Thread by @prashanthns

A #thread on #IWD2021 at #brhills at IPH field station in collaboration with the #brhills #Panchayat, Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddhi Sangha (Sangha; Dt. #Indigenous #Adivasi People’s Welfare Society) & VGKK #THETAProject; Main organisers: Mahadevamma, Susheela & Mahantesh

Idea for holding ಮಹಿಳಾ ದಿನಾಚರಣೆ mooted by Mahadevamma who is a #Soliga woman leader and supported by the Sangha; initial discussions with the newly elected #Panchayat members drew support; they didn’t recall a gathering for this purpose before

Rangamma, a newly elected GP member from Seege Betta Podu agrees to preside; all GP members agree to attend and involve as many people from nearby settlements as possible; Muthugada Gadde & Hosa Podu girls throwball clubs formed under THETA intervention too involve themselves

GP members decide to organise food for the gathering; IPH staff under THETA intervention offer hosting arrangements; Sangha leadership welcomes the idea and lends it support; Basavaraju from the #Soliga ಸೋಲಿಗ ಪುಸುಮಾಲೆ ಕಲಾ ತಂಡ offer to sing for the occasion

Rangamma and few other GP leaders are rather new to GP leadership; for her this is the first time, but she joins several #Soliga women who’ve assumed formal & informal leadership roles in their society and feels supported by them

#IWD2021 begins with the welcome song ರಂಗಾಭಾವ sung by members of the ಸೋಲಿಗ ಪುಸುಮಾಲೆ ಕಲಾ ತಂಡ and other girls who joined; #Soliga people consider the Hindu deity Biligiriranga as their ಭಾವ (Brother-in-law) having married ಪುಸುಮಾಲೆ, a #Soliga woman

With some mic problems, the group then sings the #Soliga song ಗೋರುಕನ; Basavaraju & Mahadevamma taking the lead and calling for audience to join the chorus

Kethamma, another #Soliga woman-leader and earlier having been the Vice President of the #Chamarajanagar ZP also joins the Gorukana chorus; over a 100 people have now gathered; most of them appear to be respecting the #COVID19 #masking rules; #Socialdistancing relatively less so

Congregation assembles in a large circle with no obvious dais; format allows for more exchange than a dais would have; simple #IWD2021 art-work on a whiteboard done by Chaitra with a curtain to be inaugurated by Rangamma; messages stuck on trees in English & #Kannada

#IWD2021 messages largely echo mainstream messages foregrounding the day in “benevolence” towards women in households; chit-chat with those who wrote reveals that they’re off the Internet and hence possibly reflect mainstream stereotypes than local ones

Nearly a 100 people have now gathered; many people being named/recognised in the welcome by Mahadevamma & Susheela; include senior leaders of the district, taluka and local #Soliga Sangha and other leaders; doctors & staff of VGKK hospital & high school girls from VGKK

Dr. Tanya Seshadri speaks about the principle of equality of the sexes, background to #IWD2021 & the need to talk about achievements & adversities that women go through rather than focus all the time on women as weak and needing “protection”

C Made Gowda speaks
- acknowledge historical ಶೋಷಣೆ to women
- relatively equal #gender norms among the #Adivasi
- rapidly changing socio-economic scenario for the #Adivasi & the adverse influence of mainstream #gender stereotypes through movies & new media (1)

C Made Gowda continues
- Widespread ill-effects of alcohol and how it is disrupting #Adivasi society
- Influx of alcohol too heavily regulated by “outsiders”
- Mentions Indira Gandhi who he recalls has been an icon here not only for women but everyone

C Made Gowda continues
- Our (Soliga) society has always encouraged free choice to men and women with respect to #marriage norms unlike mainstream society where these are shrouded in restrictive customs
- Our society has always facilitated sharing of domestic responsibility

Susheela from the Koraga community speaks
- Stories of historical & ongoing discrimination needs to be widely discussed and called out
- Lessons from #Adivasi on #gender possible for the mainstream

Kethamma and a leader from Muthugada Gadde speak; local woman leader Pushpa speaks and many others share thoughts; I share some thoughts on the rapidity of change in the society and its effects on gender which needs to be deliberated;

Venkatesh, anotehr leader speaks about the need for focus on education as an empowering tool to battle gender stereotypes and oppression; mentions how his experience with Dalit struggles too have focused on education

Group gathers around a discussion on formation of women’s wing to the Sangha; welcomed by others; discussion held on how to restrict illegal supply of alcohol; need for meetings at each Podu on this & need to organise around this in the form of an agitation

Gathering closes around bananas, sweets and rice; team debriefs

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