Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

Rhonda Byrne , in her book, “The Secret”, has said that one has to give to receive. Gratitude is giving thanks, without it we cut ourselves from the magic of life and also from receiving everything one wants in life.

On deeper thought, how many of us are really thankful about every single day which comes in our life? Most of us take it for granted, we neither make any plans to spend it fruitfully nor apply our minds to make it memorable and useful. We just drift through the hours, minutes and seconds without being thankful for having got the opportunity to be alive and do something.

How many of realise that every single day is not just another day, it is a gift given to us to create something beautiful, to strive hard in our respective worlds. Our response to it should be as if it were the first day as well as the last of our life. Yet we procrastinate aimlessly and let the day pass off not thinking about the outcomes or the results. Instead of being thankful for the 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86400 seconds and putting them to good use we fritter them away. That is essentially because we take our life for granted and feel that doing a task later would not make any difference. However in letting every precious moment pass by doing nothing is doing disservice to the society and oneself.

So what then is gratitude? Gratitude is not only being thankful or grateful but also acknowledging, appreciating, recognising, giving credit to a person or thing wherever one is at the moment. Gratitude is important because it is a great stress-buster and therefore improves our health, gives a boost to our immunity. Practising gratitude peps our mood, improves our relationships, facilitates our social life. It also removes negativity from our lives, makes us more tolerant and annuls resentment. This makes us sleep better and have increased energy.

From times immemorial, gratitude is an inseparable part of our culture. The yagyas performed by the gurus were a token of gratitude to various forces of nature whether the sun, air, earth, water. The many festivals we celebrate whether Sankraant, Pongal, Lohri, Baisaakhi, Thanksgiving or Bakrid center around this feeling of gratitude. Mythology tells us about Lord Krishna himself repaying Draupadis gesture of tearing her saree to tie it around his wounded finger by protecting her during the infamous vastraharan.

We must therefore make gratitude an inseparable part of our lives and practice it every day. It should not be like an unexercised muscle but like a well-oiled mechanism which transforms lives.

This can be achieved by celebrating the smallest of achievements or any occasion..
Apps like the gratitude app can be useful in noting things we are thankful for everyday.
One can also practice maintaining a Gratitude journal  or take a gratitude test.
Gratitude can be practised from the minute one wakes up by thanking things we take for granted like our breathe, vision, sense of smell, touch and sound, our family, friends, work. It should be all- pervading including even things which we feel are not going right. This would help us to learn from our mistakes by checking what lessons it has to offer.
Gratitude is not necessarily a give and take. The benefits of gratitude are not linear. The good that one does towards a particular person may not be returned from him or her but can emerge from third persons too.
It is also said that by virtue of the Law of attraction, our thoughts are like magnets attracting what we think. So much so that if we think positively, positive things will happen and if we harbour negative thoughts our world could crumble.
Practising gratitude is therfore the key to growth and development of the self.
So at the end of each day make it a point to remember what touched your heart, what inspired you, what made you smile , what was the best thing that happened to you today.
One can also learn to value a person by imagining life without him or her leading to a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation for them.
At times we are unable to have cordial relationships with certain individuals. It is important to ponder on the negativity of the issue which consumes your energy and focus on solving the problem.
A gratitude walk would bring us face to face with the beauties of nature, the sky, the trees, flowers, the wind. The faces we see everyday are not mere faces but have stories of courage behind their cool demeanour. One must learn to be kind to them as well as grateful..
A life full of meaning is beckoning us and all we need to do is be receptive to savour its gifts, open our hearts and smile. Our presence and touch can make a world of difference to someone.
The musical group ABBA have immortalised this feeling in their song , I have a dream. As I hummed the song today, I felt grateful that empowering women and society through MSRLM is a destination which has made my life worthwhile, enabling me to push through the darkness and strive to reach many more miles. Oh yeah....I have a dream , I have a dream.....and I feel so grateful about it....What stops you from being grateful too....go ahead transform the world....

P.S. The writer has developed a one hour capsule to facilitate practicing the attitude of gratitude and would be grateful for any opportunities to present the same.

ख़ुशी कस्तूरी सी...

ख़ुशी कस्तूरी सी...

क्या हुआ आज
कि फिर टूट सी गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि फिर उलझ सी गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि चिंतित सी हो गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि बिखर सी गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि फिर भयभीत सी हो गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि अपना आत्मविश्वास खो बैठी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि फिर कमज़ोर हो गयी तुम
क्या हुआ आज
कि भूल गयी तुम
अपने ही संकल्प
क्या हुआ आज
कि भूल गयी तुम
दृढ़ रहने का निश्चय
औऱ यह भी कि
ना बेहकोगे कभी
ना भटकोगे अपने मार्ग से
ना ही होंगे लाचार
औऱ सदा
अपने आत्मसम्मान को
रखोगे सुरक्षित
क्या हुआ आज
कि डगमगाया फिर
अस्तित्व तुम्हारा
क्या हुआ आज
कि फिर खोजने लगी तुम
अपनी ख़ुशी किसी औऱ में
क्यों समझ नहीं पाती
ख़ुशी तुम्हारी
कस्तूरी की तरह
निहित हैं तुम में ही
महक इसके इत्र की
सीमित नहीं
लौकिक चीज़ें
या रिश्तों में
स्वछंद है यह
तुम्हारी ही तरह
शुरुआत इसकी तुम से
औऱ अंत भी तुम से ही....

मन विमल

Wonderstruck at Lucknow....

Wonderstruck at Lucknow....

As a student, History was my favourite subject. No wonder I postgraduated in it. My imagination would always run riot thinking about our ancient heritage and culture. The dynamics of dynasties, the rise and fall of empires were vivid in my mind. India is full of stories of such places.
Lucknow has been an important seat of power in medieval Indian History. The Nawaabs of Lucknow always bring up thoughts of Lucknowi tehzeeb and adaa.
The only Lucknow I knew was the ones we saw in Bollywood classics like Shatranj ke khilaadi or Umrao Jaan.
I kept hoping I would go there some day to experience that splendour in person. On our recent trip to Allahabad , on the way back from the Kumbh, we finally got the opportunity to visit Lucknow.
I imagined that we would be entering a sleepy city set in medieval times but was totally dumbstruck by the modern Lucknow. Well-planned roads and bridges, unique lighting, beautiful parks and public places were the highlights.
We discovered it had not lost its rustic charm either as we set out to see the historical Chota and Badaa Imaambaaras and other places.
Our journey to the nawaabi glory began with the Rumi Darwaaza which our guide told was built by Nawaab Asafudaullah. Bollywood is an all time favourite and our guide began with the information that Sunny Deol's film Gadar was shot in this 250 year old structure While the front side looked like a magnificent entrance, the backside was like a necklace, and its design is still used in Lucknavi chikankari work. Vehicles kept passing below the bridge mingling with its past glory.
Keeping cue with time, our next halt was at the famous clock tower. Before the guide uttered a word my son screamed with excitement that this was similar to the Big Ben in London. Ticking away till date, it stood tall in grandeur , a witness to the growth and development of Lucknow.
From the clock tower to the Hussainabad picture gallery was a walk through time. The several portraits in various angles with the nawaabs in their nawaabi clothes and finery were a treat.
This peep into the past made me crave for more. And so went to the to the British Residency which was a quick brush with the past wherein we came face to face with memories of 1857, the first war of independence and also a museum. Apparently 2000 soldiers were stationed here during the first war of Independence in which almost 1000 lost their lives. The tomb of Nawaab Saadat Ali Khan is also there. The ruins reminded me of the futility of war. I was more eager to be at peace and sure enough we found that in the Bada and Chota Imaam Baaraas.
As suggestive of their name, Imaambaaras are places of worship. That the nawaabs added few things of interest around them is altogether different. So the Chota Imaam baara built by Mohammed Ali Shah has a glittering dome. I kept gazing at it when a guide offered to enlighten us. If not for him we would have missed the details of the Hammam khaana and interesting anecdotes of cooling and heating system of waters. He ignited our curiosity further by pointing out to two brass statues asking us for the reason for having chains in their hand. Vishnu was quick to say that they were earthings to avoid dangers from lightning, which incidentally was true. We were then shown a tomb of the Nawabs daughter and a replica, both almost like the Taj.
Left by ourselves at the praying place, in silence we saw the grandeur, of the Chota Imaam Baaraa decorated with chandeliers and crystal glass lamp-stands. We also saw Taazias in memory of the Imaams.
The scale and grandeur of the Badaa Imaam Baaraa was bigger as the name suggests. It was certainly larger and more decorative with arches. It also houses the tomb of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. A structure without beams supporting the ceiling , it is one amongst the largest arches in the world.
A historical Shaahi Bauli or well nearby reflects the architectural splendour. It has a huge arch leading to a step-well using a flight of stairs. Surrounding the well stands a structure with many windows. As we passed through them almost losing our way we were amazed when we explored a secret view, of the well water reflecting the shadow of the visitors standing at the entrance.
More surprises waited for us at the Bhulbhulaiyya, the famous labyrinth with passages connecting each other with 489 identical doorways. It was apparently built to provide support to the beamless Badaa Imaam Baara but our guide gave juicy stories about it being made for the queens  to play hide and seek. It is important to hire a guide here not only to hear the juicy stories but also come out of the maze effortlessly. Otherwise there are tales of people who possibly got lost in this maze and never saw daylight.
By now , we had our fill with history . It was evening and we wanted a place to relax which we found in the Ambedkar Park. Humongous and stately we wandered through the pathways, admiring the art in sandstone. We sat for a while viewing the river Gomti in the lights. The stars twinkling, the lights glowing and almost singing for us like Umraao Jaan, " Is anjuman mein aapko aanaa hain baar baar, deewaron dar ko gaur se pehchaan lijiye....' one can only want to visit this place again and again....truly there is so much to Lucknow....

Solapur at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar....

Solapur at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar....

Solapuri chaadars, cotton bed sheets are the first things which come to our mind when we talk about Solapur. Yet there is more to it. This was what I discovered when I started working as the CEO of MSRLM. The women there had been focussing on various enterprises thanks to the training and capacity building activities undertaken through MSRLM.
Solapur had been chosen as an intensive district for implementation of NRLM and has been receiving support from the World Bank since 2013-14. It therefore has a dedicated team for the implementation of the programme. The strategy adopted by the mission has led to creation of 18424 self help groups of women till date. Almost 2 lakh households are part of these SHGs.
Sustainable livelihoods is the point of focus under the mission emphasising on farm and non-farm livelihoods.
There certainly has been a growth in agricultural, allied and non-farm activities. In normal parlance , it is the men who are generally recognised as farmers. The greatest contribution of the programme is the creation of over 40,000 women farmers.
The SVEP, Start up Village Enterprises programme the support of the Swayam Shikshan Prayog in the two blocks of Mohol and Baarshi has generated over 4000 non- farm livelihoods. These include farm products, processed foods, handicrafts and textiles. The emphasis throughout has been on indigenous, handmade and hand woven products. There are a whole range of products which would be certainly a part of a wish list of many people in Mumbai. Almost 20 SHGs from Solapur are now showcasing their products at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar.
For those who love spices there is a variety of spices like chilli powder, kaalaa masala, different types of mouthwatering chutneys made from ground nuts, tamarind etc. The organic food lovers can get organic jaggery and rice. Women will also be interested in purchasing the rice flour, thaali peeth flour, ragi flour. Fryums of potato, paapads of jowar, wheat, rice are also available. Lemon pickle and tamarind chutney would add a zing to the your lives.
Of course my personal favourite is the aloe vera gel made by the name Swaroopa which not only heals the wounds but also cools the skin.
The connoisseurs of art can choose to purchase beautiful paintings and artefacts. These include wooden bullock carts, bags, purses and wooden rolling board and pins to make chapatis.
Ghongdis, hand woven blankets made from sheep wool, the indigenous health product made from sheep wool by the aboriginal hangars are also in display. They keep you cold in summer and warm in winters and even drive out your aches and pains.
A visit to the Gram Vikas Bhavan in the next 10 days will make you a proud owner of one of these products. The food products will help you rustle tasty dishes in your kitchen and pep up your palate.
You don't even have to carry bags as home made "pishwees', cloth bags are also being sold. So just carry your money and exchange them for goods and smiles which will adorn your faces and also the faces of our SHG women.....
The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart at Gram Vikas Bhavan....be there to purchase products of Solapur this time....

Colours....Hues and shades of self and Holi....

Colours....Hues and shades of Holi.....

Holi is Vishnu's favourite festival, perhaps the only festival for which he waits eagerly throughout the year. Maybe because he and his friends are able to just let go and have a lot of fun. Also the fact that all members of our society come together for celebrating it and are with each other from morning till late afternoon.
The ladies are specially happy as they have to neither make breakfast nor lunch as all arrangements are made by the society.
Our day on Holi starts with a sumptuous breakfast in the common area of the society. This is followed by a celebration with colours dancing and games. The icing on the cake are dumb charades where.we have great fun in guessing names of movies. A mouthwatering lunch is followed by a game of tambola housie. Simple, harmless joy and revelry reflecting the true spirit of Holi. That is what it evinces, celebrating together forgetting all the grudges and blending together like a spectrum of colours.
Honestly , Imagine a life without colours! No reds, blues or greens, nor yellow and orange and no violet or Indigo. Not even black and white to give it the depth, how would our lives be? The profundity of colours makes our life beautiful.
Nature in all its bounty is so colourful so also our festivals. Amongst them is Holi, the festival of colours.
Holi is also associated with the onset of spring when nature is at it's best. Flowers in full bloom make Holi special.
Legends associated with it tell us about Holika and the burning of the evil and with it all.our negativity on the night before Holi. The next day is dhuleti or dhuli vandan when humanity is consumed in a riot of colours. Krishna is the centrifugal force around whom the celebrations converge. Natural colours, mystical music and raas leela were the driving points in that age. With the passage of time colours became synthetic and unnatural and the festivities lost that spirit. Of course , what has remained is the desire to let bygones be bygones, forget the grudges and enmity and soar with the spirit of , "Buraa naa maano, holi hain."
At times apparently harmless festivities get transformed into unpleasant experiences often scarring young minds. The boisterousness associated with it is akin to treading on a thin line. It is therfore important to maintain equilibrium during the celebrations.
Our lives are no different as the balance has to be maintained there too.
Really speaking colors are devoid of
property by themselves. What we see as colours is the reflection or absorption of the property of light. A particular colour is seen by us because the prevalent light is unable to absorb that colour.
Our lives too are reflections of our thoughts and emotions. At times we laugh with joy, or cry with sorrow. Sometimes we are angry and sometimes upset. We are loving at times and afraid on some occassions. Sometimes we hurt others with our harsh words. Our emotions are coloured with our thoughts and our actions are based on them. We fall prey to these and end up reacting instead of responding to situations. The tone of our voice, the words we chose are either absorbed or reflected by the person whom we are interacting just like colours.
The colours of Holi may fade away for sure and as humans we may forget what someone has said to us but how we are made to feel by someone remains with us all our lives.
So let's try and be like the rainbow reflecting all colurs of joy,  the VIBGYOR in all its glory. Let the colour of wheel of our emotions drive us to positivity. Let us revel in the colours of joy and true Holi spirit....Happy Holi.....

Convocations and commecements, at the Public Degree College, Santacruz ....

Convocations and commecements....

Convocations have something about them. The flowing robes, the square shaped motor boards, students gleefully throwing them in the air with fulfillment on their graduation!!!!
Every person graduating dreams of doing this but not all have the fortune to experience it. Somehow, I too had missed that in my life. I was therefore very excited when I was invited to be the chief guest at the Convocation ceremony in Hind Seva Parishad's Public School and College at Santacruz , Mumbai.
My memories of this institution are more than a decade. Twenty years ago, when I was posted as a Deputy Collector in the Mumbai Suburban district, one fine morning, I was greeted by a professor with a request for intervention in some land matter. That was my first interaction with Mr.Yagyanarayan Dubey. I was intrigued by his persistence, his struggle to get the title of a piece of land which had been encroached. In all eagerness, he asked me to visit the place to understand his case better. The bearings of my parents made it impossible for me to refuse a teacher and so very soon I went to the location.
I ascertained the facts and gave my decision soon not knowing that a simple , matter of fact decision would ultimately be an edifice transforming the lives of thousands of children from the localities nearby. I had the opportunity to visit the school often thereafter and each time I visited I would be pleasantly surprised by its growth.
It is an organisation which has been working since 1980 for the education of students from the poor families of the slums and hutments including children of hawkers, labourers and other needy people.
Beginning from a small hut in Alka Nagar of Santacruz, it now runs courses from pre- primary, primary to secondary Junior and Degree College.
Mr. Dube takes great pride in the fact that his institute is from KG to PG. It works from 7 a.m in the morning till 10.30 PM at night in three shifts and is therfore also sunlight to tubelight.
He began with a night school and college for those who studed upto seventh in the 16 Municipal schools nearby but were unable to complete their education since they did not have the means to travel elsewhere in Mumbai. Establishing the night degree college in 1998 was a great step. Today the institute has graduate and postgraduate courses in Arts, Science, Commerce and Management. Among the 3000 students being taught there almost 85 percent of the students are girls.
It was a moment of great satisfaction for me as I could not only don the convocation gown but also confer degree certificates to 90 graduate and postgraduate students in Commerce and 6 students in Management. The pride and satisfaction on their faces was so fulfilling. It was a milestone in their lives and the beginning of a new phase.
The foundation of our lives rests on education and theirs had been laid thanks to their alma mater. Today , the college is an eight floor building with state of art facilities. The change brought into the lives of the poor and the needy due to their efforts was extremely laudable. My head bowed down in reverence for their  contribution to this cause.....

Desh ka tyohaar, Celebration of Democracy....

Desh ka tyohaar, Celebration of Democracy....

I reached Vigyan Bhavan at Delhi in right earnest yesterday for my training as an Election Observer. This would be the fourth time I was going but the scene at the registration desk every time is of carmederie, with friends and batchmates meeting, finding out the constituency to which they are posted. An air of enthusiasm is always there. More so this time as even the Election Commission has named the Lok Sabha elections as "Desh Ka Tyohaar",
India has always been looked up to as an icon by other democratic countries. Elections are conducted every 5 years but with each passing year the process has become more refined.
No doubts, it was Mr.T.N.Seshan who gave free and fair elections the face it has in India today. The efforts he made to strictly enforce the code of conduct will never be forgotten. However in the past few years, a definite advancement and improvement in the conduct of elections has certainly taken place. Effective steps have been inititaed to make it more scientific and inclusive.
While enrolment as a voter is a continuous process and revision of rolls is done every year, people take it seriously only after declaration of polls. It is the responsibility of the voter to ensure his name is in the rolls but most of us rarely do it. And then begins the blame game if their names are omitted or deleted in the rolls. The ECI has therefore made a number of apps not only to create awareness but to make voters  more vigilant and ensure their name is not  excluded, deleted or omitted from the voters list. So we now have a helpline 1950, a website , www.nvsp.in, various apps like #GoVerify, # GoCall, # GoRegister, # GoVote.
These proactive measures speak a lot about the sincerity and seriousness of the ECI to ensure that elections are more and more inclusive.
Just as efforts are made to have error free rolls , efforts are also made to have the best people working for the conduct of elections. Requisitioning of staff is done carefully and efforts are also made to train them sufficiently.
Most government servants and officials get an opportunity to participate in this jamboree at least once in their service period.
The election law being succinct and clear, conduct of elections is like operating a well oiled machine. The roles and responsibilities being specific makes things easy.
The Election Commission came into existence one day before India became a Republic under article 324 of the constitution. About 500 people work for it. However, once the elections are announced, officers and staff from all departments are requisitioned for the conduct of polls. Thus, when elections to a newly independent India were conducted in 1950 the services of about 1.3 million persons were requisitioned. Today over 11 million officials and staff are deployed for the conduct of poll.
No wonder it has become the biggest event of the globe in any democratic country.
With each passing year conduct of selections have become more demanding and challenging and therefore entail elaborate preparations.
Apart from making it free and fair, the emphasis is also on making it more transparent and inclusive. Election Observers are appointed in the constituencies to reinforce the faith of the people and the candidates on the process. It is also done to bring in the element of externality, to neutralise any element of partiality and maintain credibility of the processes.
This is also to create a unbiased, conducive atmosphere for conduct of polls, ensure law and order is maintained as also to curtail muscle power, money power and malpractices.
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 and women.
Booth level officers are appointed to reach out all voters in their homes. People can also get replies to their queries through the call centres.
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 has also been established to issue permissions to contesting candidates in 48hours. Samadhan, the national grievance portal is accessible at all times. Most importantly 100 percent use of EVMs, Electronic Voting Machine and VVPATS, Voter verifiable paper trail to verify the vote has gone to the person one has voted are significant. Service voters also have the facility to vote via electronic postal ballot.
No stone is left unturned to ensure a systematic conduct of elections for the
90 crore voters of the country.
Very aptly it has also been named as a festival of the country in the hope that all people will participate enthusiastically.
Instead of joking on WhatsApp about long weekends and holidays and being apathetic by not voting, it is the duty of every citizen to ensure that each one of us remains present in the city where they are enrolled as voters and exercise their right to vote.
Franklin Roosevelt has said that , "Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."
We are fortunate to be born in a democratic country without fear of our freedom being throttled. We must therfore learn to respect the echelons of this edifice. It is upto us to achieve what we desire. If we desire democracy then we must make efforts to respect the processes connected with it. And this can only be done by being active voters and participating in the process of voting.
The benchmarks of the Election Commission for the conduct of polls are no doubts the highest. Whether the voters rise to the occasion depends on them.

Time, A teen and a grown up.....

Time, A teen and a grown up.....

Two instances in the day brought many smiles to my face and also set me athink. My son ,Vishnu's first day in school in class nine and my just married nephew, Ananth's settling in his new home in the USA.
Vishnu, my only child, born many years after my marriage and Ananth, my brother's second son have a lot in common apart from being cherubic.
Ananth has always been a kid of the family. Vishnu being much smaller than all his cousins has the added advantage of being adored.
Their endearing ways could fill pages and pages. But today I was awestruck with sheer satisfaction and joy to look back on their growing years. My mind became a pot pourri of beautiful memories.
Vishnu's birth was a miracle, for me he is God's child. As I woke him up for school today morning, my thoughts were was coloured with emotions. Today, he would be joining the ninth grade. I went to wake him at his usual time. In his slumber he looked very much like any cute and cuddly baby. Out of the bed, a growing boy , I was awesticken. So much had happened since the day he was born, his sitting, crawling, baby steps, first day at the play school.
His admission into Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhana School into junior KG when he was 4 and his first public speech in school when he boldly addressed an audience of 1200, welcoming them. Such moments can only moisten my eyes. Ten years as a student of the renowned school has moulded him into an independent and thoughtful individual. His sensitivity makes him different and it is indeed our good fortune that we have a son like him. That he came into our life so late is the only lament or else life has been interspersed with several moments of joy.
Similarly with Ananth, who literally is still the baby of the family. Having completed his doctorate in chemical engineering from Massachusetts University in Boston, he has now joined post doctoral research at Princeton. He is recently married too.
A sense of pride emerged as he made a video call from USA to share his beautiful house. The neat little sofa, a nice bed, a television. It surely felt like a perfect home. And with the car coming soon things would be complete. Beaming ear to ear both of us smiled, one at the accomplishment and two at his joy. Soon he would be settled in the new house. From a sweet child to a sweeter grown up time has flown
As rightly said by Alexander Pope, swiftly fly the years and we are left wondering at our own selves.
Three instances of time, my son raring to go as a teenager, my nephew on the threshold of a new life after marriage and myself realising that much needs to be done as the clock is ticking away.
The sooner one realises the value of time and spends it carefully the better. Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future but today is the present, a gift. How we unwrap the wonders in it and use them is totally upto us.
"Carpe Diem" , seize the day , make the most of it in the best way possible with no room for regrets should be our motto. And of course,  follow your heart and your intuition. Breathe in and out and say, "I am healthy, positive and happy!!!!" Life's beautiful , make use of every minute and live it fully.....

Women's Day....

Women's Day....

I breezed out of my home today morning like a cool cat. My son and husband smiling at me affectionately making my demeanour calm and composed,. The positive energies endowed by their warm support make me the person I am. That I am a woman becomes secondary. My recognition as an  individual, respecting me for being what I am, accepting my long hours at work, my trying days, mood swings, insecurities and enabling me despite all my flaws so that I feel sufficiently empowered to do my work is a blessing.
Yes, I work for the empowerment of women in rural areas but would that have been possible if I was not truly empowered???
And so even as I stand tall today, my head bows in gratitude to my parents- amma and appa, my family , my friends, all the men and women in my life without whom this could not have been possible.
Gone are the days of radical feminist intellectualism or gross gender inequality which existed. Society has to a large extent transformed itself to accept women as equals in all arenas of life . While cobwebs may still exist as also people who obliterate the true essence of this liberation by being mental slaves to women remaining in servitude, much water has flown over the bridge. Women as harbingers of change is not a myth any more. Whether in their hearth and homes, the corporate world or in all fields of life, women's contribution to society is recognised and acknowledged.
Of course greater milestones may still be there to achieve as also removal of the gender bias in some forums. But by and large one can daresay that equality has come to stay.
And why not with several forums working for that cause. With society learning to value the worth of a girl-child thanks to all the efforts made by our reformers, administrators, government and NGOs,   the days of gross discrimination are certainly a thing of the past.
MSRLM is one such organisation which works for the empowerment of women through community based organisations. The self help groups it forms are to promote social, financial and economic inclusion leading to sustainable livelihoods. Whether enhacing productivity, providing alternative livelihoods or skillimg youth,  the ultimate aim is economic prosperity of the woman so that she finds her true place in society.
MSRLM has over 3.8 lakh SHGs and 40 lakh households in its fold. It essentially works to promote the overall development of the woman, her family and society through 'Dashsutra". These include social aspects of health, sanitation, education apart from inculcating habits of saving, lending, repaying and writing books of accounts. The consistent efforts made for the capacity building of the women has ensured increasing their overall awareness in general and given them the strength to speak on all forums, specifically in the gram sabhas or panchayati raj institutions in particular. That women can speak out their minds and unflinchingly ask for electricity, water, roads or prohibition speaks highly of their growth. This, perhaps is the most satisfying aspect of our journey.
In a patriarchal society and a man's world being born into a good family has been my good fortune. Our family has enabled me to be an achiever in my own right without the discrimination of being a woman. However millions of women in society at large are still victims of physical abuse, domestic violence, sexual deviousness and covert or overt exploitation.
Women's day can be an occasion to highlight such social problems and work towards their eradication from society. It is only when each woman feels secure 24 x 7, when her work as a home maker is recognised, when her looks are not means to market goods at large, when voyeuristic men stop to look at her as an object of  pleasure, when her rights of land and heirship are transcribed on paper, when her voice as an individual is heard on all forums without ridicule, when lip service on one day and back biting women in power on rest of the days cease, when a women's worth as an individual is recognised despite her feminity, only then would we reach the utopian state of gender equality. Everyday and not just a single day would then be a day for every woman.

Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart.....

Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart....

Two years ago, I was called by Mr.Aseem Gupta, our techno- savvy and dynamic Secretary to the Department of Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra for a meeting to operationalise and put to use Gram Vikas Bhavan at Kharghar. It was followed by a visit to the place.
One look at the imposing structure, the blue skyline from the open terrace and the green Golf course across the building, my heart was into the hole akin a perfectly hit golf ball and I was ready to putt with the tee.
Holed or souled, I lost no time in accepting the responsibility to operationalise it despite the innumerable questions and doubts raised by my colleagues. The task was stupendous as the building though constructed well was not in use for over a couple of years. However our committee sat together and submitted the action plan immediately.
The onerous task of executing it was given to MSRLM and I was more than happy. Our team made every effort to liasion with the CIDCO authorities who were the architects and as well as executors of the building. We also followed all procedures to procure the services of different agencies for repairs and renovation and within a span of 6 months the structure was ready to use.
There has been no looking back after that with all our training and capacity building programmes shifting to the Gram Vikas Bhavan, now popularly known as GVB. The state of art auditorium has been a witness to many interesting programmes.
Along side the training hall and the beautiful auditorium were 34 galas or stalls for exhibition and sale of products made by SHGs which were also not in use.
The Department of Rural Development and
Umed MSRLM organise the Mahalakshmi Saras every year to provide a marketing platform to SHGs to market their products. However there was a constant demand to have a place where products of SHGs could be kept for sale throughout the year. The unused galas , stalls at GVB appeared perfect for the cause.
We executed a plan to equip and refurbish the stalls with storage and other facilities and launched it ambitiously with the name, " The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart.
Initially SHGs from all districts of the state were provided space there. However logistics and coordination proved to be difficult. So we finally came up with the plan to allocate 21 stalls for 10 days in circulation to each of the 34 rural districts so that they could show case their products. We began with Thane district last week which complained of poor response. A strategy was worked out immediately for adequate publicity which improved the footfalls.
21 SHGs of Palghar district are now there at GVB. I went there to have a look at their products, the sale and find out about the response from the local people and was greeted by the chirpy women who were truly happy to be there. They said the response was good on some days and bad or average on other days but nevertheless they had been able to sell a lot of their products.
Together all the stalls had managed to make a sale of of Rs.14,000 in 6 days which by itself was a great achievement.
The products included hand pounded rice, pulses, millets, rice flour for diabetics, papds, fryums, different types of ecofriendly cloth bags, colourful garlands made of wool, beauty and health products. Two SHGs had been making mouthwatering rural cuisine of rice or raagi bhaakris, veg and non-veg dishes, pooran polis and specially gaavraan chicken. They were even delivering it to the homes nearby.
What stood out among all these products were the hand woven godhadis, cotton quilts in different colours reflecting our age old Marathi tradition. They resonated the vibrant mood of our women from the SHGs of Palghar who happily posed for pictures. Business may not be so brisk every day but they were making a mark, learning how to improve themselves and definitely earning much more than what they would have in their villages. Their excitement on my visit and their innocence in posing for pictures with me was similar to what I felt after the GVB was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister.
The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, may not be a very sought after place now but I am sure it will definitely be buzzing with business some day and make lives of rural women more prosperous and happy.
My mind drifted to thoughts of a very famous poem by Robert Fost, " The Road not taken",. I mulled over it and remembered the lines...."Two roads diverged in a wood, and I....???? I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference"

P.S.- Please do visit the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart at Gram Vikas Bhavan, opposite ISCKON Temple, Sector 21, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 410210....Be the change, feel the difference....
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Kumbh: overflowing joy....

Kumbh: overflowing joy....

My first thoughts regarding Kumbh are certainly cinematic. Those from my generation would possibly never forget brothers and sisters separating nowhere else but at the "Kumbh" in all the Bollywood potboilers. Despite living in Mumbai and staying so close to Nashik, I have never been to the Kumbh there also.
Visit to any holy place as per Hindu legends happens only when the Gods desire or as they say, "bulaawaa aayaa".
This time probably , I was being called by the holy ganges. No wonder, my son and me decided to join my husband for a pilgrimage which he and his fellow bhaktas had planned along with Swami Anantapamanabhacharya , popularly known as APN Swamy.
And so began my wondrous experience at the Kumbh.
I could only be struck by the magnitude of the event even before we reached the road over bridge on the sacred Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaagraaj. A multitude of tents lined along the roads greeted us. And then below the bridge, both the banks of the rivers were dotted with tents.
Our visit was almost towards the end of the Kumbh therefore many of the tents were being dismantled still one could not fail to observe the enormity of the Kumbh.
Another aspect was that this was an Ardh Kumbh which comes once in six years and not the Kumbh which is held once every twelve years in one of the four sacred sites of Prayaagraaj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar. Taking a holy dip and bathing here resulted in purification from all sins .
At night the lighted paths and tents gave the place an ethereal look.
In the morning one could see a surge of people all around with the earnest desire to take the holy dip. We also headed towards the spot we had been called. That we had to undergo quite a few hardships till we finally reached the exact location identified by our Guru hardly mattered. This included getting stuck in a melee of people thronging the pathways to and away from the sangam for over 2 hours, reaching there only to realise that we had to go back to the spot we had originally come from,  taking a boat ride back to the place and walking with the swelling crowds on the river banks to reach the spot where the idol of Swami Desikan waiting for the holy dip. Amidst chanting of mantra we also joined the idol of our revered Acharya in the holy dip and ate delicious prasadam after the nitya aaradhana rituals.
The place was extremely calm with a sense of peace. The arrangements at the Kumbh were so meticulous with no flaws. All aspects whether security and safety, cleaning, sanitation, drinking water, medical aid, announcements, transport were so perfect that one could only be awestruck. Great efforts had been made by the local administration to organise this event.  And then beyond all this was the unfaltering faith of the devotees in the holiness of the Ganga, Yamuna and the sangam. Men , women, children, sadhus steering towards the confluence indefatigably and emerging deep-dyed in spiritual fervour behoved the greatness of the Ganga.
I stood before it in all humility, a kaliedoscope of thoughts, thinking about the origin of the Ganga, its legend, its greatness, the bonds of faith and belief it creates. My own fortune of being part of this wonderful heritage and my probable deliverance and moksha and all I could feel was overflowing joy....