The famous short story ‘Idgah’ by Munshi Premchand reflects an emotional saga.
A young boy named Hamid, confused about what gift to buy for family members on occasion of Id.
He contemplates wether to buy Sweets and Fruits or Dry fruits but ends up buying ‘Chimta’ to save her grandmother ‘s fingers from burning while cooking...!!!
‘Idgah’ is heart touching portrayal written around 100 years ago. Along with expressing sentiments of young boy, it also projects the condition of women and their lifestyles, especially in rural Bharat.
Most of us who are reader of this article belong to urban and educated background and relating to such a story would not just be difficult but it would appear unreal.But, this has been the truthful picture of our country till very recently.
Unfortunately the picture of Women’s day to day turmoil remained unchanged even after Bharat attained independence, for all 60+ years, till NDA Government came to power.
Till 2014,only 13 Crore LPGconnections were given. These were mostly to rich and affluent class.
In the past four years, till date more 10 Crore connections were given, mostly to poor.
Hon.Narendra Modiji born and brought up in humble abode, has has experienced the drudgery that his own Mother n other women around the villages had to usher to.
The women in the villages used firewood and cow dung as primary source of cooking. Smoke from burning such fuels caused alarming household pollution that adversity affected the health of women and children causing several respiratory disease and disorders.
As Modiji had lived and experienced this pain of these Mothers and children, he could relate to it and resolved to solve it by providing clean cooking fuel to deprived class.
PradhanMantri Ujjawala Yojna is a signature scheme for enabling each Bharatiya household to get LPG connection. It’s noteworthy aim is to provide free cooking gas connection to deprived class.
Launched by Hon.Prime Minister on May 1st 2016 in Balia, Uttar Pradesh Under the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The scheme envisaged the distribution of 50 million LPG connections to women below the poverty line.
As per the estimates of World Health Organisation (WHO), about five Lakhs deaths occurred due to unclean cooking fuel. These deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases like Lung Cancer, stroke, heart diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
It is an observation that Air pollution from firewood is also responsible for significant number of acute respiratory illnesses in young children. According to experts, having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning n breathing 400 Cigarettes in one hour!!!
Now, One can imagine the kind of strained task the womenfolk had to combat with.
The DNO Bhilwara, Rajesthan shared his experience that while distributing LPG connections to beneficiaries in Mangroop village in district Bhilwara, Rajesthan. Smt. Kamlabai, aged 68 years, blessed the officer expressing her immense joy, she said, “Jug Jug Jiyo Beta,Aaj 55 saal ho gaye mujhe khana banate hue, maine kabhi nahi socha tha ki main Gas ke chule pe khana banaungi.”
This is not a sole incidence and such stories unfold everyday and the dramatic transition that LPG connection brings in lives of Bharatiya women.
The initial target at the time of launch was to provide 50 million (Five Crore) LPG connections to BPL families but later on the target was raised to 80 million (Eight Crore) connections and others above poverty line but yet deprived (poor) families, were also included. The fund of Rs.8000 Crore was allocated for this social welfare scheme.
In four years, since its launch, around 715 districts have been covered with LPG connections, in 2020. About 70% of villages have turned completely smokeless and 81 % of villages have turned 75% smokeless.
Along with LPG connection, Financial support of Rs.1600 is also provided by the scheme to BPL households. This subsidy is meant for the security fee for the cylinder, pressure regulator, booklet, safety hose and other fitting charges.
Oil marketing companies also provide interest-free loans for refilling and purchasing stoves.
Any Bharatiya citizen (Woman), above the age of 18 years, is entitled to get LPG connection.
However, it was not an easy task to implement this revolutionary and welfare step. There were many apprehensions and social taboo amongst villager to accept and adopt this new mode of fuel. For generations, villagers had been using firewood as the primary source of fuel, hence the habit of sitting on floor while cooking posed worries in their mind. To overcome such anxieties and create awareness about safety measures for adopting LPG connections, the Government appointed ‘Ujjawala Didi’ and ‘Ujjawala Suraksha Mitr’. They were local women who could explain and speak and teach them in their own languages.
At the time of implantation of this ambitious welfare scheme, the question that arose in most minds was about its capacity to bring about economic progress.
Narendra Modiji belonging to grass root background, could exactly touch the nerve of common man. His idea of governance, being inclusive, (economically, socially and religiously) touched the remotest corner of society.
In my opinion, enabling women of every starta, with cleanest Cooking fuel and minimising their health hazards arising out of unclean fossil and other fuel, is path to empowering women.
The womenfolk in rural area, spent hours in preparing food on Chulha and everyday after cooking, she would have to wander in search of firewood or prepare cow dung to be used for next day fuel.
With provision of LPG connection,the entire drudgery is eradicated.
And the quality spare time can be utilised by women to spend with her family. Women can utilise this extra time in earning additional income. The availability of LPG has provided an opportunity for women to start a tiffin service as food can be prepared in jiffy.
Sharing an interesting incidence, how LPG connection has been life changing.
In Kuetia, village of North 24 Pargana of West Bengal, woman named Laxmi lived a hazardous life till very recently.
Her husband who worked as a daily wager, had to report for work at sharp 8 am. But lighting the traditional chulha, took a long time and in the rainy season, the problem aggravated as firewood and dung cake would get drenched. She had to use Kerosene to light the fire and the partial combustion enveloped her kitchen space into dense smoke. On many days, her husband and two school-going children would have to leave without food and there would be fights and arguments daily.
After getting the LOG connection, Laxmi’s life eased out completely. Her cooking would be over within no time and she and her mother-in-law busied themselves in Sola Mala (thermocouple Garland) for upcoming Saraswati Puja, which would fetch them Rs.4 and with huge time at their disposal, they could prepare 4 to 5 dozens in a day.
Hence, PradhanMantri Ujjawala Yojna is a social reform, that empowers women economically.
Another important change that LPG connection to remotest area brings, is
Preserving forest area. Women in the rural area used firewood from forest as medium of fuel and trees would have to be cut for firewood. Diminishing forest area would prove disastrous for climate change. Provision of LPG would prevent more trees being cut for firewood.
To incur huge expenses for this social welfare scheme, Hon.Prime Minister urged financially privileged class to give up theirs subsidies of LPG connection. I sincerely believe that such subsidies had no meaning, when it was being diverted to all connection holders, irrespective of their income. It was meant to be useful to poorer class and inspire them to opt for LPG usage.
But, unfortunately the previous Govts did not give much thought to it. NDA Government decided to eliminate middleman to minimise corruption in subsidies and they were directly transferred in beneficiaries bank accounts.
To provide support to BPL families during the lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic, the Government has announced to provide 3 free LPG cylindersto all the beneficiaries of PradhanMantri Ujjawala Yojna (PMUY) for next 3 months.
Hon. Prime Minister hails from grass root and understands the problems of poorest of poor. Hence, he could foresee the struggle faced by the common men and women and to solve their turmoil, brought True Blue Revolution and created Bharat in dedicated Welfare State.