The Weaving of Hope
In the 1980s, women in Darjeeling went through a lot of turbulence especially due to the Gorkhaland agitation. Their primary means of earning a living was to work as maids and other petty jobs. But now, all that has changed significantly. The women have now adopted carpet weaving as a primary source of income, thanks to the assistance of Hayden Hall, an NGO based out of Darjeeling town. Tehelka’s Teresa Rehman writes in this article about how a turnaround was achieved in the lives of these women:
Tears roll down her cheeks as she recalls the turbulence during the Gorkhaland agitation of 1980s in Darjeeling in West Bengal. As Shannu Sherpa, 36, gives finishing touches to the new carpet she has woven, she narrates how her uncle and most of the male members fled to the jungles fearing atrocities by the security forces. “There were bandhs for as many as 40 days. The whole economy which had thrived on tourism collapsed and there was no income for many days. Moreover, houses were raided and there were atrocities on women by the security forces,” she says.
It was during these trying moments that she found succour in carpet-making after she landed in Hayden Hall, an NGO in Darjeeling town. Then it was quite an uphill task for her to traverse the distance of nearly an hour from her village Singmari to reach the place. She says, “But it was worth it. I have brought up my children with these earnings after my husband’s death. I am not always able to fulfill their demands but I am happy that at least I can lead a respectable life here.”
Radha Karky, the administrator of Hayden Hall has been interviewed in the article. Some excerpts of her views:
“The idea behind introducing this alternate way of earning livelihood is because employment opportunities are very few here and there is tremendous pressure on these women. Here, they at least pick up a skill. It’s like being literate, gaining confidence. For illiterate women, coming up with beautiful hand-woven carpet is psychologically uplifting. These women would otherwise be going home to clean dishes. Even their meager wages are cut if they fall sick,” adds Karky.
Interestingly, and perhaps more importantly, in addition to the wages that these women are able to earn, they also have the added security of medical care and life insurance!
About the economics involved, the article goes on to say:
Carpet making is not a viable option if done independently but Karky says, “Its viable in Hayden Hall. We ensure that a weaver makes at least Rs 1500 per month. While working at Hayden Hall, women are also enrolled in a health program that covers basic medical expenses, a lunch schemes, and their children benefit from the many children’s schemes, from day-care and health care to after-school tutoring to help with public or private school fees.” These women make carpets, which are then marketed by Hayden Hall in the two stores located in Darjeeling. These stores are also have an overseas shipping licence. Hayden Hall’s carpet weavers spend roughly a month on a three-by-six-foot carpet.
Read the entire article here to get a sense of the freedom that these women have managed to earn for themselves. It is truly heartening to see an organization being able to achieve such a turn around for people, who only a decade ago, were grappling with uncertainty and turmoil.
Image courtesy: www.tehelka.com
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November 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
In today’s India the saddest part of politics is that the politicians play the game of hatred and Bimal Gurung is no different.
You make people suffer in Hills by various agitations and brain wash the people that for everything West Bengal Govt. responsible so that people start hating the govt. and to some extent even Bengalis. This is the strategy the Politicians of the Hills adopt to gain more popularity. Ghisingh did it and now Bimal Gurung did it. They very well know that Gorkhaland demand is unacceptable in the current format and current Indian condition by which every party that comes to power in the Centre. The people in hills totally fail to realize the game and get flown away with emotions and gets deceived by the leaders.
But erasing the name of Govt. of West Bengal from the govt. offices what does GJM wants to prove. They want to show they people how great they are and invite some govt. action so that people starts hating the govt. more for their action and more and more people come to join their movement.
If the govt. shuts down all the offices where ever they write the govt. of gorkhaland instead of resisting with the help of any force, what is going to be the circumstances, can anyone imagine that? If offices like PHE, PWD, Health Depatment, Hospitals, police stations, treasury, etc indefinitely gets closed do GJM realize what is going to happen?
November 30th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Question OF CITIZENSHIP , MAHANEPAL/GORKHALAND:
Darjeeling was not a Nepalese territory. Before 1947, that district was much smaller than what it is today; British used to use that only for their sanitariums and tea gardens. There were not Nepalese much, but only Bhutias and Lepchas and some Tibetans. Nepalese came after Nehru made another blunder to sign Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950. Nepalese came after that in millions, particularly when in 1980s Nehru’s grandson Rajeev Gandhi made another blunder to create Darjeeling autonomous area, giving total control of the hills to the Nepalese. All retired Nepalese soldiers were allowed to settle down in Darjeeling. Now Nepalese do not allow other non-Nepalese to live in Darjeeling District and they are now expanding their new Nepal within India by demanding the whole of North Bengal. It is really a scandal that CPI (M) chief minister does not know administration; he is not taking action against these Nepalese, but allows them to create a total lawlessness situation in the North Bengal.
Prachanda wants to change the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950. Excellent. It has to start with the issue of the people. Nepalese who cannot prove that their ancestors used to live in India before 1950 must get Nepalese passports? That includes every part of India, Sikkim Darjeeling, Kumaun, and North Bihar etc. In that case there will be very few Indian Nepalese in Darjeeling. Most of the Nepalese in West Bengal, Sikkim are foreigners, i.e., those who came after 1950. They are not Indian by any means. Nepalese or gorkhas from Nepal cannot be claimed as Indian because Nepal is a separate country. Example is there. Yes, Pawan Chamling is a Nepalese but not an Indian, his ancestors came from Nepal. Baichung Bhutia is very proud to be a Bhutanese, he has never claimed that he is an Indian. Nepalese coming from Nepal has no claim at all; they are foreigners. So Nepalese/gurkhas cannot demand a separate state within India for the Nepalese/gurkhas communities. Maoism is much more dangerous than anything, as they believe in mindless violence, which has destroyed Nepal. That is the reason all Nepalese/gurkhas are coming to India. India should follow Bhutan and expel all Nepalese/gurkhas from India and cancel this defunct Indo-Nepal treaty of 1950. This is not racism, but a question of citizenship. Nepalese cannot be Indian.
LOOTS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS:
All the money given to the Darjeeling Hill Council, over the last 20 years, were stolen by the very people who are now demanding Gurkhaland, because they do not want any investigations on their theft. This is the character of the leaders of the Gurkhas. Bimal Guring, the current leader of the Gurkhas was a truck driver, but now he is a Millionaire. Subhas Ghising was a primary school teacher, now he is a Billionaire. They have stolen all development fund meant for the Darjeeling Hill Council over the last 20 years. This is the true face of the Gurkhas. The current demand for Gorkhaland has started after the West Bengal government was about to appoint an auditor to investigate who has stolen the money (more than Rs.5000 Crores) given to the Darjeeling Hill Council. Immediately Subhas Ghessing said, in that case they will start the Gorkhaland movement again. Then his assistant Bimal Gurung started this current trouble, as he was also involved in that massive theft. There should be CBI investigation about this money and must identify the culprits irrespective of the threat of violence from GJJM.
Darjeeling Hill is not a part of Nepal. Nepalese/gurkhas of Nepal has no right to create trouble in a foreign country. There are lots of Pakistanis, Gujarati, and Sikhs in Britain. There is lots of Turkish in Germany. There are lots of Punjabis in Canada. There are millions of Chinese in Australia. Do they dare to demand separate states for them?
Nepal is now controlled by the most violent people, Maoists, They are demanding MAHA NEPAL and they want to destroy India, as that would please their master China. They want to expand Nepal with the help of Bimal Gurung and North Bengal is the first target.