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Sector: Mahila Mandal (Village Women's
Support Group)
Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi are inseparable.
Together they are even unafraid of taking on the
government to help their community. These women
live in the village of Badai in the district of
Kangra where it was once unacceptable for women
to step out of their homes. However,
now Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi travel far
distances to many different Mahila Mandals
(Village Women’s Groups) and give advice to the
Pradhans (presidents) on how to mobilize their
community. They are a source of inspiration and
smiles for other rural women.
However, the formation of this Mahila Mandal had
a shaky start. Although it only took 25 paise to
join the Mahila Mandal back in 1965, Magni Devi
and Pukrdi Devi had to go home to home to
convince the women to pay their chanda (fees).
This effort was in vain as the Mahila Mandal
soon became dormant due to a lack of interest
and experience on how to conduct meetings.
After 1986, CORD began forming new Mahila
Mandals in villages and reviving old ones. This
was a blessing for Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi
because they had a second chance to create a
forum for the women. They took the initiative to
become leaders in their community. Magni Devi
became the President of the Mahila Mandal and
Pukrdi Devi became the Secretary. In order to
prevent the problems of the past, CORD trained
the women on how to properly facilitate
meetings. A CORD worker was always present at
their meetings in order to provide support and a
network system for the women. They raised the
chanda to two rupees in order to raise funds and
meet the needs of theircommunity. This often
meant buying the necessary supplies for
weddings. However, today the Mahila Mandal meets
more than the marriage needs of the villagers.
They have become a strong body that takes on the
government, unruly citizens, and corruption, all
while managing their own households.
One such problem was the way in which government
land, used for the benefit of all villagers, was
being occupied by a few individuals in the
village. The Mahila Mandal discussed how this
land should be rightfully used and unanimously
decided to journey to the Patwari’s (government
official who keeps track of government land)
office to find out who it belonged to. When the
Patwari revealed that the land belonged to the
government for use by the community, the women
immediately began planning its use. They started
using the land for plantation work which
benefited the whole community and not just a few
individuals. Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi never
relied on others to do their work. They always
took the initiative to deal with problems their
village was facing on their own.
Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi have become so
empowered that they have even approached large
NGOs (like the Red Cross) and government
officials for extra funding for their Mahila
Mandal projects. Their illiteracy is no barrier
even when communicating with educated officials.
For example, when Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi
found out the Deputy Commisioner of Dharamshala
was a woman, they decided to make a request on
behalf of their village. Mattresses were needed
so they asked the commissioner for the funds to
purchase them. The Deputy Commissioner,
impressed by the strong demeanor of the women,
was surprised that they were asking for so
little and told them they should ask for more.
Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi heeded her advice and
brought the subject up at their next Mahila
Mandal meeting. The women decided it was time to
improve the condition of their local school. The
Deputy Commissioner agreed a nd
soon another wing was built under the close
supervision of the Mahila Mandal so that no
corruption would take place. The women also felt
it was time to build a Mahila Mandal bhavan
(meeting place). This action demonstrated the
seriousness with which the women conducted their
work.
Although Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi ran the
Mahila Mandal with zeal, they often did not have
the complete support of their village. But this
did not bother them because they would always
have the support of their Mahila Mandal. The
work of the Mahila Mandal has spanned many
topics and reached many people. They have not
only helped individuals in their own village but
have supported tsunami victims, earthquake
victims, and Kargil War victims when possible.
However, before helping others they first had to
help themselves. The Mahila Mandal formed two
Self-Help Groups (SHG): bpl (below poverty line)
and non-bpl. They have three main activities of
growing vegetables, producing dairy products,
and the keeping of bees. They also decided to
receive training from the government on how to
make smoke-free stoves for which they receive
500-600 rupees per stove. Through the SHG, the
women even took out a loan for one lakh rupees
to cultivate their vegetable business. In taking
a loan of this size, these women have defied all
stereotypes about rural women being timid or
hesitant. These are women with grand ideas and
even grander personalities; they go about their
work with a sense of humor and charisma.
This persistence together with their humor was
particularly evident when once they were to
receive prize money for being the best Mahila
Mandal, a prize which they are awarded
frequently. Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi went to
Block District Officer (BDO) to receive their
check. When they arrived at the office, the BDO
said that he had already given them the check.
He claimed that since they were old, they must
have misplaced it. Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi
demanded to see their signatures on the paper
that registered their acceptance of the check.
The BDO did not let them see those records and
requested that they go home and look for it.
Magni Devi and Pukrdi did just that. However, as
they went home, they noticed that some of the
other villagers started talking about them and
saying that they had stolen the money. This
became fuel for Magni Devi and Pukrdi Devi since
they were sure of their innocence. They went
back to the BDO’s office with a letter they had
devised. In the letter they stated that they had
not received the check. Due to the humiliation
they were receiving from their own villagers,
they were going to poison themselves. The BDO
would be the responsible party for their death
and that information would become public. As
soon as they submitted the letter, the BDO
reluctantly gave them their prize money. With a
sense of wit and humor, they made sure that
justice prevailed and that the Mahila Mandal
received what it deserved.
The accomplishments of this particular Mahila
Mandal are a testament of the strength and
potential of rural women. Although Magni Devi
and Pukrdi Devi are old, they still take an
active interest in their village. When asked
what influenced them to do so much, their
response was that “It is my village and I care
about the welfare of it.”
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