Moley Haalu Bedavva, Edey Haala Needavva

November 3, 2010 at 9:15 AMNov (Literature, Media, Musings, Poetry, Slice Of Life, Soliloquy)

It was a workshop being conducted for the woemn employees of the factory at Baikampady (20 March 2009), where the resource person was informing the women about their rights.

As the resource person was speaking about  sexual harrasmment in the factories, womens’ right to equal wages and security, the women employees were blankly staring at the resource person with no reaction or no sign of interest in the matter being told to them.

But once the resource person touched on the rights of the working women which would benifit their children, all the women woke up sharpening their ears. I, who was there as a reporter was surprised by the sudden burst of interest that filled the air. They questioned the resource person as to how can they get education loan for their children, how can they apply for student scholarship and if the industry would provide books for the children of the employees.

Though the topic of the workshop was forgotten, it was a heart warming environ which reminded me of an article by P. Sainath where a lady who is a tailor now speaking about all her difficulties that followed the suicide of her husband (who was a farmer) puts an end to her conversation saying “I take all the trouble for my kids. However, my time is over.”

The enviorn there, also reminded me of a line from a poem by H.S. Shivaprakash which reads:

Moley Haalu Bedavva, Ede Haala Needavva
[Feed me not with the breast milk, Oh Mother, but with the milk of your heart]

The difference between the breast milk and the milk of the heart, I understood in a better sence being present in the workshop.

10 May 2009