Anshu Gupta, a Delhi-based expert in social innovation who recently bagged the prestigious Magsaysay award, was felicitated in the city by Adhikar, a voluntary organisation, for his contributions in the field of social engineering. Anshu, who through his NGO Goonj has been working since 1998 in recycling discarded clothes to distribute them among the poor in the form of sanitary napkins or useful clothes, interacted with citizens Thursday and answered queries. Experts from the session:
Your reaction on winning the prestigious award this year…
It’s an encouragement. Although our team has bagged many awards in the past this prestigious award is likely to infuse new energy in me and my team. I now hope the issues for which we have been fighting since long will find a place in the policymaking of the government. Moreover, many organisations would now be encouraged to replicate the works we have done which in turn will benefit society.
You have been working on recycling clothes since long that for obvious reasons has not attracted the attention of many social activists. What inspired you to focus on this issue?
We realised that clothes are an integral human need. However, it never got the attention and inclusion in government policymaking. We made it a mission to work on the issue. The issue is directly linked to the dignity and also the health of human beings. It cannot be ignored and much importance needs to be given to it.
How did your NGO work for the benefit of the poor through recycled clothes?
We never believed in charity. We never gave the poor or villagers free clothes. We collected discarded/old clothes, recycled them and made them ready for distribution. However, we followed the principle of work-and-get as charity often offends the dignity of villagers and many out of self-esteem do not accept anything for free. So we asked villagers and poor people to work on some community development service in their area and get rewarded in this form.
You also gave women sanitary napkins made of cloth…
Menstruation has always been a taboo in India society. Even wives often hide the topic from their husbands. But this is not an exclusively woman’s issue; it is an issue of basic human rights. We have heard menstruating women using cow dung, plastic, paper and many other things just for the purpose of absorbing or blocking the fluid. Many a times, the same piece of cloth is used several times by multiple users. Many women have died due to such unhealthy usage. This invoked in me to search for a solution.
Has the initiative had wide repercussions?
We used the donated clothes and recycled them hygienically and provided the women aid which is very important for them. Dearth of this simple solution often hampers their life. It is ironic that in this country we have several outlets and primary health centres selling condoms but hardly any formal or informal intervention has been made to sell low-cost or free sanitary napkins.
What challenges did you face during your ‘changing the society’s perception’ experiment?
Challenges were many and these challenges made us stronger with time. Often when we used to venture into some village we confronted panchayat members or local NGOs, who in my view did not truly represent the real village and its people. When we wanted to work for women, we had to talk to women. Many times local bodies have created hurdles but ultimately we have succeeded as we fight for human rights.
You have often spoken about redefining donation and charity? How do you want to redefine these terms?
When we talk about charity people tend to give things which they have in excess. But when you are giving anything the person receiving it might not need it. Sometimes people need shelter, food or clothes but you give them money which is futile. People need to understand the needs of the people before indulging in charity.
You have also spoken about subsidy burden on citizens. What do you mean by subsidy burden?
Every Indian is a product of subsidy. When we study in government schools/colleges we take subsidy. When we study in private schools/colleges, the land was taken on subsidy for educational purposes. We take subsidised cylinders and many other products. At each subsidy we cut out some portion from someone’s portion, either the land of the poor or from the government’s coffers. That’s why I believe it is our duty to return the same through our action.