Maklu Tudu is a middle aged Santhali Woman. I met her ten years ago when my husband got transferred to Dumka as its 158th Deputy Commissioner. She lived in a world very different from mine. She cycled 10 km to work as domestic help in the Deputy Commissioner's Bunglow (DC Kothi) in Dumka. Small built and wiry, she took life in her stride. Her family's sole bread winner, she tended her less than fertile land, gathered mahua flowers, mangoes and jackfruit during the season, sent her daughters to school, college and got them trained to be Mid wives. A previous mem saab couldnt pronounce or may be didn't like her name. So she became Meenu to the residents of the bunglow. She was nanny and housekeeper; cleaner and masseuse rolled into one.
Multifaceted personality aside, it was her cheerfulness and progressive attitude that influenced me the most. She was a willing learner and never said no to work. In the midst of patriarchal mores, she calmly went about giving her two daughters whatever opportunities came her way. She was a woman with a lot of traditional wisdom and knowledge about local herbs and plants. She once drove away a cobra but it upset her when the gardener insisted on killing it!
Every time I feel misunderstood, when my efforts are not appreciated, I think of Maklu and decide to make the best of what I have. To be cheerful and carry on.......
Multifaceted personality aside, it was her cheerfulness and progressive attitude that influenced me the most. She was a willing learner and never said no to work. In the midst of patriarchal mores, she calmly went about giving her two daughters whatever opportunities came her way. She was a woman with a lot of traditional wisdom and knowledge about local herbs and plants. She once drove away a cobra but it upset her when the gardener insisted on killing it!
Every time I feel misunderstood, when my efforts are not appreciated, I think of Maklu and decide to make the best of what I have. To be cheerful and carry on.......
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