When Celebration Becomes Resistance
By the third yatra of Gram Swabhimaan, something began to shift.
Until then, most of our gatherings focused on one core idea — that every individual and every village holds swabhimaan within them. But in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, we encountered something deeper:
Swabhimaan not just remembered — but celebrated.
With utsah (enthusiasm). With ullas (joy).
Dancing with Dignity
Unlike other regions where tradition felt forgotten or fatigued, here, people arrived not just to talk, but to honor themselves.
Women came draped in vibrant saris. Their pride didn’t need words — it radiated from posture, color, rhythm.
They didn’t speak about dignity.
They danced it.
Sang it.
Laughed it into the room.
We were welcomed not just as guests, but as co-travelers in celebration. The community didn’t just show us the lezim dance — they made us dance. Storytelling and movement blended, and through that, swabhimaan wasn’t taught. It was felt.
The DJ vs Dhol Debate
This was especially moving because earlier, in Rajasthan, we had encountered a painful debate — the pressure to replace traditional dhols with DJs at weddings.
It wasn’t just a musical shift. It was a cultural loss.
In some cases, young people insisted on DJs. In tragic instances, families were threatened if they couldn’t arrange one. Behind these demands was something deeper — the anxiety to conform, the fear of being seen as “backward.”
When one woman in Ratnagiri said:
“Hum dhol bajate hain… humein DJ nahi chahiye,”
it wasn’t just a preference.
It was an act of resistance.
In the Hills of Odisha
Later, in Daringbadi, Odisha, this thread deepened.
There, we met tribal women of the Kui community — wearing intricate facial tattoos, heavy earrings, and expressions full of strength.
They didn’t just speak about swabhimaan. They lived it.
They facilitated community conversations, shared knowledge about their turmeric cultivation, their foods, their dances. The gathering lit up — not with speeches, but with movement, memory, and intergenerational pride.
Their presence reminded us that identity doesn’t fade—it waits to be invited back into light.
Kandhamal, Odisha, Feb 2023
Kandhamal, Odisha, Feb 2023
The Pledge, Rewritten
These encounters reshaped how we ended our meetings.
Earlier, our pledge had been:
“We are not poor, helpless, or dependent.”
But after this journey, the words evolved.
Now, we say:
“We are rich — in our hearts, in our effort, in our work.”
This is the spirit of Gram Swabhimaan.
Not just resisting the label.
But actively celebrating what lies beneath it.
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