I had the good fortune of meeting Anshu Gupta of Goonj a few days ago. In a matter-of-fact manner, he spoke of Goonj’s ingenius urban-waste recycling programs, including the School-to-School program, which has recently won the Changemakers Innovation Award for its excellence. The program involves a partnership between a privileged urban school and a rural school, in which students from the urban school give their rural counterparts school paraphernalia that they would normally have thrown away. Goonj’s philosophy revolves around a widely-known but seldom-implemented philosophy: one person’s rags can indeed be someone elses riches, especially in context of India's gigantic urban-rural divide.
Showcasing the variety of handbags, rugs and pouches made by donated clothes, Anshu briefed me on the importance of cloth. Cloth, Anshu stressed, is one of three basic necessities for humankind, yet few NGOs or government agencies give it too much importance. “We document the number of people who die of floods and of earthquakes. Yet how often has the government ever counted the numbers who die -- mind you, preventable deaths -- of the cold everyday during Delhi’s winters?”
Without blinking an eye, he continued. “Women need a cloth for five days every month. I have travelled far and wide across India, and the situation is the same. Since it is considered to be pollution, women use the dirtiest cloth in the house. Something that’s been used to clean the floors, the bathrooms. And because it is imperative that the cloth be hidden from the neighbors, the cloth does not ever see the light of day. Furthermore, there are usually 2 or 3 women in a household. They all use the same cloth.
“And in this context of shame, of extreme health-risks, we often overlook this reality and give them lectures on reproductive health, maternity care. We still have a long way to go, but providing some clean cloth is a great first step.”
I was flabbergasted. I had no idea that this was the situation that millions of women had to deal with, simply because they were women. I admired the empathy of this man who not only was sharing this with me and the world, but who had taken it upon himself to address this issue.
I remembered the times when I would travel to India as a young girl, and I would see female relatives sleeping on the floor at night. I’d see them banished from the temple, the kitchen -- from touching anything -- during these days of “pollution”. I couldn’t figure out why. Years later, when I finally understood, it made me angry that people could consider women as less-than-humans during this time, that people could scorn the very substance that had given them life. It still makes me angry, but as Anshu reminded me, there’s always a first step.
Yesterday, I befriended the fruit seller down the street and asked her about her family. A beautiful smile lit up her tired face as she told me about her three young sons, all of whom she has been able to put in school. With sadness, pointing to the photograph on her stall, she told me about the death of her husband. At the grocery store today, I got her a soap and some dal, both of which she will probably use mainly for her children. I was just about to leave the store, but I turned to get something I had forgotten: a piece of cloth, for her.
7 comments:
I've been reading your blog with interest. I liked this post, but I really wanted to comment on your mridangam-teacher one.
I spent most of my life in India, but in a relatively liberal household (though we didn't go to the temple or into the kitchen during "those" days). I used to attend Math tuitions, and our teacher was suddenly taken ill. I remember landing up there one day and being asked by his wife if I had ever attended classes when I was menstruating. I was completely shocked and I went home and cried (I was 14!).
I sort-of know where they're coming from, but I still think their rude manner is unacceptable.
When I tell my mother about my feelings, she says that in the olden days, it was the only excuse women had for taking rest. Women were always required to be hardworking and active and got no rest from the housework. It was the only way, she says, to have some quiet time for themselves.
Of course, this was at the cost of their dignity. But when did they ever, in those times, take into account the feelings of women?
thanks for your thoughts, anon. i completely agree with your mom on that one, even my relatives have told me that it's a good opportunity for rest. but the only problem is that other women have to take on the extra workload, so it's not like the men shoulder a little bit even during these days. my friend who visited a farming area told me that there are hundreds of rules for women when they're menstruating: they can't touch this bag, this fruit, this plant, etc,etc. So for women who are living hand-to-mouth and need every paisa they can get, it's terrible to be subjected to these ridiculous rules.
Smita,
Really wonderful post. It kept reverberating through my mind all during Wednesday night meditation at Viral's house.
Recently while attending a Native American sweatlodge, the elder who was running it insisted how no man has any right to tell a woman what to do during her moon-time, including not joining in the lodge or prayers.
He told stories of his tribe, how the women would create their own lodge during their moon time and spend it together for a few days in prayer and bonding. Upon return they would bring back the visions and insights they had for the men ...
Anyhow, good post!
smita - I am so glad you decided air this linen. How come such a simple thing did not occur to any of us? I should send this one to Kalpana Sharma as well ;-).
Wow man.. u guys are good. I liked the posts.
I don't think it's fair to totally bash up men on this one. Don't you think that it's women who enforce this at most places, like the mother-in-law or the mother or an older woman of the house.
Maybe it's true, but I can't think of any husband telling his wife not to enter the kitchen or touch this or that. MCPs.... I do not agree on this as a reason.
My 2 cents...
It is easy to look back and criticise age old social customs. Times change and so should we. Indians had this notion of purity (pavitrata) as against cleanliness (svachhta) ingrained in them. Not only in relation to condition of women but also in relation to other castes and even animals.
As with other cultural constructs this too had an intimate relation with position of different section of scoieties in power coordinates.
Issue is - do we subject ourselves to as close scutiny of the value system we seek to create as we do to our with our parents.
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