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5/1/1995 - The Changing Face of India by Pramila Jayapal

The Changing Face India PRAMILAJAYAPAL BANGALORE India May I write newsletter knowing India pastfourweeks isjustonthe surface Intheswirlingwatersofa running river drawn leaves branches being swept along river Yet current under neath causing movement above truly analyze understand apparent first preface observations follow analogy reminder still seeing maybe leaves sometimes branches Dhire dhire dhire Mali sinche ghada Goslowomind thingstake theirowntime Thegardenerpoursahundredpotsofwater fruits season Kabir Das plane landed India Before could fully emerge plane India surrounded smell masses sultry brushed scent jasmine It years since lived India would incorrect simply changed Parts certainly changed since recent visits previous However everything happens India takes change exception Several visible changes occurring India Many these changes particularly apparent cities In Bangalore example there tremendous economic years giving dubious honor being fifth fastest growing world The growth fueled large India policies economic liberalization begun Reforms introduced whereby foreign companies allowed majority equity terests joint ventures certain industrial sectors regulations eased efforts started dollar freely convertible The attractiveness investment sheer Indian growing numbers middle class consumers drawn substantial foreign investment In months Reserve Bank India approved Rs crores investment three countries U S Netherlands Ja The U S largest foreign investor accounting about total investment approved These ventures being located Bangalore several other urban centers around India Even smaller sleepy cities economic change undenia In Kerala example state businessmen plague strong unions electric power unfavorable political climate multinationals recently proposed several large investment projects await approval Continued Note Throughout newsletter Rupee figures The conversion approximately Rs US Rs Rs US Rs crore Rs million US Born family ofNairs andMenons respectable working class castes IwasnamedP K PramilaJayapal But shewrites whenshewas years Ms Jayapal fatherwas transferred Indonesia there Shewent international schoolwhere percent studentswereAmerican inthisenvironment Ifoundmyselfuncon sciously shunning India Whenshewas Ms JayapaltraveledtotheUnitedStatesandentered Georgetown University She spentmore PaineWebber entered Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School ofManage Onherwayto M B A sheworked intern withMechai Vir vaidya Population andCommunityDevelopment Association PDA borders ofThailand Laos Cambodia Her degreewon workedforayearasa districtmarketingmanagerforPhysio ControlCorpo ration world leader manufacture cardiac defibrilators movedto nonprofit Program Appropriate Technology Health PATH Seattle whereshemanageda 7millionlo anfundproviding nancing technical assistance health projects developing countries Simultaneously seeking roots immersion kinds people PATH loans designed Ms Jayapal herhusband Alan Preston isspendingtwoyearslivingandwritingaboutsocietalissuesin widely diverse regions India PJ The influx foreign capital combined return viewer overt sexual actions Now wealthy Indians abroad Non Resident Indians movies filled dizzying gyrations definite NRIs generated housing thrusts scenes sliding market This trend especially prevalent Bangalore scantily bodies nowtermedthe SiliconValleyofIndia wherethe pleasant round In months idential property prices increased In years property prices quadru On every Cantonment Banga British encampment beautiful apart blocks erected They offer luxury living protected carefully landscaped acreage Western sounding names Victorian Villa Italia A bedroom apartment these blocks might easily Rs lakhs Discussing evident changes without discussing teoric television would incomplete In cities satellite dishes broadcast Z TV MTV equiv alent Star Plus cable andBBCWorld ubiquitous According National Readership Survey about million people urban population television Not viewing increased content changed dramatically Shows Baywatch The Bold Beautiful Dynasty andLA Law popular Bollywood India Hollywood dustry begun making TV shows mimic West including Joan Rivers equivalent Nikki Bedi Even Hindi movies changed substantially One vening hotel Cochin I watched snippets Amitab Bachan classic Hindi heart throb movies Bachan heart desire other shyly their hands touching movie teases While change undeniable across Indian cities Bangalore absolute Roads remain narrow often filled rubble remnants construc taking place Road traffic continues increase exponential population growth matched proportionate upgrades infra structure Despite growing middle class group coming graduates Indian Institute Management cheap labor still cornerstone Indian employment market In several labor intensive industries minimum wages between Rs these wages always guaran spite A South India might about Rs month For urban rural benefits computerization industrialization available I recently several villages outside Cochin Trivandrum Kerala In Idduki district region hills bordering Western Ghats state largest hydro electric power plants How beyond project I visited village which electricity We asked women village Teeth gleaming answered tried They would Rs family electricity money could afford We women colleague traveling partner Ms Vijayalakshmi Das ofFriends ofWomen sWorld Banking India FWWBI gives loans groups women organized themselves around savings credit The problem however giving loans productive power latrines income generated I village banks Krishna River Raichur Karnataka State In spite cation flowing river village completely except richer landowners lifted river irrigate their fields These landowners technology villagers villagers would irrigate their Without productive theywould haveno alterna laborers Only cently committed highly educated young OClAL IEFORMEI 50CIAL FORHEK person commercial sector return village lagers It showed villagers water river irrigate their fields When Das FWWBI From Manushi magazine Nov Dec visit village working Institute Current World Affairs Women still catty heavy loads fields running plough tearing around seemed frenzy Why running asked He happy water fields doesn waste responded You bonded years What bonded Das asked She years working richlandowner order support himselfandhis family He available landowner slave might master hours In return given substandard millet grain family Withthe advent irrigation longer needed bonded After years finally wantto waste earned freedom In village Balaramapuram outside Trivandrum where families handloom weavers small cement houses often contain joint families people The Ma layalees exceptionally clean looks deceiving detecting poverty With eralization industrialization icies traditional weaving being discarded Power looms polyester other synthetic fabrics handlooms As result weavers around In suffer living conditions wages general poverty Kumar president Handloom Weavers Society toldme often private marketing cooperatives through weavers weavers Ontop manyof eratives government officials sometimes weaver enough cover herraw materials Despite struggles these lagers remain dedicated improv living conditions themselves their families improving their communities pulling themselves poverty Several projects I visited doing through integrated rural evelopmentma combination building awareness impor issues addressing health literacy community organizing agriculture other small scale enterprises In these places critical component program ganizing women groups around savings credit Women Employmentand Credit At workshop entitled Women Credit Employment inTrivandrum Das ofFWWBI starts session about representatives Ke NGOs statistic recent ILO report world population women Of world earners percent think women participants The question translated Malayalam participants among themselves One young other knowing smile Another The women silent Das turns blackboard deliberately shades circle drawn The class surprised Ac world wages earned women One brave answers She shadesinasmallsliceofanew circle andwrites10 I gasps surprise class And think about world assets property owned women No answers She outlines another sliver theirgoods tosellthestockandpay ABalaramapuramweaverusesaBritish stylehandloom PJ writes Now andwomen shaking their heads amazement These social workers community activists attorneys anima village motivators these statistics shock The session spent plainingtherelationshipbetweenthe statusofwomen employment income credit Much current world interest small scale income generating activities programs Gra Bank Bangladesh FWWBI India Trickle Up U S based assumption order improve status fwomen change fundamental relationship between women income assets women higher wages their reclassified current position informal unpaid sector formal recognized sector wages their For example currently tasks fodder gathering places particularly often recog nized woman Women should trained allowed chance productive enterprises dairy farming vegeta farming weaving With increased income productive employment comes greater sense Most importantly women spend their income education improved nutrition emergency health needs Becausewomenhaveno assetsorsavingstopledgefor abank start small enterprises turned themselves Savings redit groups being formed astounding numbers In Kerala especially groups existence decade andnew groups forming every While Gra meenBankinBangladesh often touted interna tional model microenterprise lending India short I several successful amples ofmicroenterprise lendingand development FWWBI example loaned approximately Rs million women groups years Ninety percent these loans repaid FWWBI loans individuals groups Loan sizes range larger loans being given organizations include large numbersofwomen andhaveoftenformed 20or30 women savings groups FWWBIrequires groups manage their savings period oftime before apply This shows women commit taken their initiative improve their situations Whensomeoneinaworkshopask sDaswhat collateral takes smiles Trust In order build mutual trust Das rigorous maintaining relationships borrowers During barraged requests borrowers would borrowers visit their project areas lunchtime after foreconferencehours Ifwewereunabletogo Dasin vited people hotel discuss their posals their projects She villages whereno otherbanker Hermost recent adventure hadbeen riding 350km motorcycle sariand getting soaked crossing river But tellsme hereyesgleaminginherround itwasso wonderful excitement these people someone finally achieve their goals Das revered women field Theyknowthat ifnotforFWWBI theywould still standing hostile environment waiting However Das knows quick point thewomen havemade success their groups possiblewith their vision their desire fight Das believes important difference between groups likeFWWBIandGrameenis thatFWWBI istohave itsborrowersgrowenoughtoeventuallytake FWWBI alternative financial institu It already happened instances In group originally taken FWWBIbecamelargeenoughon itsownto offeraloan FWWBI Grameen philosophy multiply itself setting Grameen village banking branches around Bangladesh provide credit village groups FWWBI other tries tobuildup existing villagewomen groupsthem selves provide credit their villagers FWWBI shopeisthat itwilleventuallyhaveworkedit system leaving behind legacy reliant village level savingsand credit groups It policy providing credit helping based institutions formandprosper Unlikeseveralprojects Ihavevisitedinothercountries development seems truly grassroots driven Societies cooperatives NGOs formed villages Some educated committed AsI discuss later newsletter development isbynomeanswithoutitsownstrug Among other things groups often ability planning andto develop eration leaders original charismatic founder However spark mitment these villagers unique inspiring The women movement exception Arecent lication entitled Violence against Women summarized thought The whole women eration movement special dynamic India growing numbers toiling women asserting their rights isolation connection simply conscious feminist group women wings political parties within frame workof thenew socialmovements TheWomen Movement Fromthe Grass Roots Institute Current World Affairs Afisherwoman entrepreneur Connemara Market Trivandrum hairpin On Western Ghats black marked cliffs dramatically greenteakforests Wepassrubberplantations infront which rubber strung The undulating pineapple silvery spikey leaves planted higher lying areas paddies occupy lower water flooded areas Clouds pinkish hover small fields tread rubber pepper mangoes areca betel Old stone houses curved arches gleaming woodtrim arenestledinbetweensome ofthe trees In rivers commonlyknownastheKeralabackwaters perfect circles coconut husks fermenting until theybecome softenoughtomakeinto We finally rural development project called Vandanmedu Development Society Vandanmedu project covers population almost million people which harijans tribals account proximately respectively The literacy about quite different literacy figures touted Kerala state However greenery Kerala women seeking change This group received FWWBI which distributed among several women groups We ifrom village village women groups often comprised to30womenpergroup They tellus thattheyare small loans buying rabbit rearing delicacy fetches excellent prices agricultural poses other medical needs Most these groups haveboth savings scheme credit scheme Each woman savings count managed central group minimum about Rs every The women diligent saving build quickly Onewoman showedme passbook months saved Rs Against these savings allowed times The interest these loans about money lender charge Often woman required other woman group sponsor amount islarge Thesponsor Willpledgehersavingsto group friend repay In women slowly built assets dealt small medical emergencies basic health gained productive employment Equally important built community based trust In another women cooperative dairy project woman started about Rs A produce about litres ofmilkperday which dependingonthe fatcontentof between Rs litre Within eight twelve months depending produc which second canbepurchased Thiswomanhadmanaged tobuy3 which proudly showed She built beautiful cement complete which spotlessly The Harijansmeans ChildrenofGod MahatmaGandhigavethisnewnametothe dalitsor untouchables PJ brushed shiny coats looked healthy satisfied How changed these women since these savings groups I women group meeting One woman rises shyly She wearing green bangles She tells commands respect Even chair waiting People village She provide family And support system other women group At meetings discuss family problems their children health education money issues loans their income generating activities Theyarehappierand stronger Several women elected chayats village councils In onewomanhadbeen panchayat member several years cently elected President Women participation panchayats still fairly unusual In women comprised local decision making bodies India Recently Panchayati Raj Act passed which allocated seats women This bined growing power women lages should substantial increase decade women participation local erning bodies The changing ofthewomen smovement The grassroots nature women movement In fairly recent development Gender issues women education widow remarriage female fanticide purdah subject public discourse since century In those MILESTONESOFTHEWOMEN S MOVEMENT Year State Action Women Reaction Natl Committee Status Women Historic Rape Changes inadequate deter dowry deaths amended Crimes against Women Ineffective Cell estab Delhi Dept Women Welcome Child Development establ Indecent Representation Women Prohibition Bill passed Full loopholes Sati Prevention Bill Bill makes passed victim offender National Commission Women Welcome lacks teeth Reservations created women iocal Welcome governments AdaptedfromIndiaToday ALobbyofTheirOwn mostly Iswar Chandra Reshab Chandra Sen charge abolish child riages other practices There women involved though involved strong radical reformers In century dynamic began change Mahatma Gandhi strumentalinintegratingwomenintothe fabricofeve ryday encouraging their productivity khadi rough cotton cloth spinning During 1960s price student movements creation ofautonomouswomen groups resurgence women active participation issues However 1970s marked prominent change nature women movement Activist oriented groups women begantoformaround specificwomen sissues dowry beating Feminist zines literature workshops proliferated Not prisingly movement began signs fracturing In N Desai classified various spectives follows Those merely wanted minor reforms existing social structure remain contented liberal statutory measures known bourgeois feminists Thosewho found alone specific power relations tweenmenandwomen responsible miseries ofwomenwereknownas radical feminists those admit triarchy subju gatingwomenin societybut believe system other oppressed exploitedmasseslike dalits tribals workingclass allies women liberation movement therefore believe solidarity these groups areknownas socialist feminists Tensionbetweenthedifferentgroups stillexiststoday particularly strong impact issues involvement women movement Upon recently meeting woman advocate attorney works women issues addition private practice There these radical feminists giving We We bring everyone community battle In still important women movement It seems evident women issues necessarily involve cationand awareness critical issues In strides community change sustainable whole community ticipates However stillessentialthatwomenare motivators Sunera Thobani President National Action Committee Women recently speech women rights patriar chalpower relations This happenbywomen organizing empowering themselves The thingmencando istogivethewomenthespacetodo educate other The actualempowerment mustbe taken onbywomen Institute Current World Affairs Apaintingon Bangalore The1990s Stage Left ifnotCenterStage Now 1990s women issues gained mendous public visibility The local national filled articles varying titles about women issues The gender democracy Stree shakti women power An women New schemes empower marginalised women Women riding around scoot working businesses sometimes featured notable executives leadingbusines State governments beginning attention towomenas Last June Government ofMaha rashtra announced Policy Women first state amniocentesis tests natal discrimination In state budget Karna Government included women schemes including entrepreneurial development widows other disempowered women credit production marketing production support women The issue course whether these bills commissions merely service whether achieve results However indisputable issue least stage ifnotcenterstage Even profit minded businesses recognize emerging importance women India Ogilvy Mather third largest advertising agency India under taken study status women When IdiscussedthestudywithO Mboardmember concept designer Achin Ganguly quick study context We believe macro makes people brand choices There number cultural PJ texts influence consumers behaviors We those We looking major influencing factor household To household And ofwomenin household But O M study typical marketing results Ganguly points analyzed Neilsen report might O M already conference experts fields including known anthropologistwho completed extensive study women urban rural areas The second phase pilot project people villages observe decisions again anthropological standpoint This summer O M another closed conference women activist experts including Kiran Bedi first andnowformer womanInspectorGeneralof Delhi Tihar Jail largest India Bedi gained controversial publicity efforts transform Ti reformatory initiating policy openness thatbrought great praise criticism O M sCEOin India Mr Ranjan Kapoor believes women consumer group rural urban areas comment study tremely forward thinking given companies satisfied existing middle class investing funds different tried study method He Ganguly proud Kapoorhasbeenastrongsupporterofthis project matched interest funds O M Like others including myself colleagues trying understand exactly Miles AFGHANISTAN JAMMUAND KASHMIR CHINA PAKISTAN RAJASTHAN Jaipur New Delhi UTTARPRADESH Lucknow BIHAR Kandla GU JARAT Bhopal Jabalpur MADHYA PRADESH ANDNAGARHAVLI Bombay MAHARASHTRA Poona Nagpur ORISSA Purl Raichur GOA KARNATAKA Hyderabad ANDHRA PRADESH Bangalore TAMIL NADU Institute Current World Affairs whatthestatusofwomenisinIndia India contradictions There clearly tension between progress ofwomenandthe traditional women institutionalized through culture religion I relate sonal anecdote stayed gives smallinsightintothechallenges stillaheadforwomen evenin light allthe positivechange occurring In Trivandrum friend I temples The fresh clear hadstartedseveralhoursbefore Wewent firsttoAm meaningMother Temple atempleweweretold women Here instead cracking offering light firecrackers Rs Rs We shoes rickshaw walked compound crunching under soles There temple filled carvings goddesses In center beautiful plated figure Shakti another Siva Parvati She framed within curved entranceway thatwas litwithsmallcandlewickflames Weheldout hands coconut which drank sprinkled heads smeared sandal paste foreheads talked about unusual temple voted justwomengoddesses where evenmen trated themselves front goddesses It feeling moved temple famousPadmanaswamy Temple The closed Hindus foreigners It inside theold andisabeautifulexampleoftypicalDra vidian architecture outward cascading layers forming triangle Even shops lining street temple Tour buses carrying pilgrims other states arrived people bathing themselves temple tankbefore entering Iwas stopped entrance temple because salvaar kameez tunic balloon pants derneath I I veshti piece cloth normally under chesttocovermytrousers Iwassomewhatsurprised given salvaar kameez modest covers parts However I Kerala temples south particularly strict about other issues I rented veshti leftmybagandcamerainasmallroomto temple We walked which contains sanctum sanctorum lnnerm0st holding famed sleeping Padmanaswamy incarnation Lord Vishnu Atemplebrahminpointedmeinthe direction access sanctum sanctorum Rs never liked IOPJ God close So I stood small crowds people Eyes closed I pushed pulled crowd enveloped smell chested womenstucktogether devotion Heady perience platform As I leaving I shoulder backaway Hehad twisted wholebody hewould touchme hewas looking mixture contempt I wondered I When I asked friend shook He class Brahminwho considers impure because woman And especially since Saturday supposed remain today After visit Amman temple heady experience crowded platform I surprised temple presence God religious manwould fearwomen somuch displaysucha action But I learn share later newsletter there certainly aspects century interpretation Hindu texts contribute continuance views This small example seems trivial larger issues women But shows extent which change occur visible invisible apparent hidden facets Progress happening fronts But Kabir Das everything comes season Change takes andIndia isabigcountry Each activity eachwomen group struggle important because means women taking control their lives their small India state tinctive change through national programs Many savings credit groups taken their inspi ration another group formed nearby village Woman iring woman educat community showing community these tobekeyfactorsinthemassmovementhere NOTES U S Largest Foreign Investor Deccan Herald May Josey Puliyenthuruthel The Kerala Miracle That Didn tHappen BusinessWorld May3 TheGardenCity TheEconomicTimes 12March GailOmvedt ViolenceAgainstWomen New Movements andNewTheories India New Delhi RobinMorgan SisterhoodisGlobal NewYork Vibhuti Patel Emergence Proliferation Women GroupsinIndia inWomen Indian Society RehanaGhadially NewDelhi N Desai EmergenceandDevelopmentofWomen ganizations Bombay