Editorial Jewelry Women's Day Music & Art Humour Prev Issue Next Issue

A Women 'Thikana' All The Way - By- Tarannum Manjul Live for today, for yesterday has gone and tomorrow still has to come. With this motto in life, this 24 year old young journalist gets going everyday. A through bred Delhite, this graduate in English honours (and several diplomas) went onto to become a journalist working for a leading National daily in Lucknow, (Uttar Pradesh) from the past 4 years. A true gemini to the soul, she loves meeting people and issues related to the underprivileged, women and children touch her the most. a budding development journalist, Tarannum loves writing about the feat achieved by her key areas, and can go anywhere to do that, with nothing stopping her.

On the first look, this house may seem to look like any other ordinary house in the hills. But this small one room house, situated in the Ringwaad village in Duggadda block has more significance to itself. It is the symbol of women's independence and need for privacy.

Aptly called the Mahila Thikana, this one room accomodation has been constructed by the women of the Ringwaad village. Unbelievable, but true! The women, who are all a part of the Sumangala Sangh formed by an NGO Mahila Samakhya, have actually constructed this house by carrying stones in the hills and climbing a height of almost 10 kms each time everyday. A concept given to them by Samakhya, this mahila thikana is one place in the village where men are not allowed and women can discuss anything on this earth in complete privacy. Says Premlata, the coordinator of Mahila Samakhya in Pauri, "We wanted them to have a place where they could discuss about their problems by sitting together and not worrying that they may have men overhearing their conversation."

The Mahila Samakhya gives Rs 33,000 to all its districts to get Mahila Thikanas constructed. Now its upto the women participants to either employ labour or do the work themselves in this limited amount. At least 50% shramdaan (self labour) is essential. But since labour was very expensive in this village which is a 15 climb from the main route, the women decided to make it themselves. “My betis and bahus of the village actually used to go all the way to the city, bring the stone and then construct this room step by step all alone. They did not ask a single man to help them out,” says Lakshmi Devi, one of the elderly women of the Sangha. Since the village women themselves created the house, men are not allowed here. “It’s our territory, why should they come in here?” they all say in unison. Infact, this is the third house in the village which is pucca, next only to the pradhan’s house and the gram panchayat bhawan, where the menfolk haunt. “Since some of us are gram sabha members, we make it a point that we can make our presence in the gram panchayat bhawan. But the men are certainly a big no-no in our thikana,” said Yashoda Devi.

With over two years in the offing, the thikana has now become a place, which belongs to these women only. It also acts as a centre for herbal medicines, where the women make medicines from over 54 readily available herbs for different diseases and cure the village folk without the help of any doctor. Says Smriti Singh of Mahila Samakhya, “Herbs are something which are readily available in the hills and in absence of proper medical aid, these herbal medicines of the Sanjivani Kendra actually are a big help.”

Although the women are self sufficient and do get a certain aid too, yet the programme gets into severe financial crunch at times. Donations from people willing to make these women independent and self-reliant are welcome. One can contact Mahila Samakhya at infor@samakhyaup.org or the writer at honeymanjul@rediffmail.com. All the donations would be tax exempted.

View and Post comment on this article