TNR Women’s Day Special: Kangra’s Lakshmi, Parveen, Mandi’s Asha turn self-reliant through millet, tulsi products

MANDI: It is commonly believed that women in a family pay the most attention to the health and diet of its members. Whether it’s a mother, homemaker, or daughter, they are the ones most concerned about ensuring healthy food and a clean environment.

Following this natural instinct, some hardworking women in Kangra district have also taken up the responsibility of keeping a society healthy.

Lakshmi Devi from Dharamshala and Parveen Kumari from Baijnath have significantly improved both their families’ financial stability and society’s health by cultivating millets and producing millet-based products.

Asha Devi from Paddar in Mandi has achieved self-reliance by producing Tulsi-based products while also promoting wellness.

Lakshmi Devi: Selling momos made of ragi, semolina

Hailing from a farming family in Dharamshala, Lakshmi Devi’s livelihood primarily depended on agriculture. Wanting to do something more for her family, she joined the Akanksha self-help group.
She recalls how she was deeply concerned about the rising consumption of unhealthy food products and constantly thought about healthier alternatives.

Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), she acquired business skills through her self-help group and learned how to prepare momos made from ragi (finger millet) and semolina. These momos quickly gained popularity in the market as a healthier option.

Additionally, with the support of the district administration, Lakshmi Devi started operating the ‘Him Ira’ shop in Dharamshala where she sells her products along with those from other self-help groups.

She credits government schemes and the Kangra district administration’s support for her success, stating that she now leads a respectable life and has even become a millionaire.

Parveen Kumari: Transforming life through millet farming

Parveen Kumari from Baijnath has a similar story. Coming from a farming background, her family had limited income sources through traditional agricultural practices.

Later, she joined the Vaibhav Lakshmi self-help group in Baijnath and started working on nutrient-rich crops like bajra (pearl millet), ragi and jowar (sorghum).

Through this initiative, she received training in millet-based food products and was also supported in marketing and selling them. Today, Parveen earns between ₹18,000 and ₹20,000 per month and inspires other women to become self-reliant.

Asha Devi: Promoting wellness through tulsi-based products

Asha Devi from Paddar in Mandi, a member of the Abhilasha self-help group, has been manufacturing tulsi-based products such as tulsi extract, tulsi tea and tulsi soap under the NRLM.

She took a bank loan through the self-help group to purchase essential machinery, which helped streamline and expand her production.

With her tulsi-based products, she now earns between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 per month while contributing to people’s health. She proudly says that the market demand for her products is continuously increasing, and she is now completely self-sufficient.

Government’s support for women entrepreneurs

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa emphasised that strong steps are being taken to provide better training, branding and marketing support to women in self-help groups to enhance their financial independence.

He said the district administration recently launched a ‘Him Ira’ shop outside the zila parishad office in Dharamshala to provide a platform for self-help groups to sell their products. Plans are underway to establish more Him Ira shops across the district to empower women economically.

Additionally, efforts are being made to improve product packaging to increase market demand. The administration has also developed a website for Him Ira, connecting all self-help groups to facilitate online sales in the future.

Munish Sood