For a group of women scorned by the village folk when they started out trying to market a nearly forgotten village craft, this is no mean achievement. "Initially villagers ridiculed us. However, when a littlemoney began to come in, the word spread and more women joined us," says Nirmala, one of the founding members of the MVSS. Apart from quilts, the women embroider scarves, cushion covers and household wares for boutiques in New Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities.

With the cooperative venture becoming successful there is a positive impact on social life also. Many women working for the MVSS said that with regular income there is less domestic tension and it is becoming possible for women to assert themselves. "Earlier women here never left their homes to work, men and women rarely interacted socially. Now the situation has changed and we speak to our men. Nobody thinks ill of this," an MVSS worker said. The group is not just a business or handicraft venture. Every month members of the MVVS meet formally to discuss the progress of their work and matters of concern like health measures and child care. Every member gives Rs 20 a month to a jointly held bank account. Money from this account can be drawn bymembers in times of crisis.

The sujuni patterns also reflect social changes taking place. A typically elaborate sujuni quilt work shows on the left side a village where dowry is prevalent and on the right side a village where women have fought to put an end to this practice. Nirmala is a classic case of what grassroots level initiative can do to poor women. When she joined the MVSS, she was a shattered woman having left her husband and with no income of her own. She showed tremendous tenacity and courage and build up the sujuni business. Now she travels alone regularly to the cities to canvass orders for MVSS products. One of the highlights of sujuni production is the high wages that have to be paid out, for the skilled labour involved in embroidery. Between January 1992 and June 1994, 64 per cent of the total production worth close to half a million rupees was paid as wages. The major buyers of sujuni handicrafts are the Central Cottage Industries Emporium in New Delhi and the Handicrafts and HandloomsExport Corporation of India.

Nirmala and her colleagues are clearly on to weaving a rich tapestry for themselves and their village.

--IANS