[Reader-list] women's day goa

[PREETU NAIR]

Saleli ki Rani
( Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim edition
dated 8 March 2006)

As our annual tradition, GT offers its salutations to
the ‘GT Woman of the Year’, on Women’s day. After a
series of deliberations our editorial team picked
Chhaya Gawas who led the siege of Saleli for close to
two months in a temple in the cold , waiting for the
government to release over a hundred men who were
arrested after a violent uprising following the death
of Prithiviraj Rane. This was the first time when, the
women of Saleli emerged from their homes and kitchens
for a siege that changed their lives.

PREETU NAIR
preetu_nair at gomantaktimes.com
SALELI: I was born in the right time, in whole,
Only this time is one that is blessed,
But great God did not let my poor soul
Live without deceit on this earth.

And therefore, it's dark in my house,
And therefore, all of my friends,
Like sad birds, in the evening aroused,
Sing of love that was never on land. -- Anna Akhmatova

Just like Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, fearless and
tireless Chhaya Gawas was born at the right time. Just
as Anna was loved and lauded by her people, in the
same manner Chhaya is loved and respected by the
womenfolk in the remote and sleepy village of Saleli.
Like Anna, Chhaya knew that though born at the right
time, she and her friends lived in darkness because
they were denied a just place in society and family.
However, unlike the sad birds who aroused in the
evening to sing of love in a land that never was, they
aroused one evening to fight against the patriarchal
might that had forced them to live on their knees, to
bring light in their life and homes.

She was an ordinary housewife, until in a moment of
strength and total belief in herself; she asked
herself, “Who I am”? In answering this question she
not only recognized a depth, a girth but also helped
other women in the village discover themselves.  It
happened suddenly on December 28, 2005 when Saleli
villagers rose against their Khase Krishnarao Rane to
fight for freedom from fear, freedom from oppression,
freedom to live and earn. At first the womenfolk stood
by their men like a rock, when Rane’s son Prithviraj
was lynched by a mob, which was followed by violence
by villagers seriously injuring several policemen. 

But when 103 men were arrested for rioting and six for
murder of Prithviraj Rane, later they, who so far had
silently adopted the powerless and voiceless world
provided to them, decided to fight for their rights
and their men’s release. Women of the village sat on
dharna outside a temple demanding release of the
incarcerated. Then Chhaya was their voice. She is and
was always there when the going was tough. When you
look into her eyes, you can see the sincerity and
commitment. She brings out the best in others just by
her presence.

It isn’t her brilliance or her energy that strikes
you. What really touches your heart is her simplicity.
Ask her whether she knows March 8 is Woman’s Day and
she replies in the negative. “We celebrate Ganesh
Chaturthi, Diwali etc. But nobody in the village
celebrates Woman’s Day”, she says. Explain to her the
significance of Woman’s Day and she asks a simple
question, “Why should only one day be a Woman’s Day.
Everyday should be a Woman’s Day. That way we would
get more respect, better opportunities to learn and
earn. Everyday women should be respected by the family
and society at large. After all there is no man’s day
for everyday man enjoys the privileges that probably a
woman gets on March 8?”

Chhaya further says, “We are so much an integral part
of the family. But often we are chained within the
four walls of the house. Women’s liberation can only
happen if each and every woman has the opportunity to
speak her mind without any fear and her dreams and
aspirations are given the respect they deserve. Maybe
when that happens we can all celebrate Woman’s Day in
its true essence?”

Talking about the last two months, when they spent
most of the time outside the temple in cold season
along with young children, waiting patiently for the
release of their men folk, she reveals, “We were
shocked and scared but determined to fight. We knew
that if we remained silence at that moment, we would
be silenced forever by a corrupt system that had
failed to listen to our woes and plea for help.”

The incident has not just brought a change in the
village which has suddenly woken up to fight for its
rights but it has also brought about a great change in
the attitude of the men folk towards the women in the
village. “Earlier, whenever we tried to opine we were
asked to shut our mouth. But now that has changed.
They have realized that we also have lot of inner
strength and understanding of things. We are not weak.
We will stand together and demand for better health
facilities and socio-economic development of the
villagers”, she added. 

Revealing the day, when she, who had studied upto
Standard XII, first came to the village after
marriage, admits that it was real cultural shock. “I
come from Nadoda village, Mapusa, where women live
better life and are aware of their rights. But in
Saleli life was absolutely   different. To me it
appeared as if we people were living in all together
different age, where they had no voice and were
ignorant about their rights. What they had in
abundance was goodness of heart and innocence that
connected me instantly with the villagers,” she added.

Finally, she admits that the time has arrived when
women realize that they have rights and assert
themselves so that equality of women acquires a
greater meaning than just be a thrown around as a
fashionable clinch on Woman’s Day.




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