Master artisan Lalchand Derawala talks about his introduction to hand block printing and his journey of becoming a National Award winning artist.
On an India Kala buying trip in Rajasthan, we visited Bagru, a small town about 35 km west of Jaipur, renowned for its distinctive hand-block printing and natural dyeing techniques that date back half a millennia.
We were there to meet Lalchand 'Chippa' Derawala, an artisan-entrepreneur with a National Award for block-printing.
![Lalchand Derawala]()
He runs a thriving hand block printing studio that employs 30 artisans who print with wooden blocks and colour fabric in natural dyes, following the traditional techniques that produce Bagru’s signature patterned cloth.
Driving along the winding lanes of Chippa mohalla, or printers’ quarters, we passed several printing units to get to Lalchandbhai’s studio, and on reaching there, were greeted by freshly printed and dyed fabrics, neatly laid out on the courtyard, drying in the afternoon blaze.
Surrounded by beautiful, earthy reams of fabric that we sorted through for our range, we sat down with him to understand the craft practice better.
This is Lalchand Derawala's story of block printing, in his own words:
My father would travel to Jaipur to sell the cloth we printed. We would look forward to his bringing us treats from the city and we would know that it was a good sale from the number of things he would bring back for us.
We mostly printed fadat – cotton fabrics with dark indigo backgrounds for womens’ ghagra skirts.
[caption id="attachment_62744" align="aligncenter" width="5760"]
![Natural Indigo being prepared at the workshop]()
Natural indigo being prepared at the studio[/caption]
The patterning was mostly small floral and leaf motifs. Colours were the same then as we use now – natural dyed indigo blues, a deep red, ochre yellow and a brownish black.
An early start
I remember even when I was very young, I wanted to print cloth.
Our family has been printing for over a century now. It is our way of life, what we learn from our elders and they, from theirs. It is a 500 or 600-year-old tradition, learned by practice.
My father taught me how to print and dye cloth.
[caption id="attachment_62734" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
![Lalchand Derawala started his printing workshop in 1993]()
Lalchand Derawala started his printing workshop in 1993[/caption]
After practicing the craft and honing my skills for several years, I began participating in exhibitions in cities and showcasing the textiles I had printed.
Travelling out of town for exhibitions was an eye-opening experience for me. I met artisans from other parts of the country and we discussed each other’s craft practices.
I also met store owners and designers, and began understanding what kind of products people were looking for. We began printing bedsheets, dupattas and saris. They sold very well.
This was a big change for us - new products for people in cities. Word began spreading about our beautiful textiles and there was no looking back.
The printing process
In India, there are many different schools of hand block printing. Our prints are stamped by hand using wooden blocks carved with patterns, and the colours we use are derived from natural materials.
There are two styles of printing -
Bagru is done by printing dark or coloured motifs on a cream or dyed background. This process involves the use of natural mordants – like harda and alum – to capture the natural colours that we print on the fabric using our pattern blocks.
The second style, called dabu, has light coloured motifs on a dark ground.
[caption id="attachment_62828" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
![(L) Coloured Bagru motifs on a cream or dyed ground (R) Mud-resist dabu print on a natural indigo ground]()
(L) Coloured
bagru motifs on a cream or dyed ground (R) Mud-resistant
dabu print on a natural indigo background[/caption]
Here, we use a kaali mitti paste – a dark mud from our locality, to block print the pattern. When we dye the fabrics, the motifs covered with the mud print remain uncoloured, while the rest of the fabric takes on the hue of the dye.
Identifying a Bagru print
Colour combinations and motifs help differentiate one block-printing style from another.
An easy way to differentiate between a Bagru and Sanganeri style, for example, is the colour of the cloth on which the motifs are printed. In Bagru, the cloth has either a cream base or a dyed base, while Sanganeri prints have a white base.
Also, our prints make extensive use of geometric shapes such as kangura (triangle) and leher (waves), whereas Sanganeris only use floral and leaf motifs.
[caption id="attachment_62765" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
![Bagru Hand Blocks, alongwith floral motifs they also have geometric patterns]()
Bagru blocks in floral and geometric motifs[/caption]
Legacy
A few years after I established my practice, I set to work on creating my finest, most exquisite print. It took me about eight months from concept to execution, with multiple trials, strike offs and experiments to get the patterns and colours right.
The motifs were based on Mughal era patterns and such fineness in print had not been seen in a very long time.
For this fabric, the Government of India gave me the National Award and it felt very good to be recognized for fine craftmanship.
[caption id="attachment_62766" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
![Lalchandji with his most prized possession, a print that won him a National award]()
Lalchand Derawala with his award winning print[/caption]
The recognition from the National Award and my involvement with Paramparik Karigar – an organization that works to preserve and promote traditional arts and crafts – has allowed me to take the craft to a wider audience. I regularly conduct talks and demonstrations to create awareness about the craft.
In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries including Argentina, Italy, South Korea and Germany, to conduct workshops. I believe that the craft should be accessible to whoever wishes to learn it and to carry it forward in a new direction.
For a craft that was relatively unknown to the country till the mid 1970’s, Bagru block-prints are now a must have in every craft aficionado’s wardrobe, and that makes me very happy.
The future
We collaborate with shops and designers and also work with online retailers such as Jaypore, iTokri and India Kala, to market our products. Aside from this, we participate in exhibitions annually, interacting with customers firsthand and understanding their needs.
We have seen the market change and our work evolves with it to cater to the tastes of every type of customer.
[caption id="attachment_62787" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
![Once where only Lalchandji and his family used to print, there are now over 30 artisans who have been trained by him]()
Hand block printing in progress at the studio[/caption]
The growing awareness for handmade, environment friendly products has increased demand for our work. My workshop, which once had two-feet-long paatiyas (low tables) is now equipped with twenty-feet-long tables to accommodate large fabric sizes and larger production volumes.
More and more people are interested in buying our products, both in India and internationally, and my sons now work with me in the studio. Also, I continue to train young apprentices.
But I am not sure my grandchildren will follow in the family profession. The sheer physical labour involved in producing a quality handcrafted product, is not something today’s youth wants to be a part of. And quality cannot be achieved by lazy hands.
Incase you know of any artisans who India Kala can work with, please mail us their details at contact@indiakala.com.
Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).
Harish Dhandev[/caption]
Harish had 80 acres of ancestral land in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Though his father Roopa Ram Dhandev was very passionate about farming, he could not devote much time to agriculture because of his regular government job as an engineer.
A civil engineering graduate from Arya College, Jaisalmer, Harish started working as a junior engineer in the municipal corporation in 2013. He was posted in Jaisalmer. In the meantime, his father retired and took up farming. Harish too started taking care of some of the farm work but had no intention of turning into a full-time farmer. He did, however, observe that many farmers worked hard but not smart, hence failing to achieve their best.
“I remembered this story about three woodcutters who were given an axe and were asked to cut a tree in three hours. Two of them started to cut the tree immediately. However, the woodcutter who won the challenge took two hours to sharpen the axe and then started cutting the tree. You need to plan and prioritise your work in order to get the best. The farmers I observed were lacking in these skills,” recalls Harish.
Slowly, as time passed, Harish started to feel drawn to the idea of applying his planning and executing skills, which he had learnt as an engineer, to farming. But he feared leaving his well paying, stable government job and taking a leap into the unknown. It was at this crucial juncture that he drew inspiration from his older sister, Anjana Meghwal.
Anjana, a mother of two, lost her husband in a car accident in 2011. She herself was in the hospital for 9 months, recovering from her injuries. But, she restarted her life all over again and is the Mayor of Jaisalmer today.
“My sister is my biggest motivation. I learnt from her that you have to take chances and if you are dedicated, then success is guaranteed,” says Harish.
And so, in 2013, just after few months of joining his government job, Harish quit and took up farming as a full-time career.
“The agriculture department suggested I grow crops like bajra, moong or gawar – crops that require little water. They did not suggest growing aloe vera, in spite of the fact that we were already cultivating it, because of a lack of market opportunities for the crop in the Jaisalmer area,” says Harish.
However, Harish did some research and discovered there were good possibilities of selling the product if he set his sight further afield and used online portals such as Indiamart to get to national and international markets.
The farm has 7 lakhs saplings now.[/caption]
Harish gets his fertilizer from the 20 cows he owns and some from his neighbours.[/caption]
He gets his fertilizer from the 20 cows he owns and some from his neighbours. His farm is also certified by ROCA (Rajasthan Organic Certification Agency).
Pulp Extraction Process[/caption]
Harish soon stopped supplying the leaves to his clients and trained his farm labourers to extract the pulp. This helped provide the labourers with some extra income.
His company, Dhandev Global Group, is located at Dhaisar, 45 kilometres from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. His turnover ranges between Rs. 1.5 and 2 crore. The aloe vera products of Dhandev Global Group are known by the brand name, ‘NATUREALO’ and he plans to supply them internationally very soon.
He downloads booklets and materials on various loan schemes made available by the government and distributes them among the farmers who have limited access to technology.
“Exposure to new resources, planning, optimization and execution – these things have helped me and I believe every farmer can benefit from such knowledge. But farmers too have to leave their fears behind and come out of their comfort zones,” says Harish.
To know more about Harish and his work, you can mail him at harishdhandev@gmail.com or log on to http://naturealo.com/
Lalchand Derawala started his printing workshop in 1993[/caption]
After practicing the craft and honing my skills for several years, I began participating in exhibitions in cities and showcasing the textiles I had printed.
Travelling out of town for exhibitions was an eye-opening experience for me. I met artisans from other parts of the country and we discussed each other’s craft practices.
(L) Coloured bagru motifs on a cream or dyed ground (R) Mud-resistant dabu print on a natural indigo background[/caption]
The Ganesh Pol or Gate is the entry to the private palaces of the Maharajas. Built under the orders of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, it is
covered with elaborate frescoes and a Ganesh painted above the gate, symbolising good luck.
Pritam Niwas Chowk is the inner courtyard of the City Palace. It has four smaller gates, each themed around the four seasons and dedicated to a particular Hindu god. The northeastern peacock gate represents autumn and has a small idol of Lord Vishnu on its lintel.
The Lotus Gate in the southwest is adorned with dramatic lotus petals and flower patterns. It represents the summer and lord Shiva.
The winter season is showcased by the Rose Gate. Filled with repeating rose patterns, it is dedicated to Goddess Devi.
The fourth gate, also called the Leheriya (waves) gate, is on the northwest side of the courtyard. It is in a gorgeous green colour, indicating spring and dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
Diwan-E-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience is a courtyard that is marked by 27 columns, each with an elephant shaped capital. It also has rooms leading off that were used by royalty.
Benches seen through the arched corridors at the entrance of Amer Fort present a departure from the usual ornate doorways of the rest of the palace. This place has an almost Mediterranean feel.
The courtyard at the Mansingh Palace, Amer Fort, is surrounded by balconies on the first floor and has doors overlooking the central pavilion. The walls are decorated with floral patterned frescoes.
This door provides access to the Dakshinottar Bhitti Yantra, which is an instrument used for observing the different altitudes of celestial bodies. The marble arched panel on top of the door provides a detailed description of the yantra.
- Aparna Rajagopalan
You can have a look at Aparna's work 
When he grew up, Singh began driving a vehicle for hire, and all thoughts of trees and climate change took a backseat. Fate intervened when he met with an accident that left him with a permanent disability; one that kept him from pursuing his job.
Unemployed and headed towards penury, Singh decided to divert his attention by contributing to society. He explored the idea of planting saplings in his village.
He made a good start by collaborating with the government. Initially, Paliwal faced hurdles in the implementation of this plan. But the Piplantri village panchayat had received many awards for the execution of various government schemes and this motivated the villagers to try out this idea too.
To celebrate the birth of a girl child, 111 trees are planted by her parents, grandparents and relatives. The village panchayat takes care of these plants so that the efforts of the relatives do not go waste. Women self-help groups, elderly ladies, grandmothers, aunts etc. take care of its maintenance from time to time. This invaluable work is being done under the Kiran Nidhi Yojna, adopted by Paliwal.
Paliwal also made use of the Panchayat at your doorstep programmes to tour the villages and speak to women on empowerment. He got the women self-help groups and Bhamashahs to consider this scheme as unique from the perspective of the safety of girls. As the idea took off, the villagers realised that there was no need to worry about dowry because the trees they plant when a girl child is born will take care of her expenses in the future. (The Bhamashah scheme was started with the objective of bringing financial inclusion and empowerment of women. It is a family-based programme in which a bank account and a Bhamashah card are made in the name of the lady of the house. This empowers her to become the decision-maker in the family.)
Planting trees is just one part of Paliwal’s plan to empower girls and women in his village. At the time of the birth of a girl child, Rs 10,000 from the girl’s parents and Rs 31,000 from donors and Bhamashahs are collected and put in a fixed deposit (FD) account. The village panchayat keeps an account of this and on completion of the term, the FD is revised. The panchayat registers the information of the birth of the girl with the registrar. Along with this, all official formalities are completed for the Janani Suraksha Scheme and other beneficial government bond schemes.
There is also a letter of oath, known as the Kiran Nidhi Scheme, started by social worker Anna Hazare which Paliwal adopted in his village. Paliwal made many inclusions to the scheme to reflect the changing needs of the times and to ensure the comprehensive development of the girl child, not just at school, but at home as well.
The idea of celebrating the birth of a girl child by planting trees is what makes this scheme truly revolutionary. If you travel to Piplantri or any other part of the Rajsamand district, you would notice that there is very little land available for agriculture. This is mainly because of the handicraft industry in cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and others that deforestation has taken place after independence. Moreover, Rajsamand’s major white marble mines are located in the surrounding villages of Piplantri like Morwar, Umthi, Gogleta, Aarna, and others. Local representatives had destroyed the forest cover for mines, which has contributed to the drinking water problem. With more vehicles entering the villages, it has not only affected the environment but also the health of the villagers resulting in many ailments, loss in farming and poor wages that forced the youth to migrate to more promising lands, leaving the elderly, women and children behind.
Rajsamand, situated 67 km north of Udaipur and 350 km south of Jaipur, is a famous tourist destination known for its religious places, historical monuments and industrial regions. With Piplantri panchayat earning a name for itself through environment-friendly initiatives, it is bound to attract tourists with its herbal medicine park, watershed model, gram-swaraj, alcohol-free status, nirmal-gram, and more.
(Written by Moinuddin Chishty)
Dal Baati Churma[/caption]
Churma[/caption]
Bajri ka Kheench[/caption]
Litti Chokha[/caption]
With no laws or policies to protect their interests women domestic workers in India are highly overworked and underpaid and are often subjected to mistreatment at the hands of their employers. (Courtesy: ILO)[/caption]
She still works as a domestic help in seven homes, and despite labouring away for 12 hours every day earns a meagre Rs 3,500 per month. Mistreatment at the hands of employers continues to be a part of her work environment and her standard of living has not improved much.
Yet, today there is something that has given Savita the confidence to not just stand up for her rights as an individual and a worker but also make sure that unlike her, her daughter gets to go to school and break out of the circle of destitution and disempowerment.
Being part of a small group of domestic workers in her area has made quite a difference to Savita’s attitude. She now recognises herself as a ‘domestic worker’- a member of the country’s large unorganized labour force. Her awareness levels have increased tremendously, and she now knows how to access government welfare schemes. In case she gets to know of some fellow domestic worker being treated badly she is ready to speak up on her behalf.
Jaipur-based social activist Mewa Bharti has brought together over 12,000 women domestic workers in the city on a common platform to claim their rights and establish their identity as workers. (Credit: Rakesh Kumar\WFS)[/caption]
The brainchild of Jaipur-based social activist Mewa Bharti, this group has indeed become a force to reckon with.
At the monthly meetings of the Rajasthan Mahila Kamgaar Union members get information on the various social schemes and how to tackle employer and police harassment. (Credit: Rakesh Kumar\WFS)[/caption]
Tackling employer and police harassment, too, is spoken about in great detail.
Mewa Bharti and her vociferous group of women domestic workers are focussed on solving wage disputes, rescuing child domestic workers and combating violence faced by domestic workers. (Credit: Rakesh Kumar\WFS)[/caption]
The locals call it Amritchurna. With the help of Barefoot’s health coordinators, Meghrajji and Mangilalji, the team mobilized the community to uncover the necessary proportions of this indigenous product made of wheat, black gram, groundnut, sesame seed, and jaggery. Together, the ingredients create a well-balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, magnesium, and the most important – iron. All ingredients are locally available, affordable, and most importantly, accepted by the community.
A simple packaging, with graphical instructions on the dosage, was adopted and distributed to more than 100 women and girls who were anemic. The fee was nominal, at Rs. 30/kg.
After consumption of Amritchurna for four months, many of the girls and women who were anemic saw increases in their haemoglobin levels by 2-3 gm./dL, a very encouraging discovery. Most physicians agree that a woman’s natural haemoglobin level is between 12-14 gm./dL. So, when Kripa’s blood check-up showed a level of 6 gm./dL, the health team advised her to take Amritchurna.
The project has led to a highly focussed plan on targeted continuous care, right from adolescence to lactation and beyond, in order to achieve a progressive increase in the health status of the country.
Support 
A Raika with his camel[/caption]
The Raikas bond deeply with their camels[/caption]
Ilse Köhler-Rollefson with a Raika and his camel[/caption]
It wasn't easy for Köhler-Rollefson, an outsider, to become an activist and advocate on behalf a community that has traditionally been wary of outsiders. Ultimately, it was her veterinary training that made the Raikas first take note of her. Diseases were killing camels and many had miscarriages. So, Köhler-Rollefson began helping the herders treat sick camels. She also began organizing medicines for the animals only to realise that most companies had stopped manufacturing them.
That's when she recognised the need for steady funding to help the Raika and their camels. So, in 1996, she set up 
Ilse Köhler-Rollefson helping Raikas treat their sick camels[/caption]
Camel Milk[/caption]
The Camel Charisma store[/caption]
School children in Rajasthan[/caption]
Naresh Gangwar[/caption]
A rural school in Rajasthan[/caption]
An Adarsh School[/caption]
Girls in a school in rural Rajasthan[/caption]
It identifies those children from remote areas of Rajasthan who have either dropped out of school or have never had the opportunity to attend a mainstream education system. They seek panchayat leaders and elderly individuals in villages to come forward and refer children who will benefit from their intervention. The organisation then speaks to the parents and helps them understand the benefits of education and skill-based training.
Their work positively impacts not just the children, but also their parents, families and the immediate society. “Our four-month camps are dedicated to give them a holistic education that includes an understanding of democracy, secularism, gender equality and human rights besides the usual educational subjects,” says Salim. The NGO was founded in 2001 by the late Anil Bordia, a former Education Secretary of the Government of India. He was also responsible for initiating and implementing primary education projects called Lok Jumbish in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Bordia was recognised internationally for his pioneering work in the field of education and held many significant posts including Vice-Chair of UNESCO Institute for Education, Hamburg from 1976 to 1982 and Chairman of the International Bureau of Education, Geneva, from 1990 to 1992.
So what does the ikhvelo method of learning entail? “We have set up libraries and educational centres through all the seven districts. The youth are also encouraged to take up the Grade 5 or Grade 12 examination through certification from the National Institute of Open Schooling. Post their certification, we teach them skill-based activities which can help them sustain a livelihood,” says Salim. “We encourage the parents of these adolescents to come visit our training centres to witness first-hand the impacts of DD on their wards. Also, we have monthly parent-teacher meetings for the parents to understand how their child is progressing,” he adds.
A couple of months ago, we got the opportunity to work with Vision India Foundation as Governance Journalists and we were assigned e-Mitra as part of our documentation project. (Vision India Foundation is a movement founded by faculty and alumni of various IITs to bring systemic, long-term reforms by working on public policy, governance and institutional frameworks of India.)
This was when we encountered Lalita Devi, an old widowed lady living in poverty in the small town of Chirawa, Rajasthan. She is a mother of four and a grandmother of six living in poverty and burdened with societal and familial problems that took away her sense of optimism at one point in life. We interviewed her during our visit to an e-Mitra Kiosk in Chirawa where she had come to receive her caste certificate. She shared her experiences and problems she had faced in the process of trying to procure the certificate. Her delicate face with sharp curves marking her age undoubtedly showed her strife. Her encounters with the government staff had been obnoxious and often cumbersome. Bereft of any contacts, she had to visit various offices and wait for long hours before anyone would address her. But this was before e-Mitra came up.
In spite of all those adversities, Lalita now has a vision for a better India. When e-Mitra was launched, it appeared to be a blessing in disguise for this old lady.
e-Mitra is the largest e-government initiative in the country with roughly 36,000 kiosks across 32 districts of the state, collecting over Rs. 3000 crores in yearly revenue collections. Since its inception in 2004, it amassed tremendous traction. Outsourcing its urban and rural outlets to private owners has made it notably a more reliable and transparent body than most offices affiliated with the government. It is advantageous particularly because of the broad range of services that it provides at one place. Under the e-Mitra project, a citizen can avail three kinds of services from any kiosk across the state: utility bill payment services; submission of application forms; submission of grievances. There is a considerable number of G2C (Government to Citizen) and B2C (Business to Consumer) services that are offered by e-Mitra. Moreover, close to 25 government departments provide G2C services to the residents of Rajasthan.
To our consternation, our preconceived notions turned upside down upon visiting DoIT&C, Jaipur. Mr. R K Sharma, who is the head of e-Mitra was incredibly supportive of us when we turned up with our case study. He met us personally to discuss the principal issues faced at every stage of the process. Additionally, he gave us insights on how his team plans to combat the various challenges faced by them. Connectivity seems to be the biggest challenge according to Mr. Sharma. As we know, India still lacks fast Internet connection. If this is the case, attaining goals might be exhausting for Mr. Sharma. Interaction with Shilpi Patni, a project officer at e-Mitra informed us about the lack of awareness and reluctance to use such services among masses in rural areas. Despite such concerns, Mr. Sharma is confident about the Government’s plans that it would connect the entire state. His long-term plans for e-Mitra includes complete digitalization that will enable residents to avail benefits of any service without requiring to commute. He wishes for e-Mitra to be replicated in other states as it would then serve a larger population.
Mr. Sharma believes this project fosters entrepreneurial activities in rural areas. What’s more interesting is that there is an increase in the number of female kiosk owners! People who would otherwise earn very less are now operating and investing in kiosks. The decrease in the initial investment to Rs. 5000 has made it much easier to open kiosks. Moreover, freedom to run any side-businesses at the same place helps the owners to receive some extra income.
Another kiosk owner in Jaipur spoke with us on good governance. He believed in good governance because it gives the public more power. When the public gets power, only then the country is run ‘by the people.' According to him, transparency is the answer to good governance. As e-Mitra follows the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, transparency level reaches the highest it ever can; competition increases to almost perfection and moreover, people’s trust in the system is back.
It’s ironic how the solutions to Mrs. Devi’s problems was with the government itself. e-Mitra is an initiative by the government to improve upon its inefficiencies. Similar to Mrs. Devi’s, a million lives in Rajasthan might have improved. e-Mitra is a government project, but it doesn’t match with our old perception of how the state operates. Reforms and dynamism similar to this help in changing a country’s economic landscape. Our project at Vision India Foundation (VIF) thus made us change our opinions about the government. It showed us what goes into managing a mass.
Know more about e-Mitra 
This is precisely when the thought of doing something for beggars crossed Ganpat’s mind for the first time. At that time, however, he focused on his studies. But the thought of starting a venture that would provide employment to those forced to seek alms never left him.
Those were tough days then. He would attend school, work in the groundnut mill, and graze the cattle in the evening, catching up with his studies in the night. Never though did all this pressure get to him. In fact, he cleared his Class X examination with a merit position at No. 2 on the district level and No. 14 at the state level.
When one of his relatives from Jaipur came to know about this achievement, he took Ganpat under his wings and encouraged him to study further. The determination and efforts paid rich dividends once again with him bagging the 18th position on the merit list in the Class XII examination and obtaining admission in the prestigious Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur. His roots, however, he never forgot.
Ganpat Yadav counselling students at his village[/caption]
More so, with his newly acquired engineering skills, he made a gadget to ensure the safety of women.
In 2013, Ganpat graduated with an engineering degree in Metallurgy and Material Science and was placed in a reputed company through campus recruitment.
In its wake, a Noida-based company got interested in the gadget and decided to invest in it. Ganpat quit his job in 2015 to help the company make the gadget. Unfortunately, the company backed out and Ganpat was left high and dry. To raise enough funds to go on, he started searching for another job and during this time, in one of the recruitment interviews, he mentioned his dream of setting up a company to employ beggars.
To his surprise, one of the interviewers not only asked him to pursue his passion but also agreed to invest in his start-up. And that is how the foundation was laid for Triveni Krishna Organics Private Ltd.
He took a farm on lease and started organic farming of groundnut, lentils, wheat, millets and carrot.
“Initially it was difficult to convince them to join me since many of them were quite comfortable begging for their living. It was painful to see their condition, especially the children and women. Many young girls would become rape victims. The parents were not interested in sending the children to school since that would cut down on their income,” Ganpat narrates.
“They would come with me, get trained and work too. But soon they would realize that they could earn more by begging and therefore run away. But I never let my spirits down and eventually managed to put up a team of about 100 beggars to work on the farm. New recruits and dropouts was a regular feature of this process,” he says.
To resolve the problem, he registered an organisation called Krishna Bhaiya Foundation to work on counselling the beggars.
He requested people to donate money to this organisation instead giving alms to beggars and asked them to advise the beggars about why working was better in the long run.
Ironically, today, Ganpat’s organic farm’s yield is ready but he is finding it hard to sell the produce. That’s because the government gives an organic certificate only after the third year of the yield. Therefore, if you would like to chip in and help Ganpat in his efforts through buying any of his products or helping a beggar find a job, you can call him on 9785336749 or e-mail at 
Thousands of men, women, and children are still trapped in the chains of bonded labour.[/caption]
Travelling across Baran district, one will come across heartbreaking stories of families who were enslaved to the whims of their money lenders, unable to break free for generations. Mamta Bai, mother of three young girls and wife of a disabled man, can often be seen crying hysterically because of helplessness and hunger. 12-year-old Aakash works day and night with his father, trying to pay off their family debt by labouring for extra hours. Children like Aakash have never seen the insides of a school, but bear the burden of responsibility from a very young age. The curse of bonded labour remains a reality of India even in 2016, with an estimated 13-14 million people enslaved in some form of modern slavery.
While no one can deny or disregard the sufferings of the tribe, there are some, especially women, who have found a way to fight for their community. Their stories reflect a silver lining for the tribe and many others like them.
Gyarishi Devi is an activist of the Sahariya tribe who is over 50 years of age. A founding member of the Jagrut Mahila Sangathan (JMS), Gyarishi Devi has been fighting the problem of bonded labour and overall backwardness of the tribe in Baran district for more than a decade now.
Gyarishi Devi is a founding member of Jagrut Mahila Sangathan.[/caption]
One of the major reasons for this is that now even those not in close geographical proximity to the Sangathan’s office can access the group, and avail support or any kind of aid through it. Gyarishi Devi and her organisation feel strengthened today because video conferencing has made it possible for women in different parts of the district to get together and raise their problems. People no longer need to travel long distances for a meeting. They can simply visit one of the 10 
Reena was the first lady from her community to ever stand for elections.[/caption]
Before she became a sarpanch, Reena was an extremely quiet and shy person. So, her initiatives and stand to ensure quality health and sanitation, better road connectivity, and availability of clean drinking water surprised everyone even more. During her tenure, Reena installed six motor water pumps, set up multiple anganwadi centres, laid down cemented roads, built homes for 300 underprivileged families, and extended education in schools from Class VIII upto Class X. The forward-thinking leader also had the vision to install solar street lighting infrastructure.
Then there is another young lady in the community who shares her name with Reena, the former sarpanch. This 22-year-old Reena Sahariya enrolled for digital literacy classes in 2011, two years after Class XII. Today, she trains other children at a CIRC in Mamoni village, Baran district.
Reena Sahariya joined DEF as a trainee and is now a trainer.[/caption]
Rajkumari is 28 years old. Though she could attend school only till Class X, she’s still eager to learn. Today, villagers in Khandela village of Baran district call her “Lady Wi-Fi” because of her knowledge of wireless engineering. She’s also enthusiastically connecting households to wireless broadband connectivity (with help from 
‘Lady Wi-Fi’ Rajkumari teaches at a local school and edits a tribal newspaper.[/caption]
These women may be a drop in the ocean, but every drop is an ocean in itself.
Sankalp Sansthan, a non-profit organisation fighting discrimination, has been working for the last 30 years for Baran’s Sahariya community. The organisation is trying to provide them with land entitlements and social welfare schemes. With its larger aim to educate the community, the organisation has tied up with the 
Tejaswini is a resident of Janakpuri in Delhi. Before joining the force, she was studying law and came to realize that women in India were not aware of their rights. She started performing street plays to raise awareness among women for their rights.
Her mother’s encouragement helped her carry on with this cause. When she was posted in Ajmer after being selected in the IPS, she discussed her passion with senior police officers in Rajasthan. Senior officers of the Ajmer police range gave her permission to perform street plays.
When she was transferred to Bassi in Jaipur, she took auditions to select the actors and performed the first play in the reserve police lines premises. Other actors in her group include constables Dinesh Gaur, Karmaveer Dhankar, Shashi Gujjar, Anju, Mamta, Nirmala, Suman, Prem, Anita, Ramkishore, Soni, Vijay Laxami, Rachana and Lalita.
After performing plays, Tejaswini talks to women from the audience and tries to understand their problems and challenges.
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