From block prints to big dreams: Haryana women weave success

In an attic on top of a two-room house, 31-year-old Sundar is block-printing on a five-metre bedsheet with a maroon dye at Rohtak’s Lakhan Majra village in Haryana, which lies around 90 kilometres to the north-west of Delhi. The room, open on three sides with iron mesh, allows gusty and dry summer wind to pass through but lacks a ceiling fan, lest the dye dries up.

In another corner of the room, Kavita, 42, is engrossed in sewing phatkas (scarves), in a hurry to meet the delivery deadline. She walks 4 km to and back from her workplace daily from the neighbouring Kharenti village, as there is no public conveyance on the road to her village.

Sundar and Kavita are members of a self-help group (SHG), one of the 50-odd,in Rohtak district that have banded together under the banner of Unnati Swayam Sahayata Samuh. The group of SHGs, which has around 300 women, are engaged in block printing, sewing, jute bags and jewellery making.

The SHG’s workshop is packed with wooden blocks, dyes, and threads. A huge “Khadi Revolution” poster featuring an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi hangs on one of the walls. Woodenprinting blocks of Mahatma Gandhi, Modi,and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini areused for various clients.

Stitching financial freedom

Sundar makes around ₹9,000 a month working full-time. The hard work inspires her two children, 9 and 7, she says. She recalls how they once visited her workplace and were shocked by the difficult conditions under which she worked. “Now when I return home, they rush to offer me a glass of water and are quick to switch on the fan,” says Sundar.

Manta, 47, affectionately called “Mantadi”(Manta sister) by group members, is a pillar of Unnati. She joined in 2017 after running a beauty parlour and shop to support her family. Her name is Manyata, but a mispronunciation stuck and Manta became her legal name.

This year, Manta paid ₹4 lakh in semester fees for her younger son, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree in Bengaluru. She and her husband, Dhanvantri Sharma, now own a house and a commercial plot. The couple has already spent ₹60 lakh on fees for the BAMS course for their two sons.

Kavita, meanwhile, is saving up to buy a two-wheeler after nearly fainting while walking home during Navratri fasting. She plans to borrow from the group’s internal loan pool.

Sundar’s husband is a Class-IV government employee, earning a salary of approximately ₹20,000, so with their combined family income, they can afford little luxuries. “We went to Shimla with the children this winter. It was our first family fun trip ever,” she says.

“Humne kabhi koi kaam chhota nahi samjha. Kabhi kisi order ko isliye mana nahi kiya ki woh chhota tha. Phir dheere dheere chhote orders se bade orders milne lage (Wenever considered any work too small. We never refused an order just because it was small. Then gradually we started getting bigger orders),” says Sundar.

National spotlight

On July 28, 2024, the Prime Minister praised Unnati SHG in his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, noting how their bedcovers, sarees, and dupattas are in high demand. The mention was a turning point. Orders have since doubled. “At exhibitions, people say, ‘These are the sisters Modijispoke about’,” says Manta.

The praise silenced early critics, too, including Sundar’s in-laws, who initially opposed her joining the group. It was Manta who convinced Sundar’s husband to let her work. Now, Sundar is fully supported.

The group has repaid the ₹40,000 loan it initially took, and has earned space for permanent stalls at Khadi India and Saras Gallery stores in Delhi’s Connaught Place and Hauz Khas respectively. With higher demand, the group now plans to have its presence on online marketplaces to reach out to customers across the country.

Endured pandemic together

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the group fulfilled large orders for cloth masks from colleges, government offices, and a local sugar mill, despite a meagre ₹1 commission per piece.

Some women were reluctant to accept orders then, citing a very low commission, says Sundar, but Mantadi convinced them. “Those were difficult times. As orders for masks continued to flow in, the women’s husbands and children, too, began to lend a hand. When people were staring at hunger, rendered jobless, the women made ₹600-1,000 per day, working for several hours daily.”

Later, the commission was increased to ₹1.5 per piece, making the women scramble for the orders.”

A shift in mindset

Talking about a change in her husband’s attitude towards her work, Manta shares an experience about an order of gift bags for CM Saini’s programme last year. “We had just six days to deliver it. It seemed almost impossible. My husband took me to a dozen villages, distributing the cloth to the women and later collecting the bags. More than 350 women were engaged. They put in extra hours. Their children and husbands, too, helped them,” she says.

“It’s teamwork,” says Dhanvantri, a Sanskrit teacher. Though he couldn’t pursue Ayurveda, he beams with pride that both his sons are now Ayurveda students.

Manta travels across Haryana and nearby States to exhibitions, sometimes securing bulk orders. Earlier, she would send others, but now she prefers to go herself for quality control and to source materials.

“Sometimes we get bulk orders at these exhibitions. Earlier, I sent other women from the group, but I was not satisfied with their performance. Now I prefer to go on my own. I also need to travel to procure the cloth for the orders,” says Manta, adding that she was born into a Brahmin family, but people told her that she had the “entrepreneurial skills of a Baniya”.

Sundar’s husband, too, has taken inspiration. “When I went to Faridabad for two days for an exhibition, he took care of the children and cooked,” she says with a smile.

At the bank, women are now the face of their families’ financial dealings. “When my husband comes with me, the staff asks, ‘Are you with Mantadi?’” she says, laughing as her peers join in.

(Edited by Sunalini Matthew)