Sanjha chulha: flame of shared cooking re- ignited

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Sanjha chulha: flame of shared cooking re- ignited

21 Apr 2012 Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)
Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar


FEROZEPUR: "Sanjha chulha ( common oven)", the tradition of communities sharing joys and sorrows over cooking a meal, is back in the state.

Sanjha chulha brings together women from different communities to cook meal together on the common oven. It strengthens community bonds.

Recognising its importance beyond culture, the Graduates Welfare Association of Fazilka ( GWAF) and Guru Gobind Singh Youth Club have made 13 shared earthen ovens across Fazlika's suburban localities of Nai Abadi, Teachers Colony, Basti Chandora, Dhingra Colony, and Zora Singh Mann Nagar.

Sanjha chulha, ingredient of Punjabi tradition for ages; had lost fire of late. The GWAF'S efforts brought it back alive. It started with installing 6 ovens across Fazilka to help poor housewives cook meals twice a day. Seven more will open on Sunday ( April 22), Earth Day.

"In modern times, when the prices of cooking gas has shot up, sanjha chulha will help the poor cut costs," said Lachman Dost of the GWAF.

"Nearly 15 families can cook food on each oven, which is also eco- friendly."

The NGO'S message to the world is that it is concerned over global warming. "Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere," said Dost. "Sanjha chulha will reduce the burning of fossil fuels at home for cooking. Natural fuels such as wood and coal don't hurt the atmosphere. We will aid India's progress and see a change in people when they cook together."

Read more: http://navdeepasija.blogspot.com/2012/04/sanjha-chulha-flame-of-shared-cooking.html#ixzz2iMxnkKCj
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

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• 25 Mar 2013
• Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)
• Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar letterchd@hindustantimes.com

Fazilka’s oldest building to be sold for commercial gain

PEOPLE OPPOSE MOVE, WANT PROPERTY RESTORED TO EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY TO WHICH IT WAS DONATED

Surprised that the Fazilka improvement trust wanted to sell the oldest building of the town for commercial purposes, people opposed the decision.

The building of Raghuwar Bhawan was donated to a local education trust originally. Munshi Ram Aggarwal, a prominent citizen in 1901, had got it made and laid a beautiful garden around it for cultural activities. Later, he transferred the 16-acre property to MR Education Trust.

The donation’s objective was to promote education in the border town. “It was shocking when the improvement trust published a notice in a newspaper about its decision to exploit the land for residential or commercial purpose,” said social activist Laxman Dost, former member of the local civic body who has written the history of Fazilka and other books. “The education trust was neither consulted with nor informed.”

“Raghuwar Bhawan is the oldest building of the town. Instead of saving it, the property donated for education is being sold out,” said Dost. Many

MLA’S ASSURANCE

films and songs have been shot at the property. “It can be developed into a tourist centre,” said the historian.

The people of Fazilka have decided to move court to save the land, Navdeep Asija, secretary general of the graduate welfare association of Fazilka (GWAF), has said. “It was okay, if they had converted it into a school or community centre,” he added.

On Sunday, the townsfolk gathered for a meeting against the improvement trust decision. “We will launch a signature campaign against it and submit memorandums to the chief minister, tourism minister, and deputy commissioner,” said Kuldeep Singh, man from New Abadi locality here.

Efforts to contact the deputy commissioner of Fazilka, who is also chairman of the city’s improvement trust, were futile. Expressing concern over the issue, cabinet minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani, who is also legislator of Fazilka, said there had been no complaint, so far, against the proposal sale of the land that Munshi Ram Aggarwal had donated to MR Education Trust. The trustees had surrendered the property to the government, said Jiyani. “However, if locals are opposed to the idea, I will look into the matter and restore the land to the education trust,” he said

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Green Ramleela celebrations in Fazilka

Green Ramleela celebrations in Fazilka

Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) and Balaji Northern Railway Ramleela Samiti Fazilka celebrated Ramleela function in a novel way on Friday night in Nai Abadi locality here. They celebrated Ramleela as Green Ramleela as more than 250 saplings of different varieties were distributed amongst the audience free of cost to spread the message given in the Ramleela at large during the function.

It was a scene when Hanuman uprooted and brought the mountain containing Sanjivani herb to save the life of unconscious Lakshman. As Hanuman reached the stage with the mountain having different saplings on it, the audience welcomed him with applause. The organisers distributed more than 250 saplings of Neem, Arjun, Sukhchain, Alestonia, Gulmohar, Kachnar and others varieties displayed from the mountain.

"The idea is to give practical shape to all teachings and baseline values given in the Ramayana as our duty towards the environment during the Sanjivani herbs episode,” said Lakshman Dost the Director of the Ramleela Samiit. “The modern era needs this kind of ‘sanjivani’ to alert the unconscious civil society towards their moral duties for environment,” he added.

“Each tree is sanjivani for the society and this is the most scientific way to protect our environment through faith and religion,” said Dr Bhupinder Singh, who initiated the campaign to alert citizens of Fazilka about global warming through the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib last year like “Pawan Guru pani, pita mata dharat mahatu.”

—      Praful Chander Nagpal

The Tribune-Monday, September 28, 2009, Chandigarh, India 

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Fazilka Jutti needs incentives

Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar , Hindustan Times  Ferozepur, September 29, 2013

First Published: 20:57 IST(29/9/2013) | Last Updated: 21:35 IST(29/9/2013)

Lack of government support and dearth of adequate marketing facilities have become stumbling blocks in the further development of 'Fazilka Jutti', a unique handcrafted trade. 
'Fazilka Tilla Jutti', registered as a Geographical Indicator in the name of Fazilka under the Patent Act of India, is one of the favourite footwear among people of the region and the country.

 The word 'Jutti' is Urdu in origin, which came into common use during the Mughal period in India. Handcrafted leather footwear, it took various shapes and forms in different regions, giving it specific names, like Mojari in Rajasthan, Kolhapuri in Karnataka and Jutti in Punjab. 

As per reports, more than 1.8 lakh pairs, with a turnover of `400 lakh, are manufactured and sold by artisans of Fazilka a year, giving bread and butter to more than 2,000 families involved in Jutti making business directly or indirectly.

Major works like cutting, stitching and pasting are done by male members, while women take up the embroidery work, which, in common parlance, is known as 'tilabharai'. Main raw materials required for it are hides, skins and bark of the 'kikar' (Acacia arabica) tree. The latter is used for treating raw hides.

Not only men, women, too, feel proud in wearing Fazilka Juttis, which come in a variety of colours and designs.

Fazilka Jutti is elegant in style and soft leather used in it makes it comfortable to wear. It is slip-on footwear, which rises high to the Achilles' tendon in the back and covers the toe with a round or M-shaped profoundly embroidered upper shoe, leaving the top of the foot almost uncovered. 

Despite Fazilka Jutti's high demand, none of the successive governments ever bothered to chalk out a special strategy to further develop the trade into a major profit-making business. 

About two decades ago, certain assistance for machines was facilitated to artisans in Bathinda cluster while banking facilities are available in all clusters. However, access to credit is negligible and mostly the source of finance is own capital or loan from oneylenders/agents/traders, who often charge high rates of interest.

With modernisation and machines taking over most manufacturing activities, the Fazilka Punjabi Jutti is slowly losing its presence and glory at the international level, forcing several artisans to look for alternative means of occupation. 

Being largely handmade, Punjabi Jutti needs no machines, but it does require recognition and support of government at global level. One such initiative can be to place it in the art and culture section of the union ministry of tourism and in government's promotion schemes and other publicity campaigns.

Another cause for concern is that marketing channel is limited to local market and majority of artisans have no direct access to retailers outside the state.

Citizens Speak
There are no facilities and infrastructure for training, skill upgrade and dissemination of information on fashion trends and designs. Government must develop it under small-scale industry by facilitating special incentives. 
Ranjam Kamra, youth activist of Fazilka

Lack of policy by government to uplift the socio-economic profile of artisans has worsened the situation. There should be institutional framework for skill, technology and product upgrade.
Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, supporter of Fazilka Jutti

To preserve the old art with a modern touch, government must introduce short-term training courses for local artisan families about packaging, use of IT for value addition and trading through e-commerce, etc.
Harish Monga, social worker

The middle man is taking advantage of disparity in sale price as there is no initiative on part of government to put in place direct retailing facilities.
Shiv Tirpalkee, resident of Tarpal Kee village

Special package in the form of tax holidays should be provided for investors to set up leather industry in the region.
Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, supporter of Fazilka Jutti

The SAD-BJP government is always eager to promote small-scale industry. Soon I will meet representatives of artisans involved in Jutti trade and will take up their demands with the state government for the earliest approval.
Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Fazilka MLA and cabinet minister

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