Suji Dara

The Suji Dara magazine was started by Munnade as a magazine for garment women workers of Bangalore and was published between the years 2005 and 2019. The magazine was a unique effort in addressing garment women workers not only as workers but also as women, whether married or unmarried, with or without children, old or young, healthy or ill.

The magazine was distributed among members of the Self-Help Groups that Munnade had initiated, factories where members affiliated to GATWU worked as well as among other organisations and individuals who supported Munnade.

Given that the price of the magazine was nominal (Rs. 2 first and then increased to Rs. 5), the magazine’s printing costs were supported by various individuals and organisations. Until 2010, CIVIDEP supported the publication of the magazine. In the next nine years, until 2019, the publication of the magazine was supported by professors, organisations, individuals with interests in workers’ issues. Since the magazine was printed at a press run by feminist author Vijayamma, printing costs were also minimal.

Over time, as GATWU’s work increased, Dr. Prathibha upon whose shoulders the entire process of producing the magazine–from conceptualising the issue, writing and commissioning articles and preparing the layout of the magazine—lay could not continue this work. Finally when Ila, the printing press where Suji Dara was printed was shut down in 2019, the magazine’s production was also discontinued.