Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lijjat paapad - Indian Womens' Co-operative, celebrating 50 years

Eighty-year-old Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat defies her age.

She seems more agile and active than her grandchildren.

"I don't want to stop working," she says with youthful determination.

Mrs Popat is the only survivor of a group of semi-literate Gujarati housewives who founded Lijjat Papad 50 years ago.

She will be celebrating the Lijjat golden jubilee on 15 March with 45,000 other women who are part of the women-only co-operative.

Mrs Popat cannot believe that what started as a desperate move to "supplement the family income" 50 years ago has come so far.

She says after taking a deep breath: "I feel I am living in a dream world. When we started our business it was not meant to become so big."

I read this article in BBC news website.


7 Women from Gujarat started this co-operative business on 15th March, 1959. And it has grown up in to a $100 million business.

I am so happy to read this news among all the negative news, we hear from world over. These women are not very educated, but take care of their family and earn money for bringing up their children. Indeed the Lijjat women seem to have proved that success does not necessarily need money and infrastructure, as long as there is determination. This is the true 'WOMAN POWER', I feel.

And Lijjat Papad is in India, for which we should be proud of!

8 comments :

R. Ramesh said...

definitely..it's a wonderful organisation and deserves all kudos..thanks for highlighting...

Anonymous said...

I used to love the advt. of Lijjat Pappad while growing up. It was a big hit then and I feel like a part seeing it turning golden.

Renu said...

These are the real women of India, who have the grit and strength to work in all the adversities.
My H doent like any papad other than Lizzat masala:)

Sandhya said...

R.Ramesh: Yes, as soon as I read this article, I wanted to write about it in my blog.

mesoliloguy: I used to love their pepper paapad and never knew so much hard work was behind this industry, which is run by ordinary women. It is not easy for women to take care of the house and work outside.

Thanks for visiting. By the way, how should we pronounce your name?! me solilo guy?

Renu: What you say is true, Renu.

hitch writer said...

There are such enterpreneurs... such lovely success stories that swell our hearts talking about arent they !!!!

hats off to Mrs Popat... such people are pride of India !!

Sandhya said...

mesoliloquy: I am sorry, I spelt it wrong. I got the meaning too.

hitchwriter: I remember Amul's co-operative society story also, at this time. They too started the co-operative in a small scale and it has grown up unbelievably, now.

Thank you.

Sai Charan said...

We too use the Lijjat pepper papad and love its taste and quality.

You have shared an inspirational success story and this should be taken as an example by evey woman.

Sandhya said...

Sai Charn: Thank you. Yes, the paapad is very tasty, esp. the pepper one.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Labels

Agra ( 3 ) ants ( 1 ) Arya Samaj wedding ( 1 ) Aurangabad ( 1 ) awards ( 3 ) Badami cave temples ( 4 ) balika vadhu ( 4 ) Bhimsen Joshi ( 1 ) birds and butterflies ( 28 ) Book Review ( 2 ) Books ( 5 ) Chennairain ( 1 ) children ( 2 ) Churches ( 1 ) Chutney ( 1 ) Cinderella Man ( 1 ) cinema ( 15 ) common wealth games ( 1 ) concerts ( 7 ) Corporation Schools ( 1 ) cricket ( 3 ) Dharamshala ( 3 ) dogs ( 5 ) Doordarshan ( 9 ) down memory lane ( 5 ) Education ( 15 ) English Movie Review ( 16 ) Environment ( 52 ) Europe tour ( 1 ) Festivals ( 20 ) Firaaq (2008) ( 1 ) Fitness ( 1 ) Forts ( 3 ) Foto Friday ( 18 ) Gafla ( 1 ) General ( 42 ) Health ( 7 ) Hindi film songs ( 3 ) Hindi Movie Review ( 25 ) Humour ( 6 ) Jagjit Singh ( 4 ) Kalakshetra ( 1 ) Kamal Haasan ( 2 ) kanjira ( 1 ) Karsh Kale ( 1 ) kaun banega superstar ( 3 ) kbc ( 2 ) Kew Gardens ( 2 ) Kittens ( 10 ) Kurnool ( 4 ) kya aap paanchvi paas se tez hain? ( 1 ) language ( 1 ) London ( 5 ) Mahabaleshwar tour ( 5 ) movie review ( 8 ) Mumbai Meri Jaan ( 1 ) music ( 58 ) my garden ( 17 ) Nature ( 19 ) New year ( 3 ) Notre Dame ( 1 ) onion ( 1 ) patriotism ( 19 ) pattadha kallu ( 1 ) People whom I admire ( 62 ) Personal experience ( 2 ) pets ( 19 ) politics ( 20 ) Portugese anchor ( 1 ) Pt.Chaurasia ( 1 ) radio ( 4 ) rantings ( 3 ) reality shows ( 2 ) recognition ( 2 ) religion ( 3 ) s ( 1 ) Sangeeth Saritha ( 5 ) saregama 1998 mega final ( 3 ) saregama 1999 finals ( 1 ) saregamapa 2010 ( 1 ) showcaves ( 1 ) Sonu Nigam ( 5 ) sound of music ( 3 ) sparrows ( 4 ) Sports ( 7 ) Srilanka tour ( 4 ) sunrise ( 6 ) superstitions ( 2 ) Tagged ( 11 ) Tamil movie Review ( 8 ) Temples ( 22 ) Tendulkar ( 3 ) The King's Speech ( 1 ) The Taj ( 1 ) thief ( 1 ) Tirupati ( 3 ) tour ( 59 ) tours ( 1 ) Travel ( 26 ) TV serial review ( 8 ) Ulagath Tamizh Semmozhi Maanaadu ( 1 ) unbelievable news ( 2 ) US tour ( 5 ) Ustaad Zakir Hussain ( 1 ) Vaalpaarai ( 3 ) vedanthangal ( 3 ) voh kaagaz ki kashti ( 75 ) wordless wednesday ( 38 ) yoga ( 2 )