We are Savitribai

With a new year ahead of us we inch closer to nearly two centuries since one of modern Indiarsquos first female teachers Savitribai Phule was met with a barrage of sticks stones and mud for attempting to educate womenrdquo social worker and artist Aishwarya Deep reminds us At an allwomen art showcase tomorrow in Dadar Deep will relook at mud but only as a medium to tell her story of using art and poetry to wade her way out of oppression in her hometown in Indapur PuneldquoWhen I first moved to Mumbai decades ago to leave my abusive household behind I found my voice in Warli artrdquo shares the 34yearold The tribal art form appealed to her because in warli artworks one cannot differentiate between a man and a woman the rich and the poor the backward castes and the privileged ldquoIsnrsquot that what Savitribai yearned for till her last breathrdquo says the firstgeneration graduate in her family As an educational counsellor now Deep has helped nearly 20 young women who share similar stories find educational opportunities in institutions like SNDT and Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open UniversityTraditional Warli artwork created by Aishwarya DeepProviding a platform to women like Deep who continue to live by Phulersquos words is Deepali Vandana cofounder of Urja Trust Having grown up in the lanes of Kamathipura Vandana recalls revisiting Phulersquos literary works to chart a way out of what she calls a ldquobavandarrdquo or lsquowhirlpoolrsquo of atrocities ldquoWe may imagine todayrsquos conditions to be much more progressive than when Phule began her journey but we arenrsquot that far apartrdquo she remarks But rest assured the organisation is taking one step at a time every day to change that ldquoWe might be separated by time but with the anniversary showcase we want to remind the world that Savitribairsquos ideas are still as relevantrdquo she addsWomen gather at the Dadar venue for a previous celebrationAs Deep showcases her art the words of the revolutionary will echo in the Trustrsquos compact venue quite literally through activist Sushma Tambersquos lokgeet or folk songs that shed light on Phulersquos legacy Tambe has a courageous teacher to thank herself ldquoIn the humble housing colony in Khar where I grew up children would gather to learn Hindustani classical music under the tutelage of an experienced vocalist I was fascinated but I couldnrsquot afford the R100 monthly fee of courserdquo she recalls It might be courtesy of this guru who took her under his wing for a token fee of R15 that Tambe will be able to inspire a new batch of young women through her music tomorrow Sushma Tambe in performance Deepali Vandana and Aishwarya DeepLong or rather soon after the applause for Tambersquos songs or Deeprsquos artworks fades away and the curtains are drawn on the event Vandana knows that the next group of young women who find themselves at her Dadar office seeking refuge from their oppressive households are not far behind ldquoThe times are changing but if it is for the good I donrsquot know With more enticing distractions all around us the stories of these women are easy to overlook But as long as the world remembers Savitribai we believe there is a sliver of hope for themrdquo she signs off ON January 3 4 pm onwardsAT Urja Trust near Ranjit Film Studio Dada Saheb Phalke Marg Dadar EastLOG ON TO urjatrust to registerENTRY RSVP mandatory