Women of kareli village on strike
Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh: The women and youth of Kareli village proved that a strong will cannot stop anyone from achieving positive results. They got together against alcoholism and decided to close the wine shop where villagers spent nearly Rs. 2,50,000 per day. This shop was a menace to 12 other neighbouring villages as well, where it supplied alcohol.
Women of the village were having a tough time as men became addicts, said Amrit Bai. Her husband was a full-time addict, and consumed alcohol throughout the day. “Most of the income we earned by working in the fields of the landlord was spent on alcohol. My husband’s health was also getting affected badly,” she said.
“My 11-year-old boy started drinking, and his interest in studies gradually declined,” said Anusuiya Bai, mother of an addict. The villagers and their families were badly affected both socially and economically.
To create awareness among the villagers about the side-effects of alcohol and its impact on the health of the individual, various videos and films were screened. To inculcate moral values in the people and to bring about a social change, a signature campaign was started demanding closure of the shop. Women came together in large numbers and signed the letter, which was later sent to the District Collector. Soon, political leaders joined hands, and the local media gave the required boost to the campaign.
However, there were no signs of shutters coming down on the shop. New tenders were invited instead, for opening another shop. This annoyed the villagers and volunteers even more. Volunteers decided to go on strike, which went on for 47 days. On the last day, the wine shop was demolished and the construction of a temple was started in its place. Parshuram Nirmalkar, Art of Living teacher, played a major role in this movement.
Even as the strike was on, several supporters of the wine shop intervened and tried to disrupt the movement. However, Jiten Nishad kept the volunteers motivated by creating groups on various social networking sites as well.
Art of Living volunteers and yuvacharyas who played a very important role in making this movement a success are Nishad, Nagesh Verma, Vyasnarayan Sahu, Yadram Sahu, Parmanand Sahu, Kishore Sahu, K. Umadevi, Project coordinator Parshuram Nirmalkar: 09617897063
