Encouraging Industrial Habits Among Women: K Bhagirathy Amma

[Proceedings of the Shri Mulam Popular Assembly, 11 March, 1932, pp. 45-46.]

27. Suggestions for encouraging industrial habits among women

SRIMATI K BHAGIRATHY AMMA (Nominated):    thanked the Government for nominating her as a member of the Assembly and prayed for a long and prosperous reign for His Highness the Maha Raja. She said that the future of the women of the country depended on their industry. The system of education obtaining in the country was fit only to produce persons for Government service.

Seventy percent of the educated women were unemployed and did not know how to use their education for earning their livelihood. The Travancore Government could not give employment for all educated women, so that the present day education was aimless and ended in disappointment of the educated. A scheme had therefore to be planned for providing employment to women and encouraging them in their industrial habits. The formulation and success of any such scheme necessarily depended to a large extent on Government’s help. The member suggested the following scheme for the sympathetic consideration of the Government : —

1. An industrial institute should be opened for the benefit of women. For this an extent of 20 acres of land within a distance of 3 or 4 miles from Trivandrum town must be granted free.
2. A building grant should also be awarded for erecting the necessary buildings on the site,
3. A loan of Rs 35,000 free of interest for five years and repayable within a period of 25 years should be advanced for starting useful and profitable industries. There was no objection to the Government exercising any sort of proper control as regards the proper utilization of the loan.
4. The Director of Industries must be directed to inspect the institute and give timely and expert advice in regard to the industries started. The industries started will of course be profitable and suitable to women.

The member said that she had confidence in the scheme outlined and it would in due course also convince the Government of its usefulness. This was sure to help the women to earn their livelihood by honest labour and she hoped the Government would not grudge to consider the scheme and sanction it.