Beyond 'Cityness'

Just 187 kms away from Delhi, in the state of Rajasthan, Lakshmangarh block of Alwar district in Semla village she walked in barefoot, without caring much about the dust, corns, stiffness she walked and walked. Probably a pair of shoes was a luxury to her which she might have indulged once in a while.  Seeing her barefoot reminded me of a TV show which I watched years ago on a popular music/fashion channel which interviewed celebrities with more than 100 pairs of shoes and a 20 minute show was produced covering an important agenda of shoe fetish.

Sitting right across her, was a woman feeding a baby. To be honest, I forced myself to believe that she is not the biological mother of the child as she looked much old to be a mother. She seems to lie in the grandmother category. Wrinkles on her face, boldness in her voice as compared to other women sitting in the group was enough to understand that she has most of it which makes her experienced and confident than others. I could not resist and asked her if that child was hers. To which she responded ‘Haan…mere hai. Nauve number par hai’ (Yes, he is my ninth child).  For last 22 years, Bimla has been bearing children. Most of them being born at home. Though her last child was born in a public set – up, for which she loaded herself on a bike while she was going through labour pains and travelled for 35 kms to deliver this tow and a half year old sitting in her lap. Bimla had less to choose from, she could have either delivered at home under the umbrella of local wisdom which an old and experienced midwife carried with herself or at a primary health centre nearby where there is not even a single female doctor and as the grapewine says even the sweeper at the centre is equipped to deliver. Adding to this she had no female support of village health government functionaries like ANM or ASHA, hence no one to do ante natal or pre natal checkups, to this daily dose of Iron folic acid tablets during pregnancy (supplied by the government) was just a bit too much to ask. This village is less than 200 kms from the national capital and lies in a much urban district of Rajasthan. Bimla had less to choose from hence less confusion, less decision making, less worry viz a viz a young pregnant woman in Delhi, who has to make tough decisions like which gynecologist to consult at first, which hospital to pick from a huge variety available, preferred delivery procedure, which room to select (double, single, deluxe, super deluxe) to name a few. And why not she is the most fortunate one hence has the power to take all such critical decisions unlike women like Bimla who comprise of close to 70% of population and are only exposed to less than even 5% of qualified doctors thus no options no worries.

But, is there hope? I want to believe that. In the same group were these two young girls who are in eleventh standard and wish to complete college. Let them be the change makers…

(This village comprises of 100 % tribal population with 60 families and atleast one family member from all the families is employed in a government sector).