Kushalta Ke Kadam
Kushalta Ke Kadam
  • Home/
  • In Haryana, 'Usha Gatka Championship' Is Reviving The Lost Form Of Self-Defence

In Haryana, 'Usha Gatka Championship' Is Reviving The Lost Form Of Self-Defence

In Haryana, 'Usha Gatka Championship' Is Reviving The Lost Form Of Self-Defence

Usha Play and Usha Social Services in collaboration with Seva Trust UK are breathing life into forgotten sports like Gatka. And on this journey of collaboration and revival of long-lost sports activities are the incredible Usha women, leading the movement. The women of Usha Silai School stand by children, participating in the juniors and senior categories, organising, promoting, and participating in these traditional long-lost rural sports events.

Also Read: Usha Play, Promoting A Healthy And Active Lifestyle With Yoga

“Usha has been supporting local and traditional sports in this manner for the past two to three years,” said Mohanlal, Program Coordinator at Usha Silai School in Haryana. He added,

Usha believes that the youth in the village should engage with sports that are no longer being played or are dying out, and help promote and revive them.

Stick fighting, or "Gatka," is a combat sport involving two or more participants and wooden sticks called "Soti" that are meant to resemble swords. It was one of the fundamental methods of self-defense used by Sikh warriors during the martial era of the great Sikh Gurus. The sport involves a series of moves that combine offensive and defensive abilities with a footwork pattern.

We drive to Haryana, where Usha Gatka Championship 2023 is underway. Sharing details of the competition, Mohanlal said,

The women came from different villages. The Gatka sports event was extensively shared and discussed with them. They were actively included in the planning process. As a result, what you are seeing today, is a grand event where 12 teams have come from a different village. The 24 Silai school teachers served as the mentors and coordinators for the teams and were involved in the entire process. They provided support and encouragement during the event. They were cheering for their teams to win.

Also Read: In Odisha's Rourkela, Women Are Stitching A Life Of Financial Independence With Usha

Traditional sports are more than just forms of physical activity. They are windows into cultures, ceremonies, and time-honored traditions. A vibrant playground where heritage meets competition. One such sport is Gatka, a martial art form.

Neeraj Rani, a Usha Silai School teacher from Ambala believes that children must be involved in sporting activities. She said,

In today's world, children are glued all day to the TV or the phone. Sports keep the child safe from illness and disease. Usha is making a significant contribution for women and children as sports is good for them.

And these remarkable women from the Usha Silai School are not just bystanders; they are active participants in these rural sports events. With their determination and skill, they are breaking barriers for themselves and future generations.

Talking about the impact of the Gatka Championship on children, Pawan Prashar, State Coordinator, Seva Trust UK said,

The Gatka programme organised by Usha Play is of great significance for this region, where the Sikh community lives. Guru Gobind Singh started the Gatka form which was taught back then for self-defence. To make Gatka popular, we need to organise multiple smaller events on the ground level and then on a larger scale to motivate children. These events will energise children, engage them physically and mentally and also provide them with opportunities. Playing sports will also keep them away from substance use.

Thanks to visionary leaders in Usha and the remarkable women of Usha Silai School, these traditional games are finding their rightful place back in society. Together, they are keen on bringing back the glory of the long-lost sports and empowering women across rural India.

Also Read: In Jammu And Kashmir's Shopian, Usha Swavalamban Silai School Is Helping Women Stitch Resilience, Hope And Independence

Share this story on

Related Stories

More

Adopt a Silai School

Adopt a Silai School

Do you want to be a part of the huge change that Usha Silai School is bringing about in the lives of millions of rural women? With just a simple click of a button, you can now contribute towards the opening of an Usha Silai School or support various other aspects of the school.

About the Initiative

About the Initiative

Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by USHA Silai School and NDTV has entered its eighth season. The aim is to empower more women across rural India by teaching them sewing skills and helping them open new doors of opportunities for themselves. The initiative encourages rural women to become financially independent and entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities.

 

Since 2011, the USHA Silai School initiative has trained more than 12 lakh rural women through over 33,000 Silai schools, spanning over 20,751 villages across India.

 

The women earn Rs. 4,000 – 5,000 per month on an average, with the highest recorded monthly earning being Rs. 84,000 in a month. This earning works as a catalyst towards building their self-confidence, reducing gender inequities, and raising their stature within their families and in society at large.

 

Know More

In Pics

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching
Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Rebari girls grow up learning traditional embroidery, which along with their new found sewing skills developed at Usha Silai Schools, is helping them earn a living.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School has empowered many rural women to support their family and send their children to school.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

The Usha Silai School, established in a small nondescript village that goes by the name of Kottai, is helping empower people from varied communities.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

The all-inclusive Usha Silai School Programme covers the entire nation from hamlets tucked between hills to villages cast by the sea.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Vegetables farmers from the Mizoram hills earn very little given the topography of the area. Usha Silai Schools have played an important part in this region by skilling women to financially contribute towards their households.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School learner Lucy has trained seven other women in her community, helping them to become financially independent.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Women like Kaviben from the nomadic Rebari community are finally laying down their roots as they begin to gain financial independence and thereby stability through Usha Silai School.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School, located in the Gujarat's Bhuj village, is enabling rural women to earn as much as Rs. 2,500-4,000 each month.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School, in association with a Gujarat based NGO called Kala Raksha, is trying to bring about a Silai revolution in Bhuj.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Besides training other women from their community, many Usha Silai School learners have become entrepreneurs in their own right.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

With sewing becoming easily accessible and lucrative, the silai schools are also helping revive traditional motifs and designs.