“It was a play that depicted a normal household and addressed the issues women faced at the time, where even though the lady of the house was not well educated, she always gave some very practical advice. Things that she had learned from the world around her”, said Sukhjinder Kaur in a conversation with me.
Sukhjinder Kaur, now a Consultant (Marketing) with All India Radio was earlier a Programme Executive in AIR Jalandhar where she played the role of the women in the widely popular on-air play “Jaagrit”. “Jaagrit” ran for 16 years because of the resounding response it got from women around the country. Describing few of the letters she received, she went on to state how some women wrote in letters asking the programmers to include some of the common problems they faced. On being asked what were some of the issues faced by women at the time, pat came her reply, “issues like dowry, widow-remarriage and divorce were some of the most prevalent issues at the time”.
In the seven decades since Independence, India has made considerable progress in terms of the positon women have in society, however, there is no denying the fact that they still have to struggle against many handicaps and social evils in a largely patriarchal society.
It is in times like these however, that the following story acts as a silver lining. The story is about two different women, Reema Devi and Pinki Devi, both of whom recognized the importance of educating their children, despite financial difficulties. To overcome their financial difficulties, these two women enrolled themselves into a Beauty & Stitching course in order to financially support their family.
The story of these two women apart from instilling a sense of hope, also serves as an example of the steps the Government of the country is taking towards promoting skill development. NGO’s across the country including Gunjan Foundation offer these Beauty and Stitching courses amongst a host of other courses, in order to empower women through education and vocational training, thereby making them bold role models.
Over the decades radio has acted as an important medium for dissemination of information, education and entertainment, also as one that connects women across generations and one that cuts across boundaries. Ms. Vineeta Thakur of AIR, conducts an hour long women special programme on FM Gold said “this daily programme, sees a lot of women from around the country calling in and asking questions relating to mental health amongst children, as well as issues that are more relevant in today’s day and age”. She further went on to say, “the fact that women are calling in and requesting us to discuss mental health amongst a host of other prevalent issues in great detail is evidence enough that women have evolved over time”
Women play an intrinsic role of the nurturer in every family, their education and self-reliance helps and allows the, to foster responsible citizens. As the great Swami Vivekananda rightly said, “There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved, It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.”
Youtube link for Jadeamma https://youtu.be/V-7u
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