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A passionate social activist, a thought-provoking writer, an erudite scholar, and a visionary leader bringing about women’s empowerment in India…yes, all these references point to the same person: none other than the indomitable Dr. V. Mohini Giri. However, her last identity is her most popular one. She is most known across nations as a woman committed to the holistic empowerment of women—that is empowering women politically, socially, economically and legally. In this sphere, her undisputed fame, earned through almost four decades of dedicated service to ameliorate the conditions of the deprived, marginalized and poor Indian women, has even relegated her other identity—that of being the daughter-in-law of late Indian President V.V.Giri—to take a backseat.
To confine Dr. Giri’s achievements within the ambit of women’s upliftment and empowerment only, doesn’t do her full justice. During her long career in social service, she has always strived to better the lot of all sections of the downtrodden and underprivileged, whether men or women. In this context, her rehabilitation programme for the 1984 riot victims, in which 12,000 Sikh families were housed, deserves special mention. It therefore came as a no surprise when, in recognition of her great service to society at large, she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.
After the war…the struggle begins
Though Dr. Giri first shot into limelight by forming the War Widows’ Association in 1971, her innings in social service goes way back much more. Despite hailing from an elitist background, since her childhood she has nurtured a deep rooted dedication towards social causes. The passion got its much needed grooming when she entered the public domain. During VV Giri’s presidential years, his daughter-in-law was regularly by his side, and in the midst of the Indo-Pak war, she was doing rounds of hospitals to provide care and moral support to Indian jawans. At that time, she realised the economic precariousness of their families. She was at the death bed of many unfortunate jawans when they made her promise to take care of their helpless families. She promised…and kept that promise—in the form of the War Widows’ Association.
As Founder-President of this famous organization, her yeomen service to uplift the economic condition of war widows and other dependents of late or disabled defence personnel, has attracted widespread acclaim. This organization is of great help to war widows, many of whom otherwise would have been on the brink of penury. She helped thousands of war widows restore their social respect and dignity by providing them the means to survive in a hitherto alien world for them. By establishing this great support system, she gave them a second lease of life.
The gamut of operations of the War Widows’ Association includes establishing of cottage industries for rural war widows, providing them with vocational training and emergency shelters, organizing inter-religious and inter-caste marriages for these widows, helping them procure gas agencies and petrol pumps, etc. The organization has established and maintained work centres, educational and cultural institutions, hospitals, dispensaries, recreation centres, and a host of other necessary infrastructure for the families of the deceased or disabled defence personnel. Besides the range of continual work, which has been listed above, the association had also come forth proactively in times of national emergency. During the earthquakes in Uttarkashi and Latur, this association did commendable work to rehabilitate the victims.
A guild of humanity
A year after establishing the War Widows’ Association, Dr. Giri launched the Guild of Service, which further substantiated her commitment towards women’s causes and her sensitivity to their plights. It was in the initial years of her working with the War Widows’ Association, that the idea for the Guild of Service dawned on Dr. Giri. She acutely felt the need for more working women’s hostels and short stay homes, and counselling centres for women. Very soon, the idea translated into the Northern Chapter of the Guild of Service. Today it is a 27 million member organization with Dr. Giri as its Chairperson.
Over three decades, the association has accumulated an impressive track record of developmental projects to its name, which include projects for homes for destitute women, establishing working women’s hostels and counselling centres, conducting literacy and health camps round the year, imparting vocational training for the elderly, nurses’ aid training for women, etc. It has also taken up the daunting task of the rehabilitation of widows in Vrindavan, whose socio-economic conditions are dire. With Aamar Bari, the guild has taken a small but sure step on this long road. Through the guild, she has also introduced crèches for street children and is providing educational facilities for street children. However, it would be a half-truth to label the guild’s services as totally female-centric, for it has also done good work for Delhi’s slums.
The guild has taken the initiative to educate the female elected leaders of Panchayats and instil leadership skills in them. Without basic education and awareness, these elected leaders are ill at ease to have their say in a hostile, totally male-dominated, feudalistic environment, and are likely to remain just puppets in the hands of their male relatives. The guild is continuing this commendable job of empowering these female Panchayat members through Panchayat workshops that encourages them to make their decisions independently, bringing about positive socio-economic changes in their blocks and villages. On behalf of the Guild of Service, she was instrumental in introducing micro credit and self-help groups for economically impoverished women, which helped them to become economically self-reliant. The guild has also established a home for destitute women and children in Srinagar, which provides relief to strife ravaged families. In 2002, the guild launched a programme for the empowerment of the victims of Godhra, and Jammu & Kashmir, and established homes for their rehabilitation and skill development.
Another noteworthy achievement of the guild has been the organization of mass marriages for three decades. These joyous yet simple ceremonies are held devoid of any extravagance or wasteful expenditure, and, more importantly, discourage the barbaric custom of dowry and also pave the way for inter-caste and inter-community marriages.
Heading a vision
One of the highlights of Dr. Giri’s public life has been her tenure as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. She held this august position from 1994 to 1998, and gave the organization a new vision and direction through identification and prioritization of thrust areas. In the execution angle also she was a champion of sorts: during her tenure there were successful implementations of various schemes for the empowerment of women.
As Chairperson of the commission, she took up political, economic, legal, health, and social issues for the marginalized section, such as women languishing as prostitutes, as widows with no economic succour, women in jail and in mental asylums, and children trapped in prostitution. With the commission, she successfully completed enquires on several gang rape cases and other atrocities committed on women, and fought for improved jail conditions and custodial justice for women detainees. She was also instrumental in repatriating 80 young children from Indian brothels to Bangladesh, from where they were abducted.
Anybody else in her place would have been more than satisfied with these achievements, but this Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award winner (1996) is of a different mettle. She, as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, is credited with introducing Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats, which by now have been held in nearly 200 districts of India. It has helped to ensure speedy justice to the aggrieved or victimized women, with active cooperation of the district level judiciary and local NGOs. The step has been a welcome change from the rigmarole of court proceedings, which not only delays justice, but at times becomes quite unaffordable for poor women. This recipient of several honorary doctorates for her committed work has emphasized on legal literacy for college going women and is an ardent advocate of 33 percent reservation of women in Parliament and State Assemblies. Though one can very easily find loopholes in the logic of women’s reservation in Parliament and State Assemblies and justifiably argue that simply reservation on the basis of gender wouldn’t solve women’s problems, but it is almost impossible to find her dedication wanting in regard to social causes.
Besides the three above-mentioned positions, she has held many other esteemed chairs during her illustrious journey, and her zeal is still continuing without any apparent signs of abatement. Currently, she is a member of the National Integration Council, Govt. of India, a founder trustee of Women’s Initiatives for Peace in South Asia, and a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. And it is not a matter of great surprise that during this period many laurels have walked towards her. Besides the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, she won the coveted Mahila Siromani Award in 1998. Some other notable feathers in her crowded cap are the International Priyadarshini Award (1992), NGO’s Award for Contribution to Community (1995), Air Force Wives Association Award (1986), Veer Shiromani Netaji Subash Chandra Award for Social Work (1995), and Nehru Bal Samiti Award (2004). Her important publications are Kanya—Exploitation of Little Angels, Emancipation and Empowerment of Women, and Living Death, which together not only portray the present plight of the Indian girl child and widows but also endows us with a bright vision of hope for the future of India and her women.
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