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The
Indian Ferriwalli! The Antique collector. Elsie Gabriel
This
is a story about an eco friendly saree clad lady who gives retailing a good
name and promotes preservation of the old dying art of traditional textiles and ancient
art works by selling door to door, home to home!
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Saroj
Parmar has sad green blue eyes, beautiful in her rustic ways, all of 52
but looks about 35. You can see the
lines on her forehead just above those pretty eyes, born of the pain and more
from the sunrays which have coloured her tan graciously over the last 35 years
that she has been knocking on doors to sell her wares. She is the eco friendly
retail ferriwalla or rather ferriwalli, but with a difference. She not only
recycles old sarees, ancient coins, picture postcards of the British era pre
independence,carved silver bangles and armlets
and ancient Parsi borders but carries the ‘market’ on her head saving
the ‘retail’ marketing strategy .
Born in Surrendranagar Gujarat in a tribal area,Saroj
knows a buyer when she sees one. Her looks are meek but here mind is sharp from
experience. She has observed the nova rich women who will not invest in antique
Jamewar shawls and rather opt for the
nylon shimmers that modern malls offer ,Saroj knows which piece in her
bundle of clothes will fit whose pocket, she also knows how to show and how
much to hold back, she is a smart retailer, she has learned the art and
psychology of selling from sheer practice. Saroj has visited almost every state
in India, every remote corner to investigate and drill out the antiques which
many people throw away or give away for
money. She has also visited villages in
the jungles and remote deserts, and cooked with women on fires all over the
country. Saroj is a free bird, she
markets in her own time, own space ,own pace and own style. Saroj’s example
encourages us all to dust off our rigid dreams
at some given time or once in a way and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the
hidden free spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.
Why
she was awarded by Young Environemntalists Programme trust the Womens Achievers
awrd is simply because she leaves no carbon footprint while conducting her
retail marketing. Saroj carries her shop on her head and hands, she has no menu
and does business by word of mouth. Saroj’s story is unique. Saroj’s wares have
no expiry date, simply because she collects and sells antiques! Iam so glad I
found her. No plastic bags to sell her goods nor advertising just references
and word of mouth.
Spending
the day with her, educated me enough to rewind, refresh and reuse all my old
beautiful clothes in the cupboard and recycle and wear them again, as I
pleased. And never mind being called the repetitive queen, as long as our
clothes are clean and washed well before reuse. This Nomad had come a long way.
when I offered to drop her by car she said she had a taxi waiting all day for
her retailing business, smart gypsy woman. Saroj has the same taxi guy for the
last 15 years and hires him whenever she is in Mumbai, Imagine….so much for the
H.R. tactics I need badly…
While
I said bye to her, I recalled how India did have salt traders,Ayurvedic healers, snake chamrmers,jugglers, Grindstone makers or basket makers. I remember the ‘walnut’ kashmiri vendor who
would visit every winter just before Christmas with his basket full of walnuts on
a turban so intact……not to forget the knife sharpening guy who would chisel and
sharpen knives on his cycle gadget right in front of the door..remember…?
huh…..
It’s
a dyeing art of selling retail, this ferriwalli cried when she took to the stage
at Meluha the Fern ecotel,Powai Mumbai during our award ceremony and scanned
the crowds with teary eyes and called out to her husband in the audience for
some confidence as she was speechless and all she said was…my husband was a
street vendor and he taught me the art of selling retail and I dedicate the
award to him …she was the only one to dedicate the award to a man on womans
day!
Behind
every successful woman ,there is also a man, sometimes…..ever thought of that!!
