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On A
Different Path
 Anita Reddy, who
embodies the old Biblical saying, "Inasmuch as you do unto the least of my
brethren, you do unto me," has immersed herself in the work of
rehabilitating slum-dwellers with sincerity and a non-patronizing attitude
– values that she prizes most.
Daughter of industrialist and owner of the Nutrine factory, Dwarakanath
Reddy, and daughter-in-law of the late K C Reddy, former Chief Minister of
the erstwhile state of Mysore, 47-year-old Reddy was born with the
proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. Yet, she eschewed a life of leisure
for a different path. In 1978, she got together with a small group of
socially committed architects to float the Association for Voluntary
Action and Services (AVAS) and has been at its helm as Trustee and
Honorary Director ever since.
Reddy's first foray into slum rehabilitation started in the same year when
she visited the Lakshmipuram slum in Bangalore. Says she, "The villagers
were extremely suspicious of me because of earlier experiences with
outsiders who had come in and used them to serve their own ends." The
turning point of acceptance for Reddy came when she was able to secure an
electricity connection for the slum within the stipulated timeframe set by
the slum-dwellers.
The main objective of AVAS over the last two decades has been the
formation of strong and self-reliant communities. To achieve this, the
organization has used several tools like housing, health programs, skills
and income generating activities and savings and credit programs.
Says Reddy, "Both urban poverty and slum-development are not isolated
issues and encompass many more inter-related problems. It is in this
context that AVAS has adopted a holistic approach for sustainable human
settlement development in slums." It has been a long haul since then and
Reddy is now a familiar face for the inhabitants of the 600 slums in
Bangalore.
Reddy has fought for this marginalized section of society by demanding
basic rights for them in terms of civic amenities, land and improved
schooling and has also taught them to solve a whole plethora of problems.
With characteristic modesty, she states that all she did was motivate
these groups to help themselves and adds, "All that they lack is an
opportunity." But to this neglected group, she is the "beloved Amma",
their very own guardian angel.
Reddy's efforts have won her recognition in the form of the National
Habitat Award for the Lakshmipuram re-housing project. And this
recognition has had other fall-outs as well. Says Reddy, "Earlier, I used
to be asked a lot of questions about my work and had to handle a great
deal of skepticism but now everyone seems to be convinced of my
intentions!"
Besides her involvement with slum rehabilitation, for the last two years
Reddy has diverted her philanthropic nature towards helping in the
rehabilitation of the art form of 'kalamkari'. It was more the
impoverished conditions of the rural weavers and artisans dependent on 'kalamkari'
for their livelihood that moved her into promoting this form of art.
The discovery that the artisans living in and around the temple-town of
Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, were being mercilessly exploited by middlemen
because they were not organised enough galvanized Reddy into action. She
mobilized the villagers into action and thus was born Development of
Weavers and Rural Artisans in Kalamkari Art (DWARAKA).
The initiative started in a small way with a development program where two
local artists trained 25 adolescent girls in the hand-painted art while
another 30 women were trained in tailoring skills. Now DWARAKA has an
outlet in Bangalore's up-market Upper Palace Orchards. Though the
traditional form of this art concentrated on wall-panels with the pictures
of gods and goddesses, the DWARAKA outlet has innovated and created new
markets for this art in the form of sarees, designer wear and
home-accessories. The success of this venture has emboldened Reddy to
embark on a second training programme for a village of quarry-workers,
situated close to Kalahasti.
Reddy's work is supported by the Ramanarpanam Trust, started by her
father, Dwarakanath Reddy, as an 'arpanam' (offering) to his spiritual
guru, Sri Ramana Maharishi. Apart from her father, Anita credits a widowed
aunt, Indiramma Reddy, whom she calls "Pedamma" (big mother) for setting
her value systems in place. "Pedamma was always genuine and focused about
the truth and this left a great impact on my mind," says Reddy, who grew
up in a large joint family.
At the same time, Reddy attributes the underlying philosophy of J
Krishnamurthi's Rishi Valley School, where she studied, for building her
values. "The school, with its sensitising environment of teachers,
exposure to helpers and opportunities to mingle with the neighboring
villagers, helped to nurture the individual spirit in the context of the
whole."
Reddy now feels that she has reached where she was meant to be. "There is
nothing that I would like changed," says she. It is as if life for her has
turned out to be a script that she wrote for herself. "I consider myself
an instrument and blessed that I have someone to serve."
But Reddy's is not a charity approach. Raji Narayanan, who is now on the
Board of Trustees for DWARAKA, clarifies that she is not in the habit of
doling out money "but helps people to help themselves".
Reddy's future plans include the setting-up of a school for the children
of slum dwellers and rural artisans. "I am convinced of the need to evolve
a syllabus to tap the leadership skills of these children."
Acknowledging the unstinting support of her industrialist husband Pratap
Reddy and their three children, Reddy feels, "Anybody can make a
difference, however small."
–Melanie Kumar
April 7, 2002
Top
By arrangement with
Womens Feature Service
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