logo
Kudumbashree to release book of writings by NHG members

Kudumbashree to release book of writings by NHG members

The Hindu19-06-2025
The Ernakulam District Kudumbashree Mission is set to release a book titled Samavayana, a compilation of 102 writings by members of its neighbourhood groups (NHG) centred on gender equality and gender justice, on next year's International Women's Day, March 8.
The idea is to include at least one entry from each of the 102 community development societies (CDSs) in the district. Preliminary work on the initiative was launched on Reading Day, observed on Thursday (June 19, 2025).
'We sent an intimation about the project to all 102 CDSs, and it was included in their respective Reading Day programmes. The CDSs will now disseminate the information among NHG members. The district mission will act as a facilitator to encourage and awaken the creative spirit hidden among them,' said T.M. Rajeena, district mission coordinator, Ernakulam.
Reading and writing-related sessions will be held at the NHG level during which members will be equipped with the necessary skills. Feedback from NHG members will also be considered as the project progresses. The possibility of involving writers to guide members in expressing their thoughts more effectively may be explored at a later stage.
'This is not a project bound by any particular format or genre. Contributions could be short stories, poems, personal reflections or experiences, or even original inspirational couplets. They may write about instances where they faced gender discrimination or injustice and how they overcame it. The whole idea is to spark their creative potential and help them express it through words,' said Ms. Rajeena.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A year after Wayanad landslides, stories of loss and resilience
A year after Wayanad landslides, stories of loss and resilience

Indian Express

time31-07-2025

  • Indian Express

A year after Wayanad landslides, stories of loss and resilience

Whenever a motorbike thunders past, Vappu flinches. The 'thump' of its engine reminds him of the sound of rocks that came crashing down in the early hours of July 30, 2024, when Vappu and his family narrowly survived a series of devastating landslides in Wayanad. Triggered by days of heavy rain, the disaster wiped out the villages of Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Meppadi panchayat, leaving 251 dead, 378 injured, and 47 missing. That night, Vappu was swept away by a gushing stream of water and debris. He slammed into a tree, broke his ribcage, and fractured both knees. Since then, standing for extended periods has become difficult for him, forcing him to give up his job as a painter. 'Something in me changed that night,' he says. 'I get panic attacks. It's like my body remembers everything.' Their home in Chooralmala — one of 1,555 either severely damaged or destroyed — was lost in the landslide. The family now lives in a rented house, trying to piece their lives back together. To rehabilitate the displaced, the Kerala government has launched a township project on 64 hectares near Kalpetta, which will have two-bedroom homes, each 1,000 sq ft, along with public institutions and commercial facilities. But not everyone has found a place on the official list. Rashid, a stationery sales representative, was building a home at Punichirmattam in Mundakkai when the landslide struck. His property, just 400 metres from the origin of the landslide, falls outside the 'no-go' zone demarcated by the Mathai Commission, headed by geologist Dr John Mathai. 'Technically, we may be outside the affected area. But there is no way we can even approach our property now,' Rashid says. 'Five other families in Punichirmattam face the same issue. We've approached the district collector to be included in the township plan.' Arun, a taxi driver from Chooralmala, finds himself in a similar predicament. 'We are not on the government's list of beneficiaries. NGOs are willing to assist but are waiting for final confirmation from the government,' he says. Arun lost two aunts in the landslides. 'One body was recovered. For the other, only a hand and a leg were found. I couldn't sleep. I used to walk around all night. I needed seven rounds of counselling to recover,' he says. Even now, mental health professionals check in with him regularly. Thirty-five-year-old Nikhitha KH, who lost her parents in the landslide, channelled her grief into action. She formed Lifeline Wayanad, a co-operative stitching unit that brought together 24 women affected by landslides. 'I thought we needed a place for us to come together. We already had an idea of starting a cloth carry bag unit. We approached the Wayanad District Collectorate, which connected us with MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. We had a 17-day training at the foundation's community agrobiodiversity centre,' says Nikhitha. On March 8, International Women's Day, they launched their cloth bag brand Bailey: A product from Chooralmala, named after the Bailey Bridge built by the Indian Army to reconnect Mundakkai and Chooralmala villages after the disaster. Operating from a rented facility in Rippon, Meppadi, the co-operative pays Rs 15,000 in monthly rent. 'The earnings are modest, but at least this initiative has given us a space to forget our sorrows and do something productive,' says Nikhitha. Others, like Muhammed Basheer, who lost his tea shop in Chooralmala, had to start from scratch. 'Some merchant associations and social groups came forward to help me. I pawned some family gold and opened a new hotel, investing around Rs 9 lakh,' he says. Business has slowed due to the monsoon, but Basheer remains hopeful: 'Once the rains stop, it will pick up again.' But not everyone has been able to bounce back. Ponnayyan, a tailor whose shop was destroyed, is struggling in Kalpetta. 'I rented a room for Rs 15,000, but there's no business. I haven't paid rent for two months and may have to shut it down,' he says. The Rs 6,000 monthly aid from the government barely covers living expenses. 'We have no savings,' he says. 'It's becoming increasingly difficult every day.' Wayanad's tourism sector, once a key source of income, suffered losses of over Rs 414 crore after the disaster. Among the hardest-hit were taxi and jeep drivers. Jeep driver Sudarshan remembers waking up to find his vehicle lodged in his living room. With help from the Indian Union Muslim League, he received a new jeep. 'Earlier, we used to get daily trips to the 900 Kandi glass bridge at Kalladi, a place where only rough-terrain vehicles like jeeps can go. Now, we will be lucky if we get two trips in a week. Although the landslides had affected only two villages, people now believe the entire Wayanad district is unsafe to visit. We are hopeful that more tourists will visit in the coming years so that we will be able to live a better life,' he says. Rashid, who lost his brother and 28 relatives, adds: 'My daughter saw me retrieve bodies. She hasn't recovered. I still attend counselling sessions… We are now living on ration kits and Rs 9,000 a month from the government for two of us.' The displacement from villages has also affected social ties. 'We are like outsiders in the places where we stay on rent. It has especially been tough for older people who have no one to talk to in their new neighbourhoods,' says Nazeer Meppadi, a member of an action council which raises the issues of the landslide-affected people with government agencies. Two schools — GVHSS Vellarmala and GLPS Mundakkai — were destroyed in the landslides. A month later, GVHSS Vellarmala was temporarily relocated to Meppadi. In May, all Class 10 students passed their board exams. It was a herculean task to get children to focus on their studies, says V Unnikrishnan, former headmaster of GVHSS. 'The children didn't want to study or write exams… We had to introduce them to arts and sports activities.' The school invited artists and writers to speak with the students and inspire them. 'We treated them like our own children,' says Unnikrishnan. 'By the end of the year, 90 percent of them had recovered emotionally. For the rest, Unnikrishnan believes, 'time will heal everything'.

Govt to disburse third instalment of Subhadra scheme funds on Raksha Bandhan
Govt to disburse third instalment of Subhadra scheme funds on Raksha Bandhan

Time of India

time30-07-2025

  • Time of India

Govt to disburse third instalment of Subhadra scheme funds on Raksha Bandhan

1 2 Bhubaneswar: The Odisha govt will disburse the third instalment of Subhadra Yojana funds, amounting to Rs 5,000, to over one crore beneficiaries on August 9 on Raksha Bandhan in Koraput. "Following the disbursement, the portal will open for fresh registration," deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said on Wednesday. "Those who turned 21 recently will be allowed to apply for the scheme after August 9 on the portal," Parida added. Around two lakh beneficiaries were rejected from receiving the third instalment of the Subhadra scheme for failing various eligibility criteria post-disbursal. "Nearly two lakh beneficiaries, who received the first instalment, were later found ineligible since they own five acres of land, a vehicle or had filed IT returns," Parida said. The govt has decided to conduct a door-to-door field-level survey after August 9 to know the exact reasons behind rejection and assess if they are true or not. "By reopening the portal and reassessing past exclusion, the state govt is keen to address gaps in implementation. After the survey, those who are found eligible will receive the instalments at one go," Parida added. The Odisha govt launched the flagship Subhadra Yojana, a welfare scheme for women aged between 21 and 60, to provide Rs 50,000 per year for over a five-year period, from 2024-25 to 2028-29. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Swelling and internal bleeding in the brain, help this baby Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Women beneficiaries will receive two instalments of Rs 5,000 each on International Women's Day and Raksha Bandhan every year. About 93,000 beneficiaries who crossed 60 were removed from the beneficiary list and their names were forwarded to the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department so that they can get benefits under pension and social security schemes.

Punjab's 2 women loco pilots set a ‘track' record, pave the way for more to follow suit
Punjab's 2 women loco pilots set a ‘track' record, pave the way for more to follow suit

Indian Express

time05-07-2025

  • Indian Express

Punjab's 2 women loco pilots set a ‘track' record, pave the way for more to follow suit

When Bhupinder Kaur steps into the engine cab, she is not just operating a locomotive — she is challenging an entire tradition that has long kept women away from the driver's seat of India's trains. Punjab, with its vast rail network, currently has only two female loco pilots and a handful of women working as assistant loco pilots. But these pioneers are paving the way for more to follow. Bhupinder Kaur, 49, a native of Ludhiana, broke the glass ceiling in 2016, when she became the first woman in Northern Railway's Firozpur Division to be elevated to the post of Loco Pilot (Goods), operating goods trains independently across Punjab. Kaur, hailing from Alamgir village in Ludhiana, was recruited into the Indian Railways through the sports quota way back in 1997. A national-level athlete, Kaur's sporting career became her gateway into a field she could never have imagined as a young girl. 'My father was a government teacher and always told me to study hard. But I was just an average student,' she recalls with a smile. 'He encouraged me to focus on sports, and that is what got me this job. Today I'm working in a field usually dominated by men,' she says. Her dedication and skill earned her another promotion this April. She became a Loco Pilot (Passenger), running passenger trains within the state. 'Right now, I run passenger trains within Punjab, as we need a female assistant loco pilot along with us, which are limited as of now. But if they assign us long-route trains, I will definitely handle that responsibility too,' she remarks. Kaur was initially posted at the Diesel Shed in Ludhiana and spent years learning the technicalities of the job. She also underwent extensive training at places like the Electric Shed in Ghaziabad. In 2010, she was promoted as an Assistant Loco Pilot, supporting main loco pilots in running trains. Bhupinder is posted at the Jalandhar Headquarters of Northern Railway's Firozpur Division and has independently driven trains from Jalandhar to Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Amritsar and other parts of Punjab. On International Women's Day this year, she drove a special train from Ferozpur to Ludhiana — and in a heartening gesture, the entire train staff, including the ticket checker and station master, were all women that day. Bhupinder's colleague Sandhya Shah, the division's second woman loco pilot, joined the profession through the competitive route. Shah, who hails from Saharanpur, was selected by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Jammu, in 2016 for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot. With a Diploma in Electronics Engineering, she completed her training at the Ludhiana headquarters of the Firozpur Division. On June 28 this year, Shah independently operated a goods train as part of her promotion to Loco Pilot (Goods) — becoming the first woman in the division to be promoted to this post after being recruited through the Railway Recruitment Board, and the second woman loco pilot overall in Firozpur Division. She was accompanied on this milestone journey by another woman Assistant Loco Pilot, Aarti, and Chief Loco Inspector Harminder Singh. 'Women are handling all sorts of duties with grit and determination,' Shah says proudly. Bhupinder's journey also highlights the support she draws from her family. Her husband is an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Punjab Police, posted in Ludhiana. Their daughter is in Berlin, and their son is a wrestler. 'Though after work I prefer to rest at home to be ready for the next day, whenever we go out somewhere, my family treats me as the most trusted driver on roads,' she laughs. 'My husband often says, 'You can drive a train, so a car is no big deal. I can afford to take a nap if you're at the wheel!'' For the young girls who watch Bhupinder Kaur and Sandhya Shah thunder past in the driver's seat, the rail tracks ahead just might lead to dreams once thought impossible.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store