As a girl of nine, Shamlu Dudeja remembers embroidering paisleys on tea pot covers under the tutelage of a Bengali crafts teacher in Delhi. Little did she realise then that this running-stitch needlework, or kantha as it is popularly known in West Bengal, would become her weapon for empowering women.

 

Women in Bengal have been running stitches along layers of old clothes to churn out 'leps' or quilts and duvets for use during winters for almost six decades now. This traditional household chore has always adhered to what has now become the modern mantra of "recycle and reuse". Unfortunately, kantha remained confined within rural households until Dudeja brought about its revival in the 1980s, providing gainful employment to over 800 women in four districts of West Bengal. "I moved to Kolkata as a young bride in 1962, but it was only in the 1980s that I got interested in kantha. My career as a Mathematics teacher came to an end when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. While recovering from my operation, I developed an interest in kantha, having seen some old work at the Crafts Council showroom on Theatre Road in Kolkata," explains Dudeja. 

 

The traditional kantha was always done on two to four layers of mostly old cotton cloth and the designs were rural and folksy, usually depicting the lives of the villagers, village women at work, ducks and ponds, palm trees and fields, cattle, harvesting, and so on. Scenes from epics such as the 'Mahabharata' and 'Ramayana' also figured prominently in the work.

 

However, Dudeja, along with artist Sreelata Sarkar, decided to introduce the stitch on saris, salwar suits and even western wear. Dudeja's first team of workers comprised four women from Shantiniketan in Birbhum district. These women were already doing kantha on small pieces of layered cloth as decorative items and selling them to tourists and visitors. "They had been doing kantha at home for almost 25 years. They had the experience, stable hands and excellent colour sense," remarks Dudeja.

 

The women were given two white silk saris and told to do kantha designs on them. Initially, they balked at doing the needlework on a single layer of new silk cloth, an idea contrary to the tradition of working on layers of old cotton cloth only. They were also unsure of the design. But after being convinced by Dudeja, who suggested they do the paisley motif as the base design, they got to work. It took them three months, but the ensuing pieces were works of art. When Dudeja found instant buyers amongst her friends, she knew she was on a winning track.

 

The women were extremely happy to be paid fair prices for their efforts when normally they would get just a few rupees for their hard work. It was then that Dudeja realised the power of kantha. She hired the first four women as her team leaders to recruit more rural women to do this exquisite needlework on a regular basis. The idea was to convince village housewives to work for Mallika's Kantha Collection or MKC (Dudeja's daughter Mallika, founded the private limited company) during the same hours in the afternoon after lunch when all the housework had been done and the women were relatively free. Most women were quick to take up the offer of earning money for doing something they did anyway every day. Gradually, the group expanded from Birbhum to North and South 24 Parganas, Burdwan and Nadia districts. "I had a dream to become self-dependent. I wanted a job desperately. When I realised that there was need for women who could do kantha work, I immediately signed up as it was something I was doing from childhood. My husband earns Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 (US$1=Rs 50) as a driver. Now, with my earnings of about Rs 2,000 per month as a team leader, I can send my children to school and give them nutritious food without any monetary worries," says Putul Das, 35, of Sahapara in South 24 Parganas district.

 

As a mathematician, Dudeja introduced designs such as squares, triangles, and concentric circles. She also introduced a variety of fabrics - silk, crepe, chiffon and georgette. "Initially, it was odd to work on a single layer of cloth. And most of the fabric was new - not just cotton but also expensive silk, crepe and chiffon. But we learnt to handle the delicate fabrics and new designs like doing patchwork kantha on borders, and sleeves. It has been a good way to make money without neglecting household duties," says Shibani Maiti, 38, of Sahapara in South 24 Parganas district. 

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