A
little girl leaves her village to take up a challenge
She was a new bride of 15 when she landed in the village where her
husband was the headmaster of the middle school. She was also a village girl
but her background differed. Her father sent her to a town school to learn a bit of English. When she started the school
she was ridiculed by the town girls, who thought that they were of a superior
class. But the girl challenged herself
to learn the language within three months and became such a star that the
bewildered principal took her around the classes to demonstrate to the other
students what a determined mind could achieve! Though her father took her off
the school before she could attain puberty in accordance with the village
custom her thirst for books never ceased. She knew by heart most parts of Constantine Beschi's great Tamil literary work 'Thembavani'
After
the harvest season, when the villagers were relaxed, the nights in the veranda of her house would
be a gathering place for the village people interested in listening to the
stories from Indian mythologies and from
the very young age and either her elder brother or she would be the readers of
those stories in their ringing and clear voice. The audience got so thrilled
with the way the story was read out that they would carry her on their
shoulders praising the father for having such a wonderful daughter!
But
this village was utterly different. While the men toiled in the lands the
ladies apart from the household work engaged themselves in gossiping and whiling
away their time in the board game known as dayam. The girls who were not sent to school after
certain age merrily joined this gang whiled
away their time!
Even
though there was a chapel bigger than
that of her village was there in her new village where she settled down with
her husband, the involvement of the village community who were all Christians,
was zilch and it was left to the sacristan
to take care of the Lord with just the obligatory obeisance
carried out by the villagers.
Teachers
were a respected lot in those days and the teacher's wife was given equal
importance and that too the 'head teacher's wife' had a
prestigious place what with people coming in to help her out bringing with them small eats like roasted
ground nuts. One thing led to the other and the bride started with new songs to
be sung in the church.
The enthusiasm caught on and the singing
ladies turned out to be the amazement of the congregation. Taking a detour from
their routine the ladies gathered
in her house in the afternoons where she
would entertain them by reading bible and magazines with good values. But there was opposition to this change from
the people who were content with the prevailing laissez- faire system. One day
as they were reading the bible missiles
of cow dung landed inside the house and the children who were accompanying
their mothers got the fright of their lives and said" From tomorrow we
will stop reading." But these threats were no deterrent to our lady's determination and courage and the priest who came to the village once a
week condemned the miscreants from the
pulpit and the missiles stopped .
The
girls who had done their elementary
education were asked to read for the group; no problem if there was a going to
be wrong pronunciation or a mistake. Encouraged thus the illiterates too wanted to learn and read.
So groups were formed and sand was spread in the big portico in the middle of
the house and a mini school came into existence. Slowly a talent pool was
created. Those who knew stitching helped others. Good recipes were shared.
Small plays with great ideals were enacted by the accompanying the children.
Harmonium was brought out, new songs were composed, annual day in the school
became grand success. The ladies formed a group and named it as " Sacred
Heart of Jesus ." Small contributions were collected and a president and a
treasurer were elected which they decided would go on rotation on an annual
basis so as to make each one of them learn the management skill and
responsibility . Birthdays and wedding days were celebrated with small gifts and
sincere wishes.
The
preparation for the biennial 'picnic to the nearby forest started days ahead
with the preparation of sweets and savories. Old folk songs were revived for
the occasion and once "the ladies and children alone" party reached
the vantage point in the forest the place was indeed filled with free spirits beyond
their imagination with everyone giving full vent dancing and singing with gay abandon. After sharing
the goodies the group went on to collect the bounties of the forest land. The shampoo
leaves, varieties of berries for pickling
and a rare jack fruit if they were lucky were packed for common
distribution!
This
bonhomie and the positive vibrations flourishing among the lady members slowly encompassed
even the cynical family members to the extent that they willingly came forward to send their girls for higher studies instead of an early marriage, they volunteered
to send them to the town to qualify themselves for jobs! After many a decade those girls are now retirees
drawing pensions and gratefully remember
the miracle pair of the 'big teacher and his intelligent wife' but for whom they would not in the position they are today. It was a
revolution of sorts with an innate beauty that emanated from the petit bride of
fifteen!
Another
young girl leaves India to take up an international challenge.
She
was a girl of 21 and after obtaining a postgraduate degree in Chennai was on a
flight to England to pursue her doctoral studies. Never ever out of home with
every little need taken care of by the family, the alpha and omega of survival
was hers alone. The yearning for something more than the study course was ever present in her sub conscious mind. It
was a chance meeting with a colleague that proved to be the trigger point.
"Can we do a Indian fashion show?"
was how it all started.
"Why don't we give a little Indian dance
performance for this occasion?" was the next step.
"Can
I teach you ladies some steps to join me on the stage?"
With
willingness and perseverance she indeed
gave the first regular performance in the international women's club in
Norwich, UK. With just four dancers she had coached, she enacted the part of
Ramayan starting with Sita's abduction changing rolls in a flash! The rhythm,
the technicality of the steps and the emotive skills became her trade mark. Slowly and steadily the group
started to grow. A room in the university for the practice session was an
unexpected boon. The once a week session was not just for dance practice but
sharing the good vibes too.
"With
my whole heart I am giving you my precious art
and your willingness to learn
will be my only expectation and it is up to you grab it and enjoy " was
her motto !
"Don't be discouraged if you are not getting the
steps right..... with a bit more
concentration you will be my competitor!"
Vinayaga Chathurthi, Saraswathi Pooja was celebrated with more enthusiastic
performances and so too was Diwali and
Christmas. Indian sweets were shared along with the western delights. Their
fame slowly spread and they danced for the mayoral procession in the centre of
the city, many a prestigious village and town halls of United Kingdom and Indian weddings
happening in that land . A church invited them to give their performance to the
congregation!
The
bonhomie created by the bride of 15 was witnessed in this far away land too! This
young girl who left the shores of India at 21, has created an ambience togetherness,
sharing the happiness and sorrows with equal grace. The annual picnic to
the forest by the bride is continued here too when the group of " dancing ladies only" chose a
location for the week end dancing to
their heart’s content with gay abandon and sharing the joy being together and
cooking many a meals together!
"I
am what I am today because of you and our dance group." is the equivocal comment
by every member of the dance group.
The
above two stories, the first being the story of a young new bride creating a big
revolution in a tiny little village is none other than my dear mother's life
story and the second part is about my dear daughter. The self-confidence
created by the village bride which encouraged
the girls to come out of their cocoons exhibits itself here too when
Bharatanatyam, a professional art form, which most people find difficult to
master, has been taught and mastered by an international community consisting
of Chinese, Indian and British girls.
As
we witnessed Natya Priya's (this is the
name by which this dance group is known,20th year performance I was moved to
tears with this unimaginable semblance in the attitude of the grandmother and
the grand daughter and I standing as a mute witness with both the shows!
Super mam
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