for appointment as Election Observers. The air then was full of expectations and excitement high as we clamoured to know the constituencies to which we would be going. Those who were allocated constituencies were busy discussing the best mode of travel while those kept on reserve were either joyful or woebegone.
Preparations for the largest festival of democracy began more than a year ago but had heated up over the last six months.
A festival which needed to prepare for 90 crore people in diverse geographies, with different sets of awareness and literacy, being rural and urban amidst trying weather conditions needed great acumen. Plains and hinterlands, , hills and valleys, islands or deep jungles had to be taken into consideration.
A festival which not only had to educate people about the importance of voting but also about new technologies like the use of VVPAT machines to verify their vote. And executing all this with such precision that there was no room left for complaint.
A normal citizen who comes to vote will find it difficult to imagine and understand all the the effort that goes into the conduct of smooth, free and fair elections.
The logistics are diverse and massive.
In fact the preparations for elections begin almost a year before the actual process with the preparation of error free electoral rolls by the Electoral Registration Officer. This perhaps is the most thankless job with individuals neither bothering to ascertain their names in the rolls nor making an attempt to include themselves despite the fact that ECI and Chief Electoral Officers of the states constantly advertise to ensure the same. In fact Booth level officers are appointed for the door to door survey. Yet many times citizens fail to register themselves as voters or do not bother to check their names when they shift their place of stay. They end up complaining bitterly on the day of poll. Ensuring that one's name is included in the voters list and one also votes is the primary duty of a cutizen.
The next inportant thing done by the District Election Officer is the Identification of polling stations to facilitate the process of voting. Therafter a sequence of activities keep happening . Acquiring EVMs and VVPATs and checking them thoroughly by the technical experts in the presence of political parties is not done once but twice. They are kept ready to be used on announcement of poll. The flurry of activity after the announcrment of poll is inconceivable.
The Election Commission does not have permanent staff for conduct of polls but requisitions the services of officials as and when required.
This is a mammoth task as lakhs of people are needed for every step from registration , to conduct poll, for counting and for sealing the EVMs and other records after poll.
So the exercise for requisitioning services of people to procurement of goods and election material is done by the district. Alongside are the statutory provisions for accepting nomination forms, conducting a scrutiny, accepting and rejecting nominations, making a final list of contesting candidates, displaying them on the notice board. EVM ballot unit, control unit and VVPATs are prepared in the presence of representatives of political parties. Orders have to be issued to the staff and training sessions organised  according to the roles assigned to them. The Presiding Officers PROs who actually conduct the poll at the polling booth are provided 2 trainings including a hands on training. The other polling officers trained according to their roles.
Security arrangements are made in consultation with the police.
A Transport plan is also prepared for the safe travel of the election staff and the election material.
Efforts are also made to ensure that voters have assured minimum facilities by way of water, electricity, ramp, furniture, help desk, signages and toilet. Special efforts are made for facilitating persons with disabilities, senior citizens and women. Voter slips are distributed by Booth level officer to facilitate easy location of polling booth by voters. Help desks at the polling booths are also set up.
This year the ECI took specific steps by setting up a helpline 1950, a website , www.nvsp.in, various apps like #GoVerify, # GoCall, # GoRegister, # GoVote. These proactive measures show the sincerity and seriousness of the ECI to ensure that elections are inclusive. 
Software like the ERONET for error free electoral rolls, CVIGIL citizen vigilant app to capture live violation anywhere with a facility to upload along with a brief description are revolutionary. 
The Voter helpline app which gives all information to the voter about his name, polling station, way to reach has become the 7th highest rated app. A single window system, SUVIDHA was established to issue permissions to contesting candidates in 48hours. This Suvidha portal actually became a great facility in knowing the live result trends appropriately. The information was available to everyone at the fingertips.
The counting of votes is also undertaken meticulously at the centres identified and approved by the ECI. The strong rooms are sanitised in front of the candidates or their agents and after storage of EVMs are  sealed in their presence. They are even permitted to deploy their representatives during the entire period of storage outside the strong rooms where machines are stored. Central Police Forces guard the strong roons to ensure impartiality and non-interference by the State Police.
The Election Commission of our country not only emphasised on conduct of free and fair elections but ensured that no stone was unturned to facilitate that. The task is mammoth but transparency was ensured at every level.
Aspertions about the tampering of EVMs are therefor irksome. At every step and every level political parties are requested to remain present. The first and second level checking , the preparation of the EVMs for the poll, the setting up of EVMs and mock poll at the polling booth are all done in the presence of the representatives of the political parties who are also present throughout the poll.
For those of us who work in government getting the opportunity to work at least once for elections is certain. It has been my good fortune to get the opportunity to work for the conduct of elections in various capacities as Electoral Registration Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, Returning Officer, Deputy District Election Officer and Election Observer during the last twenty-five years. Each experience has been memorable and a great learning. What the election process teaches us best is team management. The election law, rules, acts are so well-thought and perfectly written that if one reads them and follows them to the 'T' then one can never fumble.
This time as the Counting Observer for four assembly constituencies of Karnal in Haryana, I was stationed at Panipat. Observing the process in all the four assembly constituencies was possible due to efficient team management by the District Election Officer and the Assistant Returning Officers with whom I worked in close coordination. The personal touch given by each officer to increase the efficiency of the counting staff and make them work positively was clearly evident. This is possible only due to the systems set in place by the Election Commision of India  and my head can only bow in respect to the ECI which does everything possible to uphold democracy. As Kenneth Blackwell has rightly stated, " We have a system that allows us to manage a free and fair election , free of intimidation, and that's what we all have delivered on election day, and we're very very proud of it."

Water cup and winning water with Shram Daan...

Water cup and winning water with Shram Daan...

"Anna goodgoodey, Neer goodgoodey
dushkaal Dishkiyaaon, Dishkiyaaon,  Dishkiyaaon".....
This isn't any dialogue from a bollywood potboiler. It is the clarion call of lakhs of villagers and volunteers participating in the shram daan for the water conservation initiative of Paani Foundation.
One of my colleagues, Mr Nanaaware who had recently retired from government service has joined the Paani Foundation. It was he who came to discuss with me the efforts Paani Foundation is making to motivate and chanelise people to vountarily undertake water conservation and water harvesting activies in 75 blocks of drought stricken Maharashtra. The idea of MSRLM collaborating with Pani Foundation was also put forth by him.
MSRLM Umed works for the empowerment of women through self help groups. The underlying principles of social, financial and economic inclusion in the Mission are ultimately linked with sustainable livelihoods. In rural areas agriculture is the mainstay of Sustainable livelihoods. Access to sufficient water is paramount for successful agriculture. Unfortunately many areas in Maharashtra have been consistently witnessing droughts or drought like situation due to the vagaries of nature, poor rains or indiscriminate use of natural resources.
The Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan has been one among the many dedicated efforts made by the state government to overcome this acute shortage of water in the drought prone areas in a planned manner. The efforts are certainly bearing fruits. Additionally when organisations like the Paani Foundation come forward to support this need they must be welcomed.
It is now more than well understood by civil society organisations and NGOs that government is the main channel for enabling change and others organisations, specially NGOs or CSOs can only function as catalysts.
Paani Foundation's efforts in the direction of water conservation are therefore laudable.
When our State Mission Manager, Social Inclusion suggested participation in the shram daan it was welcomed by all of us.
The situation in Satara district with regard to water is quite paradoxical , with one part well-irrigated and green and the other part dry and parched. We therefore discussed with Mr.Nanaware and decided to go a village Haasewadi, in Koregaon block of Satara district for Shram daan.
The weather being hot we decided to begin early so as to complete the shram daan before the heat became unbearable.
The villagers and the Paani Foundation  members welcomed us warmly. Teams were made after registration and the technical persons gave us information about graded bunds and guided us how we should do the work. We were given the required equipments like hoe, spades, plastic ghamela - basin for collecting soil and throwing it.
All the teams began in right earnest. The soil was hard and dry. My hands felt a jerk as I took the hoe in my hands and started digging the earth. It was bare and dry. My mind jolted  too thinking how farmers must be manging to work effortlessly with the hoe day after day and year after year in the sweltering heat.
Handling a spade was equally tough. Shovelling the mud into the ghamela needed skill too as was pointed out by an old villager. The dug out soil was to be heaped upto one feet adjacent to the graded bund. Our teams went about doing this rhythmically. A spirit of competition prevailed too, to ascertain which group had done the most work.
Villagers came in large numbers to support the cause along with other local organisations like the Builders association or a computer school. They also were doing the task dedicatedly. At a distance were the bare mountains watching over us in the hope that soon it would rain, the area would become green and they would not be barren.
The only thought which constantly rummaged my mind was what prevents the villagers from undertaking similar work under various government schemes ? They came voluntarily to work for Jalyukt Shivar or Water Cup but not for MGNREGA where they would get paid for doing the same work. Was it because a celebrity was associated with the work of Paani Foundation and a prize had been announced? Was it because they did not like to be bound by musters and attendance and be answerable to any authority? Had the concept of wage-based dignity of labour become redundant?
MSRLM Umed is making an effort to bridge this gap. The Dashasutri it follows is a 360 degree approach to self-development of the SHGs and the village. So perhaps Paani Foundation and MSRLM Umed could explore many more possibilities of collaboration.
Mr. Nanaware mentioned that our team had dug about 287 cubic meters which meant that 287000 litres of water could possibly get percolated a single time it rains. If it rained 5 times a year as is normal , almost 1435000 litres of water would possibly get percolated in one year. The life span of a graded bund is about 10 years which meant about 14350000 litres of water would possibly get percolated in ten years. This was equal to 14350 tankers of 10000 litres each which at the rate of Rs.2000 per tanker would approximately cost Rs.2.87 crores in 10 years. The figures are mindboggling but they were useful in driving home the point that the smallest of efforts could lead to larger gains of water for human beings, animals and nature. The fact is that water is priceless and could never be measured in amounts.

For most of us the Shram daan was an eye opener about many things. The effort a farmer has to put in to plough the soil, the fact that the earth could be so dry and hard and our limbs so weak, the extreme heat outside the comfort zone of our air conditioners, the bumpy roads to the distant fields and of course the acute scarcity of water and its unavailability.
A couple of hours and we were sweaty and exhausted but glowing with pride at the task accomplished. We may not have done anything very significant or phenomenal in the shram daan but the experience was.priceless. The realisation of the hardships of the drought stricken and the efforts needed to overcome it was no less than any phenomenon. Our bodies may have become sore with pain but our hearts were content with satisfaction.
As for myself, the dust on my hair, face and body glittered like gold, my hands though a bit hardened felt more sure. My body was as heavy as lead but my mind as light as a feather. My eyes were all smiles thinking about the rains which would seep into the soil and make mother earth happy. And in my mind, I repeated, "Anna goodgoodey, Neer goodgoodey, dushkaal, Dishkiyaaon, Dishkiyaaon,  Dishkiyaaon".....

P.S -: The date for particiipating in the Water Cup competition has been extended till 27th May 2019. Volunteers still have an opportunity to contribute to this noble cause and may contact the Paani Foundation .

Accountability, Being answerable to one's self....

Accountability, Being answerable to one's self....

It was not just another day. The alarm was abuzz and my head too as I woke up from my slumber in the morning. Many things had been planned for the day and many things had to be done. As I opened the windows, the cool breeze made me smile, the birds chirping with joy as they had already set out on their way into the skies.
A few hours later, as I stepped into office, the sense of purpose by way of acheivables for the day was specific.
After a couple of meetings, I set out to interact with the Block and District Mission Managers from the newly inducted districts into the intensive strategy of MSRLM. "Intensive" essentially meant having a dedicated team at the district, block and village levels for implementation of the activities under NRLM.
The induction is a seven day programme where the concerned staff is initiated to the ideology, precept and practice of NRLM with a complete introduction of all the thematics. These include social inclusion, capacity building, financial inclusion, livelihoods, convergence, procurement, human resources, administration, accounts, skilling and MIS. Together all these made a whole, and inadequate attention to any of these would lead to an imbalanced implementation.
When asked about the change in their roles now as compared to their previous one , most spoke about the increase in scope of work, the increased outreach, the method of implementation and the support mechanisms they would now be having to do their work.
What they did not touch upon was the word, "mission" which essentially made the difference.
The word 'mission' itself reflects the military zeal and commitment essential for performing the duties which had been assigned to all working under NRLM which would lead to specific results based on the plans made by themselves.
This was possible only when one had a sense of duty, strong commitment and made dedicated efforts to achieve the results based on planned action. Such conscientiousness was depending on one's own zeal and enthusiasm and not on those of others.
In a society where right from our childhood our responses are based on the affirmations and the validations we receive from our parents, siblings, peers and society we tend to limit our performances.
Fear of punishment, ridicule, humiliation, mortification leads us to become accountable. This would be clear if we look at our everyday lives.
For example , wearing of seat belts or helmets is done by many to avoid a fine or penalty imposed by the police and not because one champions safety. Such action is inappropriate because it is not based on positive reasons like our own safety or the good of the society. The underlying principle in such instances is fear.
Similarly in our jobs or profession, our desire to be proficient and to excel in our tasks gets limited to the outcomes of achieving targets, getting good appraisals or promotions. Deriving satisfaction from our jobs is relegated to the background. We end up being cogs in the machine. Our productivity in such cases is not only dwarfed but also becomes distant from positivity.
In contrast when one looks at his job as a means for mental stimulation and saisfaction and works passionately for the same the outcomes are different.
When one begins to be accountable to one's self and is motivated by pleasure or desire to work the whole scenario changes. This sense of responsibility which instils maturity and discipline of being accountable to one's self should be the basis for our motivation to work. It also means that it is you who choses the goals and sets them. Acheiving them therefore becomes joyful.
Having gratitude for the opportunities one has because of our job or profession becones important. Then one not only loves his job but also excels in it due to the passion which automatically follows. His commitment becomes complete not because he wants validation of others but because he is answerable to his own self.
It is only when we set our goals and work hard to achieve it and be accountable to ourselves we become successful and are also at peace.
In reality personal ethics is the precursor to professional ethics. If we are unethical in our personal lives, we cannot possibly be ethic professionally. If we are not commited to work in our personal life the possibility of commitment profesionally is quite unlikely.
Brushing mediocrity and casualness under the carpet just because you feel nobody is watching is detrimental to your own growth. We may retain our jobs but our personal growth would certainly be stunted. And of course  hypocrisy certainly has no place in accountability.
Years ago I refused to do something not because no one was watching me but because my parents had told me, that nobody maybe watching whatever you do but you would certainly be watching yourself.
Personal accountability requires mindfulness, courage, honesty,  acceptance and missionary zeal which is what working individuals not only in MSRLM but anywhere else really need.
Your mind is your mirror and your conscience is your guide. After all what shall it profit a man if he shall win the whole world but lose his own soul???.

खालीपन, अंत औऱ नयी शुरुआत ....

खालीपन, अंत औऱ नयी शुरुआत ....

भरी भरी सी वो
अचानक ख़ाली हो गयी
जैसे किसी ने
उलट दिया हो....
मन में भरी ऊर्जा
लुप्त सी हो गयी
जैसे किसी ने
कुछ पलट दिया हो...
शून्य सी हो गयी वो
जैसे किसी ने
कुछ हटा दिया हो...
तुच्छ भी हो गयी वो
जैसे किसी ने
छांट दिया हो....
लघु सी कुछ
जैसे किसी ने
घटा दिया हो.....
अभागी सी कुछ
जैसे किसी ने
वंचित किया हो....
अकेली एकाकी
जैसे कोई
हीन गृहीन हो....
मगर,  मन ने,

फिर एक बार

सच्चा मित्र बन 

थाम लिया उसको....
हौसला देकर
याद दिलाया
ज़िन्दगी हैं अनमोल...
कहा उससे
आत्मनिर्भर बनो
खुद पर विश्वास रखो....
ताकत हो तुम स्वयं की
और दूसरों की भी

पहचानो अपनी ताकत को 
दृढ संकल्पित रहो 
कर्म करते रहो ....
हार कभी ना मानो
ईश्वरी शक्ति
मोड़ बदलकर
रास्ता दिखलाएगी...
औऱ बतलाएगी
यह अंत नहीं
एक नयी शुरुआत हैं...
आगे बढ़ो
यह अंत नहीं
यह तो एक नयी शुरुवात हैं....

मन विमल

Beed, Banjara crafts and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar.....

Beed, Banjara crafts and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar.....

Tucked away in the heart of Maharashtra, almost at the centre is Beed. Not many people , even in our own state must have heard of this district. Hot, rugged and historical, it is even spiritual as the famous Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga Shiv temple is located here. It does hit headlines when there is discussion on the plight of sugarcane labourers. The district also has a large number of women from the banjara community. The challenges here are many and so MSRLM had identified it as a district which needed to be included in the "intensive strategy" which meant providing it with dedicated staff and team at the district, block and village levels.
Two years of dedicated work by the team has resulted in the creation of over 14000 Self-help groups and many opportunities for livelihoods, some farm and some non-farm. Amongst these the Banjara handicrafts have been unique and significant.
It is therefore heartening to see thirty SHGs from Beed at the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart in Gram Vikas Bhavan, GVB, Kharghar. They have come from different talukas of Beed, Parali, Ambajogai, Dharur, Gevrai, Majalgaon and Shirur. Each one of them has worked hard and put in great efforts to make good quality products and bring them for the ten day exhibition and sale at GVB.
An array of products in the processed food section include various types of paapads, kurdaayi, saandge meaning fryable items. There are different types of mouthwatering chutneys, pickles, murabbas, masalas, shevaaya. Organic jaggery, thaalipeeth flour, baajraa flour and aamla candy are other interesting products. And must certainly not miss out rural fruits like kavit (wood apple)  and bael fruit ( golden apple).
The health freaks can get different kinds of organic pulses like moong, toor, harbaras, groundnut, millets. And after you have had your fill of spices and food products you can indulge yourself in purchasing bright and multicoloured Banjara artefacts. These include colorful bags, jute bags, pouches, purses, mirror work patches, bangles, sofa covers, wall hangings.
The ethnic ghaagra odhnis in colourful combinations will certainly be difficult to resist. With Navratri barely three months away it would certainly be a good idea to stock up the original, handcrafted ethnic products which will make you stand out in the crowd during Daandiya and Garbaa Raas.
At Parali taluka in Beed district is the temple of Lord Shiva which is one of the jyotirlingas. Every year, a very big fair is held here on Mahashivratri.
Women from such a holy place are now at the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, in Gram Vikas Bhavan at Kharghar exhibiting tgeir products. Besides selling their products, they may have many interesting stories to share. Wouldn't it be great fun to join them and know more about their lives?
MSRLM will be organising free classes in bangle-making, warli and mehndi during the weekend on the 18th and 19th May 2019 at the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart.
Let your hair down, indulge yourself here because it wouldn't mean having fun only but also add value to other women's lives.....

Amma....and my 100th blog....

Amma....

It's Mother's day today and the posts about mothers on Facebook, Watsap and Twitter haven't stopped since morning.
Two days ago when I read an advertisement for purchasing a gift for mother's day my eyes moistened remembering Amma. She loved buying things and getting gifts on every occasion. My siblings and me humoured her and made it a point to shower her with gifts by way of sarees or jewellery.
Life had not been easy for her or for any of us. Married into a middle class family, migrating to Maharashtra-Mumbai from a remote village of Tamil Nadu must have been a great challenge. Yet I had never seen her complaining even once about this or talk about all that she did to endure this peculiar situation.
My father was an employee with the Railways, a man of modest means.
Managing four children in the limited income must have been a task. However, i don't remember her cribbing or grumbling any time.
She was cheerful, welcoming and friendly ensuring that every person who visited our house had that lovely cup of tea she was known to make. Her generosity was inimitable because despite our sparse life she still managed to donate and give away things to the poor and needy.
She was intelligent no doubts for she lost no time in learning the local language, Hindi. I always found her comfortable while speaking which reflected her confidence and mental strength. She was beautiful no doubts but what added to her charm was her simplicity.
Her memory was sharp and her knowledge practical. She could quote verbatim and also sing melodiusly many of the verses from our scriptures. This mirrored her capabilities.
Being a home maker , she was always there to support us emotionally. We may not have had "intellectually stimulating " conversations with her as is expected from mothers now but she was always there in the background standing tall like the Gibraltar rock to provide support to my father during any unforeseen circumstance. So she never hesitated to sell or pawn her limited pieces of jewellery when cash required to send our brother to IIT or for my sister's marriage or for any of our needs.
Her reverance for values like honesty and truthfulness were exemplary. What is more important is the fact that she ensured each one of us imbibed that spirit of honesty and integrity.

Probably what antagonised some people was her no-nonsense straightforwardness. She made no attempts to curb her opinions which at times were sharp and hard hitting. As mother and daughter,  we had our own differences of opinion too but that did not prevent her from caring for me like a child. Her concern for my safety and security in my profession, during my travel were adorable. She would always sound me to be careful and exercise caution. In her words, prevention was better than cure.
The void in my life ever since she passed away has been like an abyss which can never be filled. An inexplicable sense of helplessness engulfs me at times specially when I feel the need to be protected and loved unconditionally.
Some well-wishers say that garnering such feelings causes agony to the departed soul.
One must come to terms with life and move on. Yet it has been difficult for me to fathom out how one moves away from the bond with one's mother.
The umbilical cord isn't just a means to provide oxygen and food to the foetus in the womb. It is much more like a bridge between the past, present and future. A bond that would last till eternity. No wonder I always feel that Amma is around watching, walking with me hand in hand, looking into my eyes , smiling and saying , "Don't worry, me and my blessings will always be there for you...."
Surely her blessings are with me as I pay my tribute to her through my 100th blog today. It was her undying spirit which goaded me to start a blog two weeks after her sad demise chanelising my trauma to creativity.
As if in her death too she had maneuvered me to rationality.

Mothers.....

Mothers.....

Maa, Amma, Aai, Mamma, Baa are some of the different ways in which children call their mother. The one thing common among these different ways of calling is the softness associated with the word mother. Shakespeare has rightly said, the rose by any other name would smell as sweet. And so our relationship with our mothers is always sweet.
Maybe mothers are more special because our bond with our mother begins nine months before our birth. This revelation dawns on most women when they themselves become mothers.

For me too it was no different. I still remember the day when I was able to see the foetus growing in my womb. Faceless, bodyless, yet a part of my own being. Technology has made things so much easy for modern day mothers. It is possible for them to keep track of every single development of their child.

I can never forget the day I saw the spinal cord of my child during the course of a sonography. I have never felt so excited as i felt then. It was the most beautiful image I have ever seen, straight , clear, every segment, delicate yet strong. After all this was the path to our reflexes and thoughts leading to our brain. All at once , I had been enveloped in so many emotions which included gratitude to God, a feeling of wonderment at his creations, a sense of belonging to the bundle of joy that was growing in me. I could barely contain my joy. My touch transformed thereafter for everytime, I touched my stomach I started feeling one with my child. An inexplicable bond had been established.

It was therefore impossible for me to consider termination of pregnancy when during one such visit to my doctor it was announced that my foetus may not be normal. I was adviced to ascertain myself with further tests before taking the decision of going ahead. For me however, my bond with my child as a mother had been established and there was no looking back.
Maybe that soft and tender feeling of mothering my foetus gave me strength or my strong and innate belief in God that eventually all things would be alright made me hang on.
Till today I derive strength during my most difficult moments from that single source that everything happens for the good. However motherhood with all it's challenges became possible due to the constant support of my family.

Modern day working mothers and even home makers knowingly or unknowingly have to bear the brunt of guilt tied with responsibility for bringing up a child. Many homes or work places are not conducive in providing the required support. So women end up being glorified super humans or get dubbed as being bad mothers.
Though the glass ceiling may have broken, in reality women are still sruggling to find their true place in the economy specially in the high end value chain of agriculture or any other industry. So they may be agricultural labourers but will not be considered as farmers.

Just the other day during a brainstorming session for inclusion of women in the high end value chain of agriculture, an anecdote of mothers regretting their own financial growth as their sons were going out of hand with upmarket gadgets was quoted as if to reaffirm that the proper development of a child rests solely on the mother.
Mother's day should therefore not become a single day for glorifcation of mothers. Society needs to think and work ways and means to balance life. A mother is certainly not someone who has to live upto the expectations of every single person around the world. She is as human like every other man and has a desire to grow. This growth is certainly not possible in isloation and can happen only when the family actually functions like a unit.
Mothers of the previous generations certainly sacrificed their lives and time for us staying at home. I still remember my mother being home for us all the time. We may not have had "intellectually stimulating " conversations with her as is expected from mothers now but she was always there in the background standing tall like the Gibraltar rock to provide support during any unforeseen circumstance. So she never hesitated to sell or pawn her limited pieces of jewellery when cash required to send our brother to IIT or for my sister's marriage or for any of our needs. Many mothers must have done that and may be doing many other things to support their families just like their fathers.
Parenting is therefore a unified effort of parents as mother and father in the family.
Surprisingly buttressed wrongly with the concept of the ideal mother are real women, who maybe wives or sisters of other men and are mothers too. More often than not they are at the receiving end of jokes or lewd conversations or get attacked in cases of domestic violence, rape and molestation. Motherhood certainly does not come to their rescue then. The softness and warmth of a mother who has given birth to a child and who would never want any wrong to be done by her child boy or girl is conveniently forgotten. The most important thing a man or any father can do for his children is to teach their children to respect and love their mother. That would be the best tribute to woman as an individual, a human being and of course as a mother.
This maybe a distant dream but certainly not utopian. On Mother's day let's rededicate ourselves to the cause of an unadulterated, undivided, equal and unified society.

Osmanabadi products at the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar....

Osmanabadi products at the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar....

Osmanabad, the name conjures images of the 1993 earthquake which devastated parts of Latur and Osmanabad districts of Maharashtra. In contrast is MSRLM, resurrecting lives of the poorest in the villages through social and financial inclusion and leading them to sustainable livelihoods. The efforts made by MSRLM under the Department of Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra during the last five years are now bearing fruit. The SHGs who have been capacitated are now able to initiate small enterprises and make a living. MSRLM is providing support for sustainable agriculture or allied activities like poultry, goatery, food processing, handicrafts, handlooms and marketing to about 4 lakh Self-help groups and 40 lakh households. More than 12 lakh livelihoods have been made possible due to the interventions of MSRLM.
Market linkages to the SHGs are provided through various Saras exhibitions in districts and divisional headquarters. The Mahalakshmi Saras held every year at BKC, Bandra at Mumbai has a special status. It is the most sought after event by Mumbaikars.
There is a constant demand for authentic products made by the women of Self-help groups by citizens  of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. It was with this idea that the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart has been set up at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Every ten days one district form the state comes to exhibit and sell their products there.
Presently products from Osmanabad district are on sale.
The women have brought unique goods like Banjara jewellery, mirror work articles, handmade bags, footwear. The agarbatties, incense sticks with a variety perfumes brought by one SHG can make your homes divine. There are different kinds of masalas, organic jagerry, papads, pulses, ghee- calrified butter . The special Osmanabadi pedhas made from pure milk melt in you mouth and make you ask for more. Gio Goat milk soap made from goat milk will make your skin glow.
Two SHGs are also cooking special Osmanabadi food like Dahi Dhapaate, thaali peeth, bhaji and Osmanabadi non-vegetrarian dishes.
And of course the mangoes from Konkan Ratnagiri and Devgad are still there as also the permanent shop selling gift articles and other items made by SHGs from all over the state.
A visit to The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart will not only introduce you the work being done the SHG women of MSRLM but also give you an opportunity to buy genuine products made by SHGs Osmanabad.
On my visit to make purchases yesterday,
I was so overwhelmed by their warmth and enthusiasm. Each one of them spoke about how much effort they put in to make products of good quality. Their motherly feeling and earthly touch was so ingenuous. As if each one was reveberating the aura of Ma Tulja Bhavani of Tuljapur in Osmanabad.  Legends say that it was Her blessings which made the great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj what he was. So do visit The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart to see and purchase the products of SHG women from Osmanabad. I am sure their blessings combined with those of Maa Tulja Bhavani will make you ferl enriched.