Story of Brave lady who made my day

I was at my first Indiblogger meet -“Milaap Bangalore IndiBlogger Meet” which took place at “Microsoft Research India Labs Pvt. Ltd” near Bangalore club. 

I was obviously happy in meeting fellow bloggers who have been writing for years, with a hope of happiness in this kind of social meets, expecting a lot of fun, I was at #HopeProject. As expected event started well with beautiful girl “Aditi” initiated the event that could challenge the scribblers like me, it was to describe the meaning of hope in one word. 

Each of us in the meet wrote our great thinking in a word which showed the zeal of the event. “Education” “Unity” “Congnizance” “Truth” “smile” “ Health” “ Security” “Renaissance” etc. These were the word of hope that came out on paper and photographs.

 The word of  Hope

Never says Nope

The event went even further when each of the bloggers introduced themselves and their blogs. Each of them Explained the word “ Hope” for them. When my turn came I was nervous, and I stuttered to utter words, heartbeat increased, fear in mind increased my body temperature, sweat flow all through my body, Hush! I finished my introduction.

After this,the real event initiated, the event for which we were all at Microsoft Research Labs. Milaap  #HopeProject .

The Hope Project is a campaign that aims to inspire urban masses towards, empowering rural women entrepreneurs through small contributions. What makes this project special is that the women in this case are ex-Devadasis and the possibility of self-reliance is a ray of fierce hope for them. Within the Devadasi system, young girls are “married” to the temple goddess. This merciless practice, though illegal, still exists in small towns of India.

The event was to raise funds for the welfare of the women who came out of “Devadasi” system; and, this is where I got my chance to talk, the stories they put on slides impressed me, after which when I got up to talk, the fear in me disappeared and I boldly put up my points to reach the root of cause to eradicate the evil. After all this there was one more event of puzzle and high tea.

Once the tea session was over “Milaap” team member introduced “Sitavva’ a lady who braved the society to come out of Devadasi system. Being a former devadasi, she fought really hard and jumbled hundreds of other Devadasis, rescued them from the black system and formed a union called as “MASS”. With the help of “Ministry of women and Child welfare”  they reached the root of the cause and the weed was in threat,  they legally took the issue and penalized the culprits who force the girls into the system despite of ban, and result was the eradication of Devadasi system in the entire Belgaum district of Karnataka. Sitavva says this proudly and her desire are still high, to rescue the women in the entire state and country. She emerged a leader, a brave musketeer who penalized the evils in the society.

In her speech she also told some of the lesson known behind the system. She told only  the girls of lower cast are made “Devadasi’s”. “Poverty”, “Lack of Rain”, “Lonebaby girl for the parents” “Girl born after many boy babies” and so many of them are the resons behind the evil. It was un-fortunate to know the silly reasons, which were the seeds of poison  and which has grown as a tree of the evil system in the society.

After her speech I went to “Sitavva” and had a little conversation with her in north Karnatakan dialect, where she expressed some more strange things. She told "Government stopped helping them, corruption filled in the women and child welfare department, neither ministers nor official’s respond to their requests, society see them lower despite of coming into the main stream of life, their children won’t get good jobs, their daughters won’t get boys to marry". Talking to me her eyes grown wet, and I was stunned silent. The black is not only the system, but the society itself; which still sees these brave ladies as culprits. The problem is in politics and corruption, the challenge is to eradicate the superstition in the people that is inherited in our blood.

Whatever; the work of Sitavva and the work Milaap  and everyone has to say “Hats off” to their effort. And everyone should give the help in all means for the cause they are working for and here is the no of Sitavva-94489952899.  

Don't forget to check website of MILAAP Organisation.

or 

Call Sitavva-94489952899 and be a part of tangible change.