Scripting new story of women empowerment
It was 2.30 am in this sleepy hamlet located in the outskirts of district headquarters of Varanasi – which incidentally falls under the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At a time, when women in many villages across the country cannot step out of the house alone – particularly in those wee hours, a group of seven – eight sari-clad women march confidently parallel to the railway track filled with big inaccessible grasses towards erstwhile Sewapuri Gandhi Ashram's Lijjat Papad unit – to knead the dough for papad-making – which was a defunct and dilapidated Khadi Institution before September 2016.
For, Mamta Devi (40), Munni Devi (42), and Phool Dei (40) from Newara village under Sakalpur post office, it is like making money during the morning walk. Mamta Devi says, "We reach Sewapuri Ashram daily latest by 2.30 am and in three hours we finish kneading the dough – for which hundreds of women start coming from 5.30 am onwards for collection of dough for rolling papads at their homes. For this three-hours'– job, each of us get on an average from Rs 250 to Rs 300 per day."
Corroborating similar views, Saraswati Devi of Sewapuri Village, says, "Being an uneducated village women, we never thought that we will ever get an opportunity in our life to earn Rs 300 per day that too sitting at our home. PM Modi has brought this change in our life through Khadi."
The next round begins at 5.30 am, when around 230 women collect the dough in the Sewapuri Gandhi Ashram up to 8 am and roll them into papads at their homes during the day. These women had been trained by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and in three years' time – they have become expert of papad-making. This simple, yet very effective method also known as Gandhian simplicity has achieved tremendous success in the villages of Varanasi, and Gramo-preneurs across the nation have now started looking to learn how they can apply the Gandhian simplicity – where a woman can make papad weighing from 8 to 10 kilograms from the dough they collect daily in the morning and have started earning from Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day. The Lizzat papad , a supported unit of KVIC pays Rs 39 per kg for, rolling the papads.
Incidentally, the Sewapuri Ashram was set up on November 5, 1946 by a group of Gandhians – all hailing from a well-known Khadi institution of Gandhian era 'Kshatriya Shri Gandhi Ashram' – under the guidance of the Mahatma Gandhi, to promote Khadi and provide employment to spinners and weavers.
The KVIC, who had been leaving no stone unturned for the revival of this centre of excellence of Gandhian philosophy of self-reliance and swadeshi, finally chose a day to formally re-inaugurate it. On September 17, 2016 – on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday – better known as Sewa Diwas – KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena re-inaugurated it.
It may be noted that KVIC had given a special grant of Rs 20 lakhs to this Khadi institutions for renovation and repair of dilapidated buildings and cleaning up the campus. KVIC roped in Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) to use its CSR funds to kick off Khadi activities. REC sanctioned Rs 5.50 crore for this project. Notably, it is the first ever utilisation of CSR funds for Khadi activities. Now, as many as 200 Solar Charkhas, 80 Solar Looms, a modern stitching center and a salt-making unit are running at this Ashram. This Khadi Ashram has been providing jobs to around 700 people – mostly women - from nearby villages, after its revival.
Enthused with the rejuvenation of this erstwhile Ashram, on the request of KVIC – the Lijjat papad had established a papad making unit in the center, in which over 250 local women have been enrolled for the work and most of them are regularly coming at the center. All the women involved in this job get Rs 39 per kilogram for kneading, rolling and packaging. Incidentally, it is the first ever Lijjat Papad manufacturing unit of Varanasi district started in September 2016.
Besides giving credit to the zeal of these rural women – engaged in Papad-making industry, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena also appreciates the improving law and order scenario of UP in the recent years. "For many decades, women in most parts of rural India have led a confined life. .Thanks to the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government, women are coming to Ashram, even in midnight," he said, adding, "We will soon be providing extra space to accommodate another 200 women in this industry."
