Mahila Shanti Sena Mourns the Loss of Acharya Ramamurti And
MSS Newsletter- December 2010
Mahila Shanti Sena mourns the loss of Acharya Ramamurti and
Ravindra Upadhyay
The first national get together of Mahila Shanti, without Acharyaji and Ravindrabhai, took place at Gandhi Niddhi Foundation under the chairmanship of Shri Rachandra Rahi, Chairman of Gandhi Nidhi, at Rajghat, New Delhi on Novemver 9, 2010. Among those who attended included Anupam Mishra (Gandhi Nidhi), T.M. Tripathi (AVARD), Satyapal (Lajpat Foundation), Krishnakumar, Ram Gulam Singh and Dr. Rajnarain Singh (Secretary- Shrambharati), Dr. Dipak Malik and Dr. Muniza Khan (Gandhian Studies Institute), Chelsea Rothwell and Rae Kathleen Mitchell (AUCC/CIDA Interns from Canada) and Rama Singh (McMaster University).
Fulan Bhattacharya (Agartala), Biju (assam), and Rashmi Mohanty and Nivedia Scudder (Unnayan) and Bhanu Panigrahi (Bhubaneswar) sent in their regret as their organizations were being visited by their funding agencies. Dharmadhikari ji, Radha Bhatt (Director-Gandhi Peace Foundation), DR. Posh CHarak (Jammu University) and Dr. Hemla Agrawal ( Principal- Commerce College, Jammu )were also not able to attend due to last minute change in their schedule. The meeting started with a condolence (shraddhanjali) and was chaired by Ramchandra Rahi and conducted by Rama Singh.
The purpose of the meeting was to touch base with the core group, to plan future activities and to put together an India-level coordinating committee (MSS-India) to provide leadership to MSS programs. It was a small meeting and each person was invited to take turn and speak about his/her feeling about MSS program and its future.
Rahi ji expressed deep sorrow about the loss of both leaders and said that their loss has left a great vacuum in the Gandhian constructive movement. He underscored the uniqueness of the vision and concept of Mahila Shanti Sena and its potential for building peace. He emphasized that wherever possible MSS work should proceed in collaboration with Gandhian organizations. .
Dr. Rajnarain Singh brought us up-to-date about the problem faced by Shrambharati and Rama Singh briefed the group about the MSS-Canada (Women’s Peace Brigade International Foundation). Dr. Dipak MAlik and Muniza Khan talked about the work of Gandhian Studies Institute (Varanasi) and Dr. Rava Joshi talked about her work on MSS and Education in Canada and about her current involvement with Ekta Parishad (India). Krishnakumar talked about the unfinished editorial/publication work of Acharyaji’s dictations. It was decided that Acharyaji’s recent book “ Mahila Shanti ena” should be translated in different languages, such as Odishi, Bangla and Assami.
Moving Forward:
1. it was decided to organize a homage to Acharyaji on his birthday, January 22, 2010 in Khadigram (Jamui, Bihar) and invite MSS women from Bihar. It was thought that this gathering should be used to exhort MSS women and get the Bihar wing of MSS moving. MSS leaders from other units would be invited to attend. Rajnarain Singh, Krishnakumar and Ram Gulam were requested to organize this function.
2. Krishnakumar will set up an office (computer, e-mail, etc) at his home (Rasulpur, Sivan, Bihar) and prepare the unpublished work of Acharyaji for publication.
3. Krishnakumar will attempt to take out a regular simple 1-2 page Newsletter in Hindi which can then be transcribed in other languages for distribution. Rama Singh will
4. In his capacity as Director of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK, Jamui), Dr. Rajnarain Singh will plan to create “Learn and Earn” projects to engage local MSS women in the agricultural sector.
5. A plan is under way to organize a conference and bring out an edited volume celebrating the life and work of Acharyaji.
6. Binational Canada-India Gender Balance Lecture Series (Reva, Anne, Hemla, Anuradha)
7. Training of Trainers
MSS-India: National Coordinating Committee
Acharyaji always emphasized that MSs is a movement, not a NGO. I reality it’s both. Our aim is to make it a successful movement but we also need an organization to guide the movement. When Acharyaji and Ravindrabhai were alive we had thought of putting together a national group that will work as a coordinating committee. Now that these leaders are gone, it’s urgent that we get such a committee going. An informal committee consisting of Krishnakumar, Ramchandra Rahi and Rama Singh is working on it. It’s felt that without such an organization we will not be able to apply for grants and participation in national and international peace building projects.
AUCC/CIDA Student Interns With Mahila Shanti Sena
MSS Progress Report – Odisha 2010
By - Sri Gopal Mohanty
MSS Objective:
To train women to improve their self-esteem, to form core groups for community building and learn on women’s empowerment in a peaceful and non-violent manner and to engage in village panchayats.
Training:
Consists of building self esteem, forming groups to figure out and analyse problems facing women and their plausible solutions, learning the concept of Mahila Shanti Sena, analyzing qualities of a good leader and sharing experience with previous MSS members and preparing an action plan for next six months. The duration is three days.
Past MSS Training:
Starting from 2005, MSS training camps, workshops and seminars have been held in Mayurbhanj, Angul and Sambalpur Districts. The training camps are named after Malati Choudhury. In addition to the training camp, there was a special workshop on “Culture of Peace and Women”at Baji Raut Chhatrabas, Angul in 2006. The workshop was attended by MSS members from Bihar and North Eastern States. In Angul training camp there were 10 women from Jagatsingpur who took the initiative to organize a two-day workshop in June 2006 involving 40 participants from 6 Gram Panchayats of Balikuda block of Jagatsinghpur. The exposure inspired the participants and they in turn motivated more women in the area to be part of MSS. Due to the increased enthusiasm, it was felt to train trainers for future camps and during the same year, a four-day camp was organized for that purpose in Mayurbhanj. On April 20, 08 a State level MSS Convention was held at Kakabandh village in Rasgobindpur Block, Mayurbhanj which was attended by about 1100 women.
Activities during 09 and till today:
Due to the persistent demand to hold a training camp in Balikuda Block of Jagatsinghpur District, a programme was organized during August 7-9, 09. There were 35 women who participated. Two more training camps were organized, one in Maneswar Block of Sambalpur during December 10-12 which and the other at Khamara, Angul during February 15-17, 10, each being attended by 25 women.
Sambalpur camps provided new challenges in communication and perception due to language difference in the region and local tribal culture.
Khamara camp was attended for the first time by six college students. The hope is that they may propagate the cause in future. It was also attended by Debadas Mohapatra, who teaches English at a college in Baudh District who was surprised to find the programme being executed with honesty, sincerity and dedication in sharp contrast to the work of NGOs he was aware of. He was so much impressed that he immediately invited to hold a camp in Baudh and promised to look after all local arrangements.
Two review camps were organized during my visit, one at Tambakhuri, Mayurbhanj on January 24,10 attended by about 130 members from three blocks and the other at Thailo , Jagatsingpur on January 27, 10.
Achievements:
There is a positive impact of the training among the MSS members in bringing changed attitude on gender domination in the community, making members aware of social and political issues, gaining self-confidence, developing self reliance, believing in peaceful social order and in opening up the hidden energy.
There is also a collective synergy of members to take co-operative actions in local social issues in families and in the community such as building roads, educating children, stopping the misuse of alcohol and breaking the caste system barrier. They volunteered in helping the recent flood affected victims in Mayurbhanj- Balasore region. As expected, some members are coming forward to be part of Panchayats. Even though the women are extremely marginalized and barely literate, they have been highly inspired. Nothing of this sort was ever noticed prior to MSS training
Future plan:
Proposed to hold one camp in Nuapada and another in Baudh during this year.
A case study:
The residents of Majhi Sahi which is part of Jhatiada village in Mayurbhanj District are living a marginalized existence socially and economically. The men folk are addicted to country liquor and shirk household responsibilities. In this scenario, the women were reluctant to form a SHG. However, Gayatri Behera who was exposed to MSS along with some women took the leadership and motivated others in forming a SHG. The success as reported by Unnayan has been phenomenal in bringing both social and economic transformation in the community.
According to Gayatri, they saved enough money so that they are no longer dependent on the local money lenders for basic needs such as emergency medical expenses, education for children and share cropping in summer. Getting some training from Unnayan on management and gender issues, they have been able to earn from group income generation activities and able to participate in domestic decision making process. A significant change is occurring in the attitude of the male members towards them. The members are becoming aware of value of education, good hygiene practices and basic healthcare. Due to the boost in their self-reliance and self esteem, it has become easier for them to interact with the village Panchayat. By individual contribution, they are proud to build a thatched hall for community activities. Above all, that her untouchable community is now accepted by the neighbors and at times their members are invited to solve problems in other villages is most fulfilling for her.
Organization:
All programmes are organized by Unnayan, the Sambalpur ones being with the help of BISWA, a Sambalpur NGO and the proposed Nuapada District training being with the help of SRUSTI, a local NGO with which SEEDS has previous collaboration.
Financial Support:
Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University and SEEDS during 2009-10.
The Eighteenth Annual Mahatma Gandhi Peace Festival, Hamilton
Ela Bhatt Honored for SEWA
Personal
(Village girls school, Dr. Swaminathan, Dr. Karan Singh, etc)