This TED Talk By Anju Maudgal Kadam of #100SareePact Will Be The Most Empowering Speech You Hear Today

What started as an agreement between two friends, the #100SareePact, has become a movement that touches the lives of Indian women all around the globe.

We are all living reflections of our histories. We are the products of our culture and society. But our busy modern lives often force us to focus on the future to the extent that we forget the joy of reviving old memories. Two women realized this and decided to do something about this.

Anju Maudgal Kadam and Ally Matthan formed the #100SareePact in 2015 while lamenting all the sarees they had kept buried in their closets, and decided to wear a hundred sarees a year to relive all that they associated with those sarees. The pact became a social media sensation, drawing Indian women from all over the world to join in and share a piece of their lives on digital platforms.

Anju Maudgal Kadam, also Founder of WebTV.in, steps on the stage all set for her TED Talk in a Banarasi saree in a modern fusion colour palette of yellow, coral and black. It looked like the hues of her saree themselves spoke about a coming together of both the historic and the contemporary. The first thing she spoke about was about the significance of this six-yard fabric, an attire that has existed since the Indus Valley civilization and that still represents the artistry and characteristics of every weaver who works on it.

“Why revive old traditions?” is a question I have heard many people ask and one that has been posed to her on endless occasions as well. To all who ask this, Anju reminds them of the impact this movement has had on the lives of hundreds of women. Something that brings a new direction to people’s lives cannot be old, she says, and the audience rises to applaud her answer.

Her talk ends on a thoughtful note. The #100SareePact became a link to connect Indian women and became a symbol of female solidarity and an umbrella to bring together all these women under a shared love.

If a shared love for one thing can bring us closer on the digital platform, why can this not turn into a reality of our society? Let us introspect and find ways to strengthen female friendships, but first watch her talk here.

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