Madam. Kasthuri and Women's Upliftment...

 

We came to know the sad news of Madam.V.Kasthuri’s death on 29-12-2020, She is the mother of eminent engineer Mr.Balakrishnan as working in Singapore and commiserated. Our sincere condolences. She had visited with her family to our Tamils Representative Council Multipurpose Co-operative Society office during her Singapore journey in March 2019 and applauded to know about the functionalities of the Society and Thiruvalluvar Tamil Valarchi Kazhakam. The efforts towards her family and society welfare to be carried out continuously.

Here is a reprint of an article holding her memories…

 

‘ Madam. Kasthuri and Women's Upliftment ’

 

Mrs.Kasthuri was born as a second daughter for the V.Arumugam – Pichaiyammal couple on 16-02-1956 in the village of reddiyur, which is located in kattumannarkoil taluk, cuddalore district. The elder daughter Mrs.Rosepattu was married to her uncle Mr.A.Masilamani and living locally.

Mrs.Kasthuri was married to Sundippallam village natives Mr.K.Viswalingam who served in the central industrial security force, village sundippallam is located in Udayarpalayam taluk, Ariyalur district. Since her husband's job is central government employment, they traveled all along with northern states and had found observed diversity of India with respect to languages, climates, and cultural habits.  From time to time they used to visit their native village, and she focused to look at the cultural environment prevailing there in front of them. Especially heartbreaking to see the evils of counterfeit liquor and therefore the suffering that women faced and she intended to react against that. Over time, the Kasthuri and Viswalingam couples raised their three sons as engineering graduates under harsh circumstances.

 

In this situation, the children's college final and employment placement and husband's work environment, as she considers everything, decided to stay permanently in her native sundippallam village. Olden period eighth-grade study, due to the experience and exposure of traveling to various cities in India, she was managed to handle family budgeting and accounts and it was customary for relatives living in the neighborhoods to help to check their family budget savings account.

 

It was during this period that the Government of Tamil Nadu established the Tamil Nadu Women's Welfare Development Corporation & Under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Departments 'Women's Self-Help Group' Configured and directed. Mrs.Kasthuri continues to be the reason for the formation of about a dozen self-help groups, as a leader and promoter and she strongly believes in which will eradicate the backwardness of the village, so voluntarily involving and guiding continuously about 18 years. Of these, the Kasthuri Bai group and the Meera Bai group were mainly responsible and led by Mrs.Kasthuri.

 

Small savings started per person with 101 rupees, In the latter stages, Self-help groups were strengthened into having loans of up to Rs. Five lakhs were gradually obtained from government banks and circulated 10 up to lakhs, and there was revolving cash flow on hand up to 60 thousand.

 

All these financial cycles, Among the basic non-subsistence women population, to pay for the family expenses on their own initiative, Buying, grazing sheep, cows and do small businesses, Also children's education, medical expenses having benefited from the use of such.     

     

Of these, Mrs.Kasturi’s dedication, workmanship are tremendous, She dealt honestly and cleanly, Acted effectively and firmly. Staff neyveli Mr.Gerald and sengalmedu village Mr.Balakrishnan were also very helpful during this time. When the district leadership of the women's committee tried to elect Mrs.Kasturi as a Councilor by the unopposed way in the local body elections in that context, It is noteworthy that she was denied it. Although not directly involved in politics, From an early age she had high esteem and affections on Mr.L.Elayaperumal Ex-MP. For the founding president of the Indian Human Rights Party, who served for oppressed people in Tamil Nadu.

 

Flag-raising awareness marches to curb the circulation of counterfeit liquor, The counterfeit liquor was curtailed by appealing to the concerned government officials and petitioning the District Collector, And completely wiped out. Also, the above activities were the reason for the exclusion of counterfeit liquor in the surroundings. At this moment, Mrs.Kasturi and the women of sundippallam village hated by many social enemies, They also faced and ignored slanders of patriarchs.

 

Following this, the literacy of the dense Adi-Dravidar women in the area has flourished. Cash flow occurred even in small scale amounts respectively, from budget handling to professional knowledge, It is true that in the face of social patriarchal contradictions the knowledge of observation grew and sowed the seeds of reform.

 

Mrs.Kasthuri traveled spiritually to divert the region, which had been ravaged by various practices, and coordinated the people of the area also participated in villages’ small gods and idolatrous cultural events and traveled in a healthy way.

 

Her husband K.Viswalingam, who retired from the Central Industrial Security Force as of Inspector, and her sister Rosepattu, came to visit the family of her eldest son who lives in Singapore in March 2019, Also met Singaporean Tamil activist Mr.V.Thamizhmaraiyan for the sake of respect and shared their views and wishes. Age 63 years old, Mrs.Kasthuri, When asked about the advancement of rural women and her personal charity. 'The zeal that women should stand on their own in any situation, and also they need the courage to resist obstacles'. Also, she said central, state governments also to come out with a Solid 'Master plan' to have women’s empowerment. And she did believe that social work could do it and said that not only herself also many in their family were involved in social activities, by the time when speaking to us she is gone away to help her granddaughter Miss. Nila, who is getting used to riding a newly purchased bicycle.

 

~ Edited & Hosted by Mr. Sivasamy Peraman,

Cheif Author of 'Tamil Amutham' Literary Magazine, Singapore.