HT Digital,
Tezpur, Jan 09: A women-led cooperative born during the height of Assam’s foreigner expulsion movement has quietly completed 46 years of uninterrupted service in Tezpur, emerging as a lasting model of economic self-reliance.
Founded on June 18, 1979, Ushanagar Mahila Samabay Samiti Limited, popularly known as Samaroh, began when a group of educated women responded to the All Assam Students’ Union’s call for economic independence. While many such initiatives faded, this cooperative endured and today counts 254 women members, including retired teachers, professors and former government employees.
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The members prepare traditional Assamese snacks, pithas and indigenous handicrafts from their homes and sell them every Tuesday and Friday from the cooperative’s office near Tezpur Sadar Police Station. During Bihu seasons, sales are organised daily, with products also supplied outside Tezpur on order.
What sets Samaroh apart is its strictly voluntary management. No office-bearer receives remuneration, and profits are used for social welfare, including support to economically disadvantaged children, distressed families and other community initiatives.
This year’s Bhogali Bihu mela was inaugurated by the cooperative’s president, noted writer and retired teacher Maya Sharma, who recalled that the society has received no quality-related complaints in its 46-year journey. She said the cooperative remains committed to preserving Assamese food traditions while strengthening women’s financial independence.
As it moves towards its golden jubilee, Samaroh continues to stand as a rare example of sustained, community-driven women’s empowerment in Assam.
