A Woman with Rocklike Determination Interview with Vimla Bahuguna
Vimla Bahuguna is not known to the world outside as is her husband Sunderlal Bahuguna. This, she told me, is the first ever interview she has given at length. This frail and diminutive woman has been a full partner with her husband in the Chipko movement and she asserts it with the calm confidence of someone who has selflessly given her life to the cause of her people. Every line on her face speaks of her compassion and the mammoth struggle that her life has been. —Madhu Kishwar
How did you and Bahugunaji experiences in the forests. Tehri was one elder and one younger than me, come together in this field ? then aprincely state. We hadnoproper joined in this rebellion. My elder Bahugunaji and I come from provision for educating girls. Even for brother had,given up his education nearby villages. I was born in the boys there was just one to join the movement. Both of them Malideval in Tehri. He was born in a intercollege in the district. For, the had to serve prison terms. I used to nearby village called Sirai—the girls there was just one school that think about how I could become a vil-lages are two kilometers apart. He went up to eighth standard. meaningful partner in this struggle. was born in 1927 and I was born in During our youth there was a Being a young girl at that time I could not do very much. I participated in 1932. rebellion against the monarchy in the movement by collecting rations My father worked in the Forest Tehri. At the same time the entire from house to house for men involved Department. We spent a lot of time country was swept up in the rebellion in the movement when they came to amidst nature in dense forests. I got against the British. Both my brothers, our village, as well as organising my love of nature from these early Budhisagar and Vidyasagar Nautiyal, meetings for them.
12 MANUSHI What form did the rebellion and hardworking, woman who ran established her ashram on the basis against the local ruler take ? What their households with determination of Gandhiji’s concept of basic were the difficulties that you had to when their menfolk were in jail. But education. We were taught to read and face ? she was distressed when she found write. Besides this we were taught all First of all, as I have said, the that the same women had to shoulder the skills that we need in our daily doors of education were completely the entire responsibility of the lives--like cooking, gardening, closed for most people. The ruler household, looking after the children, spinning, health care. In addition, we feared that if the people got educated attending to the fields, but would not given training for social work, so that they would ask for their rights. But come to attend a meeting if Sarla behn when we went back to our villages we the martyrdom of Gurudev Sumanji called one. They would say, “Behnji, could start a health centre and work did not go in vain and Bahugunaji, we are like animals. All we know is there. my brothers and many other youth work, Meetings and other such social Where did the money come from like Harpuranandaji, Ramchandra activities are meant only for men.” to run the ashram? Uniiyal, and Anand Ratanji raised the This low self-esteem of women made Those children whose families banner of revolt. her decide that along with the struggle could afford to pay for their children’s Were you with the Congress or for independence she would also education and upkeep did so. My two were you working separately ? work for educating women to instill sisters came there after me. We three We were with the Congress. self confidence in them. So she started sisters got money from our family. For Narendra Shah was our king. His rule an institution for educating women. those children whose parents who ended in 1949. Unlike my brothers I My brothers sent me to her institution could not afford to pay, behnji got a did not get an opportunity to go to in 1950, after I passed the eighth class grant from the education department. jail. Therefore, I turned my attention exam. Till now we had been in touch The name of the institution was to-wards my education. Mean while with the views of Gandhiji through Kasturba Mahila Utthan Mandal, Sarla behn, a European woman, had reading. But after going there we saw Lakshmi Ashram, Kosani. Radha started an institution in Kosani. Being how Sarla behn’s life was an behn, who also studied under Sarla in-spired by Gandhiji, she had come embodiment of Gandhiji’s ideas. She behn, is running it now. Sarla behn to India. She had stayed with Gandhiji led a very simple life, she only wore was live till 1982. at Wardha for five years. There she clothes made from hand spun yarn. Looking at Sarla behn’s felt that if fre-quently suffered from malaria and What age group of females did this this woman who has come from a far could not adjust to the heat. So she institution cater to? away country can so dedicate herself chose to live in the mountains. Here From six years onwards. She to the service of Indians, I too should she came into contact dedicate my life to with the people involved serving my in the anti-Maharaja country’s people. freedom movement and She had told she started working Gandhiji that she with them. She would had started the visit the families of institution keeping those men who had in view his ideals been arrested for and that she would participating in the give proof of her freedom struggle and work in 20 years find out how she could when the girls from help them. Even though her ashram would she was born in Europe, go back to their she went to jail twice for villages and spread the independence of awareness the people of India. amongst the She found the women there. women in the mountains In the to be very courageous Sarla behn meanwhile in 1953,
No.70 (May-June 1992) 13 when Vinoba Bhave started the weak when he was released. He tried to keep up with my social work. Bhoodan (voluntary gift of land to the to improve his health and went to I was a little afraid of marriage. I poor) movement, he needed some Lahore for studies. Even in Lahore the felt that we had to take the work of volunteers. At a discussion in our police trailed him. He went Sarla behn ahead, work for our institution we decided that one of us underground for a year disguised as institution. When I asked for a year should join in the effort. I said I would a Sikh. He returned to Tehri after to think about marriage, Bahugunaji
be most happy if I was given the completing his B.A. agreed. But my father was very upset. chance. So in 1953 I was sent to work By then the king had been I told my father that since he had said with Vinobha Bhave. over-thrown and Bahugunaji became the doors of his house would be shut For one year I travelled with the secretary of the Congress for me if I refused to get married, I Vinobhaji in Bihar for the Bhoodan committee and took up social work. would come to his house only if I was movement. There was a lot of work to He started a school for the harijans ready to marry. After one year, in 1955, be done with Vinobhaji, but we had to in the sweepers’ colony. He was I agreed to the marriage. It was run our institution also and the area involved in a lot of activities such as decided that we would get married in in which we were living also had to be taking out prabhat pheris (early 1956. We got married on June 19.1 told improved. Sol returned to our ashram morning processions), organising Bahugunaji that I had no interest in and with Sarla behnji and other camps, and conferences. I also used his politics. Nor did I want to live in women we formed a group and started to take part in these programmes. We big cities. At that time he was living in going from village to village for the knew each other as we were both from Tehri town. He was the president of village uplift programme. nearby villages. My father put the the Congress in Tehri and had built a During this time my father began proposal of my marriage to him and students’ hostel for harijans. It was pressing me to get married and settle he agreed. He had a lot of proposals called Thakkarbaba Chhatravas. down. I said that I would get married before him but he had so far not agreed This was part of his work against only if I found someone whose ideas because he did not want to get tied untouchability. He himself lived in the were in harmony with mine. I did not down with marriage. In this case he same hostel. think that marriage was a must as I thought that I would be more of How did he meet with the was a disciple of Sarla behn and she apartner and togetherwe would expenses of the hostel? had dedicated her entire life to social beable to do much more. After he had In some cases parents of the work. agreed, my father wrote to me that he stu-dents paid for the expenses. Some My father knew Bahugunaji as we was very happy to inform me that I students got scholarships from the were both from the same place. He was was getting married on such and Social Welfare Board or the Harijan a rebel from his student days. When such,date so I should come home Welfare Union. Sumanji was in jail and was being immediately. Ifound this very strange I told Bahugunaji that Sarla behn tortured, Bahugunaji managed to as I had not been given the chance to had promised Gandhiji that all the girls smuggle this news out to the be mentally prepared for marriage. I from her ashram would work in the news-papers. He was arrested for this told him that I needed one year to think villages. If I left the Kosani Ashram, I and jailed. As Sumanji was in the Tehri over the matter of whether I wanted would do so only to live in villages. jail, he was not kept in that jail but in a to get married or not, whether I should He agreed and he resigned from the lock up at Narendranagar. The po-lice marry Bahugunaji or not. My father Congress Party. was constantly after him. He was was very angry at this and he said if I On this issue alone? studying for his inter exam at that time. declined to marry the doors of his Yes, for this very reason he gave He would be sent under police escort house would be permanently closed up party political work. Then we to the examination centre. It was at to me. How old were you then? looked aroundto see whicharea would Narendranagar police lock up that he I was 23 then. He was very angry be best for our services. We looked got the news of the martyrdom of and said that Bahugunaji was such a around in many places and we finally Sumanji. good man, qualified in all respects, found this place 36 km from Tehri While in jail, Bahugunaji had shared the same values as us, then which was among the most backward. de-veloped boils all over his body as what more did I want? I said that I You had to walk miles to reach there there was no provision for bathing. wanted to be ready from within as there was no bus link. As the doctor refused to treat him in myself. My doubt was whether after Educationally, it was very deprived. prison, he was released; He was quite entering into marriage I would be able On June 19 we organised a camp there
14 MANUSHI and built two huts. That is how we Today we have 120 pupils. got married and made it our home and Are you still in the same village workplace. where you started? Who had chosen this particular Yes, we are still there. But now most village? children come from different villages Bahugunaji had chosen it. and return to their homes. When we Through correspondence with Sarla started, we thought that we too would behn and me he used to tell us about make a big educational institution like different places he was seeing. He Sarla behn. While we were wrote to us why he liked this place. constructing the building, Sarla behn Sarla behn and I gave our consent. came and asked us what we were He had two huts built where the camp building. We said that we were was held. In fact there was just one mak-ing a mess and a place for 50 hut, the other was still being built. Sarla students to stay. She replied that in behn, my family, and his family all that case we would get buried in came there and we had a simple merely running this one institution, marriage there on June 19 and founded arranging money and looking for the institution— Parvatiya Vimalaji in her younger days teachers. We would have no time for Navjeevan Mandal. We decided that to the animals, cooks for her children, working on spreading awareness we would not take any grants. He works in the fields, collects firewood among the villagers. Therefore, she worked as a newspaper from the jungles—all this and more suggested, it would be better if we correspondent from his student days she has to attend to all by herself. A had a small place which housed no and that provided us with some daughter gets channelised towards all more than 10-12 people— the average in-come. He said that if we got used these chores right from her childhood. size of a village family. She advised to filling our stomachs with grants, It starts with looking after her that in this way we would be able to then we would have to do what the brothers, tending to the cows and spend as much time as possible people giving grants wanted us to do. sharing her mother’s chores like working with people. We would not be able to do the work fetching fodder and water. Knowing We agreed to her suggestion and we wanted to do. Therefore, we began this, I wanted a way out for the girls. made the place for just 10-15 people. to live with and depend on the people Therefore, I told the villagers, let the Some girls come and stay with us. of the village and did not accept any girls work during the day, but let them Other children come from the village external grants. We would go with the come to me and stay with me in the and return home. As I told you, we do local people to their villages, work evenings. In this way I started not accept grants from any source. with them in their fields and show educat-ing them at night. The villagers know that and so in the them new methods of farming. Weren’t the girls too tired by the early years they used to support our Through collective and voluntary time they reached you? work by giving us a part of their labour we would construct canals for No, the girls in the mountains are harvest. This way we would manage irrigation and would teach their very energetic and brave. Bahugunaji for ourselves and also for those who children at night. and I used to visit different villages. were staying with us. The parents of People gave little or no thought We would hold evening prayers in the the girls who were staying with us in to girls’ education in those days. village amidst the village folk. Then the hostel gave some money with Sons’ education was acceptable as Bahugunaji would teach the boys at which we met their expenses. they were expected to get jobs and night while I took the girls to my At that time there were three of help their parents. They saw no point ashram for teaching. Slowly we started us, Bahugunaji, me, and our greha in educat-ing their daughters. Life in teaching both boys and girls during niata (house mother), who looked the moun-tains is totally dependent the daytime. after the children. For 20 years the on the labour of women. The menfolk How many girls came to you? villagers supported us by giving us often go out to the cities to earn a Initially there were five girls, but their grain from their harvest. Then livelihood. All the work in the village gradually their numbers increased. slowly Bahugunaji’s writings started has to be done by the woman. She Later on the both boys and girls earning more and our own farm started gets up at four in the morning, tends started coming in the afternoons. yielding more.
No.70 (May-June 1992) 15 I believed that to instill self everyone from the mountains cannot mis-sion is to solve their problems. A con-fidence in the women of the hills, settle in the plains, we had to major problem of women in our area is it was necessary that I should live like demon-strate to the villagers how the liquor. The menfolk go out to cities to one of them and show them by my hilly land could be made more fertile, earn a livelihood and when they come experiments how to get a balanced diet how to get a better yield from it, how back to the village fora short visit, they from ordinary farming. We have a small to grow things on their own farms for just get drunk. The women were very farm, animals and even ar-rangements a balanced diet. We taught them that unhappy because they had to toil so for training. This was to demonstrate it was necessary to have vegetables much and the men would waste all the to them that progress did not have to and fruits side by side with grains. money on liquor. The women got involve giving up the lifestyle of the We would go and give the villagers together on this issue and stalled hill people. the seeds at the right time and aprohibition campaign in the area. We do not hire any farm hands exhorted them to grow vegetables and In which year did this campaign because of the teachings of Gandhiji, fruits. Slowly, people have been start? who believed that if we want to encouraged to do this. Similarly, we I do not remember the exact year. suc-ceed in developing the tell the villag-ers how they can get Before 1971, women had gone to jail intelligence of everyone in this more milk from their animals by giving twice. In Sahagranpur, Dehradun and country, then we have to combine them nutritive fodder from their fields, Tehri the women went to jail in large education with labour. The reason thereby rais-ing their grain and milk groups pressing for prohibition to be why we have so many educated output. The people of our region used declared in the area. Seeing the unemployed in this country is that we to grow enough grain for their own agita-tion, the government had to have separated labour from learning. needs. At times, they would even declare prohibition. Today’s farmers or workmen do not have enough for selling. Butthey were So is there now total prohibition want their children to follow them in not aware of the fact that fruits and in the area? their vocations because they are not vegetables are also a necessary part The government has opened a few so-cially respected. They see that of a healthy person’s diet. permit shops recently. There has been those who do not labour with their What fruits do you grow there a little reduction in the consumption hands and only use their brains, using now? of liquor. When liquor is freely just a pen, are respected. A farmer or Even though our land is not very avail-able, everybody will drink labourer does not command the same good, we have planted oranges, sweet openly. Then there can be no control respect. Moreover, a person who has lime and guavas. This way the faith on liquor consumption. But if there not laboured for 16 years, from his of the people in us grew. Our main are curbs on liquor drinking and it is childhood, does not remain fit for labour, so that the educated children of farmers cannot return and work with their parents in the fields. Gandhiji wanted everyone to spin some yarn on the charkha so that every person would know how to do some manual labour. Keeping this in mind, we do not hire any help for farming. We and all the children to-gether work in the fields. When there is a heavier load of work, the women from the village come collectively to help us. How much land do you have? We have three acres of land but the land that we have was originally useless as it was full of rocks. We didn’t have money to buy good land. Moreover, we were aware that since Children studying at the ashram shala
16 MANUSHI only available to permit holders, a non- perm it holder will be afraid to drink it. You won’t find a person drunk at ordinary melas, festivals or on the road. We have to deal with mountain roads which are full of risk. If the driver is drunk, many lives will be endangered. After this prohibition, accidents due to drunken driving are rare. But women have to be constantly in-volved in the struggle for mass awakening. Women’s groups have to remain active in the closure of illegal liquor shops. People have recognised the strength of women in the movement for prohibition. The awful feeling of hill women that they were considered to be like animals (something that had distressed Sarla behn so much) has begun to change. Vimlaji and Sunderlalji at Gandhi Sannidhi, Delhi The women have realised that they can change the government’s Yes, absolutely. She played a very covered every inch of the region on poli-cies if they are organised. They big role in shaping my life. All the foot. Firsthe wentfrom Kashmir to now feel that they are as strong as creative activists in Uttarakhand who Kohima by foot. He has been up and men, in fact even stronger because are involved in social work down this region so many times that their strength lies in afiimsa. organisations accept Sarla behn as a there is no path that is unknown to Has your social work affected mother figure and drew inspiration him. He has carried a rucksack on his your married life? from her. She had taken this whole idea back even in the hardest terrain. After I got married I realised I of swaraj very seriously and had gone He has even taken his sons on wasn’t able to do as much of the from village to village propagating these travels. He has also taken many outside work as Bahugunaji was that idea. When the movement for other young people on these trips, to doing. I decided that one person has prohibition started, she took her encourage a new generation to to stay in the house and also manage rucksack and went from vil-lage to become active in the Himalayan the institution which we had started and that I would take charge of that. I village and collected women for environment protection and felt that Bahugunaji should handle the satyagraha. movement. work in the outside world. Tell me a little more about He is very self sufficient. I don’t Even within the house, it wasn’t Bahugunaji’s life. Did you ever get have to take care of him at all. The that I was only taking care of my own time to spend together as husband rucksack he carries on his back is his children. I was also taking care of the and wife? home. It’s always ready. He keeps his school as well as the work of the Most of our life has been spent in basic requirements in it, and can get neighbouring villages. I didn’t confine this running around. He is hardly ever up any minute and leave at a minute’s myself to my own family because I at home. Every second and minute of notice. He doesn’texpectmuch had committed myself to what Sarla his life is so busy in writing, making nurturing or caring from me and behn had taught me—that you must public contact, travelling, in moving doesn’t expect me to tend to his few stay amidst these women and help from village to village and a hundred requirements. them become self confident. other things such as addressing I do consider myself very lucky It seems to me from your meetings and other programmes. He even though our life has been very description that Sarla behn has had goes all over the country and also difficult. We didn’t have all the a much greater influence over your abroad. But in Uttarakhand itself and conve-niences that most families life than your own husband. in the entire Himalayan region, he has have. I am sure that my children did
No.70 (May-June 1992) 17 feel the pinch of it. But in order to trees by clinging to them. So when because we would have to be keep my children from respecting their the contractor came, all the women pre-pared to run at short notice. As father any the less, I never im-mediately collected. On seeing soon as we heard the sound of axes, communicated any of my difficulties this, the contractor ran away and we we would run in the direction of the to the children. At no point did I give didn’ t have to resort to hugging the sound and stand in front of the trees them a reason to become resentful trees. The main person in this that they were ready to cut down. against their father, to think that he movement was Gaura Devi. The poor Nepali labourer brought wasn’ t taking on his full share of the At that time the Chipko in by the contractor was compelled to responsibility for the family. move-ment was based on economic use his axe. The contractor would say He is very firm in his ideas and consid-erations. Later the women to him, “You don’t want to work. You has a great deal of respect for me in realised that the cutting down of trees only want to get your wages.” When his heart. It is primarily because of me for com-mercial purposes had led to we would go and stand in front of the that he has been able to go ahead in diminish-ing water resources and soil trees, he had an excuse: “Babuji, I his social work without worrying. If erosion. Landslides had occurred in cannot cut down human beings.” So he had been married to someone else, several places and several lives had this is how the struggle carried on for he would have had to face hundreds been lost on account of such one month in some of the jungles of of problems from the point of view of landslides. That is how, under the the Tehri Garhwal region. The women money, child care and taking care of leadership of Ghoom Singh Negi, the did not call off their struggle until the the house. He never, for instance, even women of that region tied rakhis on governmentbanned the cutting of paid any attention to the education the trees, and said that they would trees and declared that the cutting of of our children, nor did he pay heed protect them by clinging to them, even green trees in the hills would not be to what was happening in the family, if it meant giving up their lives. The permit-ted for 10 years. how we were fending for ourselves. contractors had brought the Is this ban still in force? We pulled through days of Provincial Armed Con-stabulary Yes, cutting trees for commercial extreme poverty. I doubt whether any (PAC) and the police along with them. purposes is still not permitted. The woman except me could have coped The women would go to the jungles. everyday requirements of hill people with the kind of poverty we had to As soon as a tree was ready to be cut, are to be met by cutting dry trees. And live through. I had a very important they would cling to it. That’s how our if they cannot be met by cutting dry role to play in all of this and I could slogan arose, “Kya hai jungle ki trees, they can be given green trees. only do it because I had the pukar?Mitti,pani aur bayar. Mitti, But green trees cannot be cut for determination that I had to do pani aur bayar, zinda rahne ke com-mercial purposes. something for society. But I have the adhar.” (What is thecall of the Has it made any difference? satisfaction of knowing that he has a jungle? Earth, water and trees. Earth, Yes, some difference. Had that ban great deal of respect for me and that water and trees. They are the basis of not come into force, you wouldn ‘t our grihasthi has its own sanctity. our existence). have seen even a single tree in the How did the Chipko movement Have the jungles been saved? jungle. All the trees would have been begin? Yes, the jungles have been saved. taken away for commercial purposes. It began against certain After this, a big struggle was carried And the women would not have got contrac-tors who were cutting down out and the women stayed for one even a single piece of wood. The certain valuable trees for sale in the month in the jungles located at a great contractor would have taken away cities to make badminton rackets and height. At that time also Bahugunaji every little scrap. Slowly, as the other luxury goods. The hill people fasted for 24 days. We had pitched movement spread to other areas, the use these trees for making ploughs our tents in the forest. During his fast, government ordered a ban on the and for other basic requirements. So Bahugunaji was arrested and taken to felling of trees located above 1,000 we said that we will cling to the trees Dehradun jail. metres. and not let the contractor take them The whole area had been made Yet, much of the reforestation is away. into a police encampment. Sometimes not genuine, it’s just completing Whose idea was it to cling to the things would come to such a pass that paperwork. None of its benefits reach trees? labourers would be sent to cut the us. That is why the sisters of the hill The idea came from all of us. We trees at night. In those days we would region are saying, “Hand over this decided that we would protect the cook and eat khichri only once a day task to us. We will show you how to
18 MANUSHI dig proper pits. The Forest rights? We were very distressed and taken from. The district magistrate Department will dig a one foot deep decided that we would keep a protest from Roorkee contacted his pit but show it to be several feet deep fast. counterpart in Tehri and then told us so that they can make money out of The jail where we had been lodged that we would be sent back. With that it. Our lives are intimately connected did not have any facilities. We were assurance, on March 9 we set off from to the forest. We will do all the tasks. very badly treated in Tehri jail. For there. The fast was continuing and We will make our own manure for example, during our fast, we needed we decided we would break it only these trees and put the right kind of boiled water. For this we had to make when were ached Tehri. manure in those pits. And we will take a great deal of effort. They tried to It was during this period that we care of these trees in the jungles and harass us in this and so many other went to meet Swami Chidanandaji. He show you how they can prosper.” The ways. made some rasaharfar us and tried to women have had to struggle a lot to We were shifted to Roorkee jail on persuade us to break our fast. I gave get these points accepted. But in a March 2. There for the first time we up my fast in his presence but few places this work has been handed were given an opportunity to give a Bahugunaji said that he would first over to the mahila mandals. statement to the magistrate. We were go back to the same spot from where Please describe the last dharna well treated at Roorkee jail. We got the police took us away when we were lead-ing to Bahitganaji’sfast. hot water and DeekshaPalji, and I on dharna. So he didn’t drink the fruit On December 14 a lot of people began to lake lemon and salt in the juice preparedby Swami Chidananda. came from far off places. Some of the jail. Our health began to suffer Even so, Swami Chidananda insisted women who had come stayed the because of our fast. The jail authorities on giving him some lemon and honey night at the site of the last dharna. realised that it was not good for our and said, “This at least you will have We saw that the blasting machines health to stay in Roorkee. So they sent to take.” And since Bahugunaji never were working there. This was going’on us to the Meerut Medical College on refuses anything to his guru, he took despite such a big earthquake and March 5, where we continued our fast. a spoon of honey and lime from Swami such a laborious struggle against the Bahugunaji was drinking only water. Chidananda on the twelfth day of his dam. The women went forward and On March 8 we learnt from the district fast. From then on he continued to stood in front of the machines. It was magistrate that we were being take the same amount of lime and 10 p.m. I went along with them and we released. Bahugunaji said that he honey every day during the fast. stopped the work. We stayed the night would only go if he was sent back to When we reached Tehri we were at the site where the machines were the same place where he had been confronted with an unexpected standing. From December 14 to February 27,1992, we managed to keep the work from reopening. On the night of February 27, at 1 a.m., the police came and without any notice said that they had imposed Section 144 and began to take us away from there. When Bahugunaji asked to see a warrant of arrest, they paid no attention and forcibly took away about 40 of us in buses and trucks. They put us all into one room where there were no proper toilet facilities. The next morning, when we requested that they present us before the district magistrate, Bahugunaji was lifted up and dragged to a jeep. They put him in the men’s jail and I was sent to the women’s jail. If the police can mete out this kind of treatment to us, how Sunderlal Bahuguna breaking his fast with honey and lime being offered can the ordinary citizen demand his by Swami Chidanandji
No.70 (May-June 1992) 19 situa-tion. The PAC had surrounded feed-ing that Bahuguna had to say, the plains, even if she is not starving the entire bazaar and they were “Look, I know my body. I know the there will be no end to her troubles. obstructing all possible ways to enter. rules of fasting.” He used to, for The woman of the hill regions is brave But the local population of Tehri had instance, keep maun vrat (silence and fearless. Even when her husband been waiting to welcome us for a long fast) through the day and would speak is out working in the city, she takes time, and we managed to have the only during the morning and evening care of the entire household’s needs, meeting despite them. After the public prayer time. Otherwise he kept busy the fields, the farming, all by herself. meet-ing, when we tried to proceed in reading and writing and She is used to roaming around the towards the dharna spot in our jeep, corresponding with various people. jungles by herself and is we were told that Section 144 has been We were quite confident that if they unaccustomed to leading a confined im-posed. So Bahugunaji sat there by left him in peace, he would be able to life. She is very innocent and the the roadside, right where the trucks carry on his fast with determination. moment she comes to the plains she were going up and down, and said he But weren’t you afraid that he has to deal with all these crooks, wouldn’t move from there. His fast might not survive the fast? robbers and all kinds of unsafe people. kept going at that very spot until it I was a little afraid, but I had this The atmosphere in the cities on the reached 45 days. great faith that he would be able to plains is very unsafe. She is not able This was my first fast. I had never pull through this because he hadn’t to adjust to it. That is why women fasted before this. Butldidn’tfeel any done any unnatural things. It was very prefer to stay back in the villages even when the men go away. stress. Eleven days passed very prakritik.that is, nature’s methods We need to keep in mind that there easily. Neither did I feel any great were being followed. But towards the is no guarantee from the government weak-ness, nor did Deeksha, who was end when the administra-tion began that the people who are uprooted from with me in jail and who also fasted for to harass him a lot, and the PAC began their villages are indeed going to be 11 days. This despite the fact that to bother him with a view to somehow provided employment. When the throughout this fast we were put get him to give up his fast, it became family shifts to the plain, what is the through many inconveniences extremely difficult. husband going to do? Is he going to because the administration and the They got a doctor’s certificate do chowkidari of his wife or is he contractors used to harass us a lot. saying that force feeding was going to go and look for a job? One needs shanti during a fast necessary. Bahugunaji, in response to This woman who right now leads and you need your environs to be that, gave a written statement to the a life of freedom in the hills—she is clean and peaceful. But the district magistrate that if he were made like the queen of the forests and the administration would go out of their to go through force feeding, the hills—will be reduced to a very pitiable way to ensure that trucks kept plying govern-ment would be responsible for status when she is thrown out of this on the road where we were sitting for his death. For his own safety he asked environment and sent to the cities and our fast. In fact at night they would for another team of doctors to be near the plains. How is she going to make make more trucks go up and down so him and made these doctors give a a living in that situation? And then that Bahugunaji couldn’t sleep all written statement that he shouldn’t they will have no land. Whatever night. There was a lot of dust and be sub-jected to force feeding. But money they get will be so pitifully little pollution. The government would those last three or four days when that they will not even be able to sprinkle water in other places, but they they were all set to break his fast by construct a little hutment with that. would never allow water to be force feeding were very tortuous days How much money does the sprinkled where we were sitting and for us. They had even gone to the government pay as compensation? Bahugunaji was fasting. There was a extent of empty-ing out a whole There are different criteria for lot of dust and we would be bothered. hospital ward where they planned to de-termining the levels of The ad-ministration would come back admit Bahugunaji af-ter his arrest, compensation. But the main thing is again and again and tell us how we where he would be force fed. that those who are willing to bribe must break the fast, otherwise we Does your movement draw more government offi-cials are able to get would be arrested. They also support from men or women? lakhs. Those who don’t bribe don’t threatened Bahugunaji with force It’s about equal. But women are even get the basic minimum feeding. more sensitive because they know compensation for the property that is Towards the end they were so that once a hill woman is uprooted being taken away from them; there is determined to subject him to force from her environs and pushed off to a lot of corruption in this.
20 MANUSHI Is there a new generation of I’ve already mentioned that one have been a few women, like the 84 activists that is ready to take on the of the sources of great anguish for year old Mangsari Devi who has con- tasks you arefacing? me is the very harsh life rural women tinually been involved in this The new generation is not lead, and the very hard work they are agita-tion. She has even been to jail. gravi-tating towards social work. con-stantly doing. That’s why I feel Even during the time of the sharab They don’t have that sentiment in very strongly that the planning and bandi andolan she went to villages, them anymore. The question that is a devel-opment that we do has to be over-taken by the spirit of do or die. bit worrying is how will this geared towards reducing the Did the men oppose the anti- incomplete work be carried forward, if drudgery of these women, it has to liquor campaign? new people don’t come and carry it make their lives a little easier so that Not too much, really. Earlier there on. Our only sense of satisfaction is they can take an active role in social was some kind of opposition from the that a few young people have come affairs. It’s true that at harvest time men who said to the women, “Why up, among them our own son. Many we can’t have any movements; most did you go for it?” Also, the cash is in more are needed. of the mobilisations of the movement the hands of the men. How do these What are the hurdles in the way have to occur in the lean agricultural women travel or have bus fares? They of these people coming up ? season. only have grain under their control. I know more about women. Our Movement organisers feel that it So they would take some rice, tie it up government is not making plans in a is very hard for them to find women in their bundles. They wouldn’t even way that will reduce the drudgery and activists who can take on the job of have money for their bus fare. But later misery of women, that will take into going from village to village. Not on they became so bold that when account their needs and free their those who can just come to attend a the men said to them, “Get out of the en-ergy for their own intellectual and few meetings or movement house,” they would say, “We need to mental development, and involve gatherings, those who can do decide whose house it is. Is it only them in the social planning process. sustained work. yours or is it equally mine? If you were Are you able to do so much That is irue. They are able to come to take a vote in the house, the because you were trained as a child only occasionally. However, it also children are going to vote with their to hard physical labour? depends on how much they feel the mothers. They are not going to vote In my childhood I never had a issue affects them. For example, take with you. And so the work that we are tough life because my father was an the sharab bandi. That affects them doing is a good influence on children, officer in the Forest Department, and very directly, because they do the not like drinking which ruins their we weren’ t used to hard labour. I earning and the men blow it up. It has lives. It is not enough that you give learned how to work hard only after I a very bad effect on the upbringing food to children. The kind of went to Sarla behn. Watching her of the children. That’s why they upbringing that you give to the work, I learned to do simple labour. I partici-pated in full force in the anti- children is also important. Take a vote am mentally very strong. Like any hill liquor movement. At the time of the and you will find that the majority is woman, I am very fast in doing the June harvest, the women who were on our side in this house. So who is household and the ashram work. At arrested couldn’t do their own going to get out?” present I can’tdo hard physical labour harvesting and it’s the neighbouring Ho w is it that this is the first in the fields because I have not been women who did the harvesting for interview you’ve ever given? well. But I still take care of the ashram them. Because I live in a very remote work. Likewise, women are more active corner of the country. I am not like It’ s been the experience of in the anti-dam movement because Bahugunaji, a duniya bhagat, going activists the country over, that they recognise that if their villages are from one place to another. The reason whenever they try to organise uprooted they will have to leave their I left my village and came and sat in women, they get demoralised after the homes. Then the freedom to roam Tehrt with him is because of his 45 first flush of success. Women have so around the jungles will no longer be day fast. Otherwise, except for some many domestic responsibilities that available to them. They will have to movement activities, I stay in my it is very hard to keep them involved lead very constricted lives when they ashram, in my grihasthi, and take care in sustained sociopolitical are sent off to otherplaces as of them. Who is going to come to my movements; they are only involved resettlers. remote village and interview me? sporadically. What has your But it is a fact that it is very hard experience been? to get full time activists. Even so there (Translated from Hindi)
No.70 (May-June 1992) 21