Manjit Thakur/New Delhi
The rise of Kalpana Saroj is the quintessential rags to riches story of a woman who struggled her way through poverty, domestic violence, and inequalities – even attempted ending her life - to become the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. Kalpana Saroj’s life has all ingredients to inspire any Indian woman.
How many hurdles have Kalpana Saroj crossed to reach the top?
When Kalpana was born in 1961 in Roparkheda, a small village in Akola, Maharashtra, her life was like that of any Dalit child - she faced bullying in school and was married off at the age of 12.
In a conversation with Awaz-the voice, Kalpana says, “Those days, it was parent's responsibility to get a girl married; the girls were expected to take care of the household, the children, the chulha-choka (home and hearth).”
Kalpana too started taking care of the household and her family. She came to Mumbai to live with her husband, who was 10 years older than her. She was shocked to be ushered into a slum area where she shared space with her husband’s brother and his wife. The brother-in-law and his wife didn’t treat her well.
Both of them beat Kalpana. She was a broken person due to this physical and mental torture.
Kalpana Saroj receiving an award for her enterpreneurship
She says, “When the oppression increased and after six months of marriage, Baba (Father) came to see me, he could not recognize me. He took me along and asked me to start my studies."
She says, “When the oppression increased a lot and after six months of marriage, Baba came to see me, he could not recognize me. He took me home and asked me to resume my studies."
But, his society did not like a daughter's return to her maternal home. In such a situation, her parents also came under pressure. Kalpana says, “At that time the society not only tortured me, but my mother and father also had to suffer a lot. Society did not want the married girl to return to her maternal home. The torture made me think that I should die."
With this decision, one day Kalpana drank three bottles of insecticides. But his aunt reached her room at the right time and Kalpana's life was saved. After this incident Kalpana's thoughts changed. She wanted to live and instead of feeling jittery at the snide remarks of the villagers, she took it as a challenge and decided to outgrow that situation.
She says, “I decided that I must prove myself. I had neither education nor an acumen for business. In such a situation, I had to think innovatively.”
Thereafter Kalpana started her business journey with a sewing machine. Her aim was to earn money to meet her day's expenses. Kalpana says, “I made sewing everything in my life. I tried to open a boutique after taking a loan of Rs 50,000; I also started furniture work.
Kalpana was determined to succeed. Today, she is a millionaire adue to her determination and hard work. However, the core idea of her business is employment generation. She says, “I have seen hunger closely; I know what unemployment means. When there were no jobs for people, I tried to arrange loans for them.” Kalpana Saroj ventured into the realty sector and faced attempts on her life. She says, “I had seen death up close so I had no fear of it.” But then police commissioner Bhujangrao Mohite offered her security. Kalpana didn’t want security; she asked for a revolver license.
She even set up a film production company and produced a commercial film based on the rape and murder of a Dalit family in Khairlanji, Maharashtra. The film was a commercial hit. Kalpana says, “This news of the incident spread far and wide.
“I wanted to take that story to the audience in the form of a film so that the world knows how Dalits are subjected to atrocities. If the perpetrators of atrocities are not stopped and no awareness can be spread and the problem will never end,” she said.
She says, “Technology has changed the world. Today, the government also helps every section of society. The girls are doing well and they don’t face the difficulties that I had to,” she says. “However, the girls need to be trained well. It's not okay to give up because of troubles."
Kalpana is running a metal engineering company Kamani Tubes that was once bankrupt and under huge debt. She turned it around and made it profit-making entity.
Kalpana has given employment to thousands of people of all backgrounds and castes.
Even after being a successful business woman, Kalpana Saroj believes in taking new initiatives. Recently, she has started sandalwood cultivation on five acres of land in her village. She says, “One must try new ideas. Women can also grow crops like flowers and lemongrass. In Maharashtra, women are earning well from crops like lavender. Overall, women should be financially independent."
Kalpana believes that technology makes women powerful. Therefore, one should try to take advantage of it.
Kalpana Saroj regularly visits her village and helps the community there. She says, “We are not only responsible for ourselves but also for the nation’s progress. Let us all unite and make the country stronger.”
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