Shamlu
Dudeja looks perfectly at peace with herself and her home. As the cuckoo renders
a mellifluous tune in her garden, it’s hard to fathom the storms that have
raged within her impeccably turned out self.
A
well-known presence on Kolkata’s social circuit, Shamlu goes by several
roles and does ample justice to all of them. In fact, she speaks of how these
have been her sanity-saving devices. Here’s how, in her own
words.
I
am a refugee from Sindh, Pakistan. We settled in Delhi after Partition. From
childhood, I was quite interested in stitching. I remember a craft teacher had
taught me how to do the running stitch, which is really what the Bengal Kantha
embroidery is ultimately about. I tried the stitch on things like tea cosies,
cushion covers, handkerchiefs... After college, I went to Mumbai for a while
where I did some fashion shows. In fact, I was the first ‘Lakme 9 to
5’ girl. I saw an ad of the same recently and reminisced about it.
I
got married in 1962 and that’s when my association with Kolkata began.
Soon thereafter, I had my son, Kabir and daughter Malika. In the meantime, I was
teaching mathematics in school and even had gone to the UK on a teacher’s
training scholarship that was granted by the British Council Library. Life was
going at a smooth pace when doctors discovered a tumour in my abdomen. It used
to cause tremendous pain and when the doctors operated on me, they took out a
huge 3.5 kg tumour! In fact, it had almost reached the point of bursting within
my body. Soon after, I was also diagnosed with breast cancer. I had taught for
12 years but my illness forced me to bid adieu to the profession. After all, I
couldn’t hope to be a constantly absentee teacher.
My
association with Kantha embroidery came just by a stroke of fate. I had gone to
Calcutta Club and on coming out, I saw this information centre on crafts across
the street. I just went there on a lark and saw some beautiful white mats with
multi-coloured embroidery. I asked the girls in the shop whether they would do
this embroidery on saris for me. They were quite hesitant initially because this
quiltwork embroidery was difficult to make on a single piece of fabric, but they
agreed. And whomever I gifted the saris to just loved them. Then Malika said she
wanted to experiment with the stitch on salwar kameez as well. We took our
products for an exhibition in London and were quite amazed by the spectacular
response they received. Soon, we started our shop, ‘Malika’s Kantha
creations’, in 1987.
I
realised Kantha embroidery was something that could empower rural women. We just
had to be more organised about it. Earlier, these women were coming to my house
to work but were being inconvenienced in the process. So we soon had eight to
nine team leaders in the semi-urban areas of Shantiniketan, Narendrapur,
Panchananagram, etc to whom we sent the fabrics and designs. They would then
have the fabrics embroidered by the rural women. It’s amazing how the
Kantha embroidery, invented by women with frugal means, could look so majestic
when its true potential was unleashed. It’s not called the stitch painting
of Bengal for nothing! Gradually, we started Self Help Enterprise (SHE) that
deals with health issues of the Kantha artistes, ensures education of their
children etc. I also became the chairperson of the Calcutta Foundation, an
organisation that supports the endeavours of the not-so-fortunate but talented
youth.
Just
when I had overcome my health issues, tragedy struck again. Our son Kabir passed
away. And it just broke our spirit. My husband was completely shattered and
lost interest in living. Basically, he died of stiffening of the heart muscles.
Kabir was involved with theatre and was also involved in the setting up of the
Calcutta Foundation Orchestra that showcased the musical talents of children
from an orphanage. We donated a lot of Kabir’s savings for the development
of the Calcutta Foundation Orchestra.
The
Calcutta Foundation had opened Udayan, a home for the boys of leprosy patients.
When I had gone there as a part of my work, I acutely felt the lack of a
girls’ home there and we were looking at a way to garner funds for the
same. Just then, my husband had a complete collapse and had to be hospitalised.
And while at the nursing home, we were watching on television, the
Indo-Australian cricket test match that was going on in Kolkata. I frequently
came across Steve Waugh’s name and read an interview about him that said
he loved associating with charity. As Australia were fated to lose the test
match within four days, something made me write to Steve and ask him if he would
accompany me to Udayan, in Barrackpore, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
I
got a call from Steve. He said he wanted to visit Udayan. I was in a quandary.
How would I leave my critically-ill husband alone in the hospital? But my
daughter took over. At Udayan, the scene was magical, as if the messiah himself
was visiting the children. Steve readily agreed to be the patron for raising
funds for the girls’ wing. After leaving Kolkata, he sent across a ball
used by Shane Warne and (dirty!) cricket T-shirts of the other players for the
purpose of auction. I also noticed how whenever he was interviewed, he spread
the message of Udayan.
My
husband expired soon after, and within three months, my granddaughter was born.
I have two granddaughters by Malika and my son-in-law now, and they are really
my source of sustenance. I remember at the fund raising dinner we had for
Udayan, for which Steve came especially from Australia, I spoke about how I had
lost the two men in my life but had also gained two sons - Steve and my
son-in-law. We collected more than Rs 20 lakhs that night! Within a year, the
girl’s wing was complete. And without even informing me, Steve sent across
350 beds with mattresses and pillows for the same!
We
had a fundraising event for the tsunami victims too. We sent 60 tonnes of relief
material to the Andamans and had a fundraising event with Steve again, this time
via an auction of designers’ clothes and art work. The Pakistani cricket
team also helped in our endeavours.
Now,
we are looking at raising the literacy and numeracy levels in different states
with the organisation, Pratham. I don’t think going through pain and
suffering have necessarily made me a stronger person. But I do thank God for
always giving me some work and opportunities that have invariably taken the
sting away from my sorrows. And serving others has given me immense satisfaction
too. I truly feel blessed by Him.
