My dear Ammaji , my love to U is forever …!!
How many of us are aware of women like “AMMAJI” ?
Dr.Amina Ather
Didi ; “Is pregnancy a boon or a curse” ! A question in a supple voice was asked by a lady who was a participant during one of my workshop, at a village in tumkur district in 2005 , my lips sealed when I looked at her she was short and lean and was about 8months of her pregnancy , may be her age not more than 16 yrs , which I could guess .
I had no answer to her question but just smiled at her spontaneously and my watery eyes were looking for an answer within myself, with a load of courage I gathered up I smiled back to her and replied “dear it’s a boon, almighty has given us the gift of bringing a new life to this world”. With a supple voice and her eyes rolling side wards and head bent down she replied “sacrificing ourselves! When do we women have to live for ourselves?”
This was like a shattering bomb shell to me, a missile of her feelings she was feeling the pain of labor and the fear of death, I was feeling like I was standing on a volcano . But a old voice broke my science if one takes care of oneself according to ammaji instead of the shehre ( City) doctor then u will be fine , she has Jadu (Magic) and shifa ( treatment) in her hands . With a sigh who’s this ammaji ? Was my immediate response.
Ammaji is our ammaji the lovely old lady of our village she doesn’t charge anything to deliver a baby if anyone want free delivery u can get to her , she is an expert of experts . My search for ammaji led me to her place .
As we walked down the narrowest lane I had ever been in the village with the marshy silt down led to a low hut, and I just went to the door step with Mujeeba the village anganwadi worker , who had co-ordinated workshop.
Converstion between Mujeeba and ammaji” ( I am sharing this conversation as to a feeling of her economic status)
Mujeeba : “ammaji, ammaji ammaji….. “ in a high voice , are u there !
Ammaji: In a shivering voice “Kayoun hai ander aaajjaa” (Whos that come inside )
Mujeeba : Salam alikum ammaji…. (Greetings !!)
Ammaji; Salam salam , koun Mujeeba . aaja (yes greetings who Mujeeba)
Mujeeba : aareoun ammji . (coming ammaji)
Ammaji: Aaaj dopahar ka khana khatam kardale poor tuuch khage kya. (Did u finish the lunch by yourself today)
Mujeeba : nai ammaji , aaj mamu sab ke pootre Dr Amina Ather workshop karethe , uneche khane ka bhi khalaye poori bachan ko.( No today mamusaab’s grand daughter amina ‘s workshop was there she had arranged all our luch)
Ammaji to me : Mamusab ki pootre vate badi hai , mamsaab marne ke baad goun louch bhoolgaye ( she looking at me with a starry look holding my hand ).
Ander aja bache , tu chote rhitak ek potte ke sarka theee , mamujaan ke saat masijd mei pane bhar te thi” (come inside my dear child , when u were smallas a kid you were like a boy and you used to come with your grandpa)
Mujeeba : All smiles at me and she says ammaji’s memory is so good d\she remembers your child hood .
Ammaji depends on Mujeeba for her lunch and dinner, stays all alone in that hut , only tears rolling down , I could not remember the old lady who remembers my child hood ?
And after decades… I have gone to her with a greed in my heart to know the traditions she uses for delivering a baby without complications , what’s this world ……around ?
I used to fill water in the tank of the mosque with my dadaji (grandfather ) as a kid and I am not allowed to enter the mosque today .
She used to make a roti (bread) for me and jaggery with it she has pampered me so many time she recollects how I used to run away from her when she used to feed me , Oh almighty how many of them have cared us for whom we haven’t cared back and we do not even remember. .
I had no courage to ask her anything regarding the traditional medicine used by her and her experiences, my voice choking with her love and care she was searching something , in her thaile ( small pouch she hung with her) she was searching for some money , Allah !!!! to get something to me as I have visited her and me there empty hands ??????......
The care, the love and she remembering all my child hood, she went right back to my naughty questions like why can’t we hold water in the towel why can we hold it in pot and she recollected it every time she filled the water and me on the other side doesn’t even remember her , How could i forget her .
With all my hesitation she made a lime juice with gaggery , allah she remember I used to love jaggery eating and I used to go to her to collect it .
I had no words to speak to her but Mujeeba was restless as ammaji had started her old records , I had not space to tell Mujeeba to leave and will get back to her and she can carry on and I would like to spend my time sharing with ammji , ammaji soon realized her restlessness and my helplessness , experience ammaji had…..!!!!
Ammaji to Mujeeba “ Mujeeba tu ja , ather yehan rahnde , manje maloon vuse kya pasand hai , vuni kya khateya, mei vus ke sath zavokht baitun (Mujeeba u cary on , let ather sit here and I know what she likes to eat I will prepare for her ) .
Mujeeba told me that she will wait for me at her place and she left , then ammaji looking at me and her eyes rolling for tears , she kissed me on my forehead and started sharing all the time she had spent me , I silently listen to her each word , while she was sharing she made a ragi roti (finger millet bread) , she had cooked around 5 yrs back and she was doing it now , for me and I had nothing for her in response ,as the conversation grew , I coupled up my courage and I apologized her that I came to her looking for her traditional medicine formulations…. .
She replied to me with a smile and said do not worry I will not feel bad and said “ Tu mere bache hai , mere adhe kya poore pavoun khabar mei hain mei tujeh siky tou aram se marteoun ki ki mere dam tuje sikay tak nai jata rahenga ? ” ( U are my little child ,my death is soon to come , if I share with u then I can die may be peacefully, may be my death is awaiting me to teach U) .
I was so glad at that moment and she was feeling so much of love knowing that I am a doing workshops for women and she said “do everything what u like with your heart not with your mind , because when u leave this world your hands were empty” .
I was pregnant at that time and just 1 month old , she told me your son is fine and he will be a star and I he will be born during last days of Ramadan . This shocked me as the pregnancy was confirmed just 15 days ago and no ultrasonography . She just looking at me, I was wondering how she could say this.
And a son , allah ! just I was 6-8 weeks of gestations and she is saying the EDD: expected date of delivery , without even asking my LMP : Last menstrual cycle, she is an expert , and that too I will give birth to a son on the last two days of Ramadan .
Ammaji to me : “tum bache shahr ke ise nahe samjoge jab tuje beta hotei na tab maje yaadkarna vus ke baad dua darrod bhejdena” .(U city kids will not understand this when to give birth to your son u remember me and do pray for me) .
I spent the whole evening with her recalling all the memories she had with me and I left with only love and kindness . She was an illiterate , so no documents from her , no manuscripts all she had was experience .
I returned back again after a month to stay with her and she shared me all the formulations , and traditions and I feel lucky to have documented , I visited her to share her feelings and love and care a new bond and as my pregnancy grew I was restricted to travel but by now she had shared enough and I could document them .
The Ramadan started and she left this world in the first week of Ramadan and I was always thinking of her
Two days no food no water and only I could recollect her , I had documented her by taking her work as writing , no photos or video and I was expected to record her after I finished my pregnancy , and I repent even till date that I could record her .
But to all the surprise I got a baby boy on 29th day of Ramadan, friends I could only pray for her better life after death and only think of her and thank her.
WITH ALL THE ABOVE BRIEF I AM SHARING MAY BE A THOUGHT ARISES WHY AM I REMEMBERING HER NOW ….?
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLR REMEDY TO ARREST THE BLEEDING FROM A GYNECOLOGICAL DISORER I SUFFER, ONLY HER TRADTIONAL METHOD WITH A MODERN TECNOLOGY COULD HELP ME!
Dear friends ,
As a tribute to ammaji , I wish and hope to document ( a good Audio video documentation) of women who are serving at their places with their love and care !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please if u come across women like ammaji who have treasure of traditions may be one at your own home , your own grand ma ( Nani or dadi) whom we never recognize or over look them please share them to this world , I am looking forward to start a database on them so that we can bring them to the world . I have lost my ammaji , there are so manu of them let us document them before they leave us and also support them for their care .
Inshall I would start online classes to muslim women free , to disperse the knowledge I have acquired from great women like ammaji soon , inshallah.
Dr Amina Ather
PLEASE CONTINUE THIS CHAIN , LET IT NOT BRAKE , LET US GET CONNECTED TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE.
