The Grihini program helped these women gain an awareness that they did not deserved
to be dehumanised by their families and communities or by men; or treated as untouchable
by caste people; or be forever trapped in poverty. Returning to their village, however,
where the rest of the community still believes otherwise, means that these women
face an ever-present struggle. Many have been forced to marry, to work on as coolies
and to face caste abuse. Under such circumstances, their new Grihini-found confidence
is easily shaken.
Reunions provide an opportunity to refresh their new awareness, reaffirm the principles
they learned at Grihini and discuss with other women their common struggles to improve
conditions in their villages. Just as important, perhaps, is a chance to bond again
with their Grihini friends and to celebrate life with them in dance, drama and games.
These reunions serve to maintain the Grihini identity of these village women and
to continue their education.
One of the things I remember best about Grihini was the drama. Back in the mountain
villages we had to go to the fields very early to dig carrots or carry heavy loads.
Life as a teenager was all work. We were not allowed to meet or express ideas at
meetings. We just followed orders.
Then I came to Grihini and discovered I had ideas. In the drama we were invited
to use our own ideas to create a scene from life in our villages and act it out
for the group. We portrayed life just as it was—in the raw.
The amazing thing is that as we did so, we began to realise our condition—abuse,
oppression, control. We were treated as animals, donkeys, beasts of burden. Bit
by bit, our dramas reflected our new awareness; a growing anger at the lot we had
thought was our only lot in life. In the dramas we came alive and began to blossom…like
a mauve Kurunji flower. A Kurunji flower blooms every 12 years.
After my time at Grihini, a group of us formed a Grihini drama group called Kurunji.
We went from village to village, presenting our dramas about the conditions of life
in the village. That was our way of tyring to stir change in village life that had
been taken as the will of the gods for centuries.
The theatre group continued well for several years until some parents withdrew their
support because they no longer want their daughters to continue performing in public.
It is always possible that another Grihini group will instigate a theatre troupe
for community education. This is the way of the Grihini Program.