Jewels for relief, gudris for warmth: Mewat’s women redefine charity

Rahimi (75) of Tilakpuri village in Nuh had saved her silver bangle to gift away at some poor girl’s wedding. Instead, she unclasps it from her wrist and hands it to volunteers gathering relief for flood-hit Punjab.

“I wanted to donate it to some poor girl’s wedding before I died, but I think it’s our own people in Punjab who need it more. It’s not much, but all I have. We have faced the 1996 floods and know what it means. Landlords were turned paupers, scraping food for children,” she says, her voice trembling with both memory and resolve.

Rahimi is not alone. Across the Mewat region — stretching over Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh — elderly Meo women are quietly setting an example of compassion and sacrifice. In Nunehra village of Sohna block, septuagenarians and octogenarians have donated nearly 2 kg of silver and 20 grams of gold, worth about Rs 5 lakh, for Punjab’s relief.

“It’s our tradition,” explains Aasmina of Nunehra village. “Along with passing ornaments to daughters and daughters-in-law, women also give them away for charity in old age. Having faced floods ourselves, we felt nothing could be nobler. Some younger women even donated their Mehar amount. Others are giving utensils and food.”

Mewat — better known in headlines for cattle smuggling, cybercrime or the recent communal riots — is one of North India’s most backward and impoverished districts. Ironically, it too is reeling under heavy waterlogging. Yet, as Punjab struggles, the people of Mewat are doing everything they can. So far, over 250 truckloads of relief material have been dispatched and what stands out is the contribution of its women.

Not all contributions are ornaments. Some women are donating their old-age pensions; others are offering what their hands can produce. Seventy-two-year-old Meheram from Tilakpuri speaks with quiet pride: “Money doesn’t cover your child when he shivers after the water recedes. Biscuits cannot satisfy hunger. I have no money or ornaments, but I weave the best gudris in my area. I made four and sent them.”

Handwoven ‘gudris’ — sturdy oversheets — are being stitched, while women also prepare rots, flatbreads that stay edible for over a week. Mosques have been announcing the aid drive for the past five days and villagers — young and old, men and women — have been walking in with whatever they can spare.

“Mewat has always risen to the cause; this is not the first time. Meos may not have much, but we share what we have. We are bound to Punjab with just one religion — Kisaniyat. We know what each farmer is going through. Today we do our bit, tomorrow we know our farmer brothers will stand by us,” say coordinators Umar Parla and Zafar Aslam.

Even officials acknowledge the extraordinary spirit. “The spirit of people has bowled us over. The youth are coordinating relief efforts and everyone — from men to women — is doing their best. We are ensuring collection and transportation of relief material does not face any hindrance,” says Nuh Deputy Commissioner Akhil Pilani.