Devadasi - the choiceless woman

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Posted by asha on June 30, 2003 at 16:21:59:

Here's an article that might throw some light on the Devadasi system
discussed earlier:


Saving the Devadasi Woman

By Afroza Nazneen

t was so humiliating. I had to dance for four to five hours everyday. Men
openly called out for me to do sexual moves", says 20-year old Bhavani who
is a Devadasi. I met her in Kolkata Shanti Utsab last March. Devadasis are
young girls 'given' by their parents to the temple to devote their lives to
its care. In reality many such girls are subject to sexual abuse.
Devadasis, moreover, are not allowed to marry and so are sentenced to a
life of humiliation and then isolation. Shanti Utsab is a conference
participated by sex workers. It is organised by Durbar Mahila Samanwaya
Committee. Durbar is a forum of 60,000 sex workers, and has been fighting
for a more secure legal status for sex workers. From different countries
like United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Nepal, Sweden, and
Bangladesh, 50 thousands sex workers gathered at the Shanti Utsab.


Sakhi has helped many Devdasi to marry, a practice forbidden before.
Although the practice of Devadasi is illegal, there are an estimated 30,000
Devadasi in the state of Andhra Pradesh alone. The Devadasi women of India
are forced into prostitution in the name of religion. They don't perform
dances for love, they don't even do it for money. All they get is a slave's
wages and public scorn. They are also known as temple prostitutes.

This is how it works: sick baby girls are offered to the 'Goddess Mathamma'
by the parents. If she lives the girl becomes a dedicated Devadasi out of
gratitude. The infant is then bonded to the temple for life. A marriage
ceremony formalises the relationship between the girl and the deity. Once
she has passed puberty, her work begins.

The sexual slavery starts with the festival dancing. The teenager is
paraded before the whole village. Male drummers beat instruments around
her. Bhavani was sworn to the temple because of childhood chicken pox when
she was three months old. Bhavani was never sent to school. All she ever
learnt to do was dance.

Any male who is Devadasi's social superior may have sex with her, whether
or not he has a connection with the temple. She will become his mistress
for months but may also have to sleep with other men. She can give birth to
children but their father are not known and so she will become a single
mother. Their children never go to school but they have to dance in the
streets at the festival.

The main culprit behind this inhuman practice is the caste system, which
designates Dalits as lower caste. In fact, discrimination against Dalits
embraces a more sinister issue than snobbery. Statistics shows that every
day in India, 48 Dalit men and women are assaulted; three are raped, two
are murdered. Other prejudices include not being allowed to drink from the
same glass as that of a higher caste person, to worship in the same temple
or even live in the same village as a high caste person. If a girl refuses
to co-operate with the Devadasi system, her village and her family will
reject her. Often parents encourage the abuse because, in rural areas,
agricultural labourers are paid just 30 rupees a day but a Devadasi dancer
earns 300 to 600 rupees for each fortnightly festival.

But now-a-days the situation is changing. Women's groups are campaigning to
set women free from their bondage to the temple. In Andhra Pradesh this
movement is being led by former Devadasi women who have quit
the 'profession' thanks to a Christian Aid -- supported organisation. The
collective Sakhi, now works in 500 villages. Members of Sakhi are talking
to parents about why they should not dedicate their daughters to this life.
They motivate the village people that this custom is inhuman. Bijoy Kumar,
35, is a Sakhi member. He said that problems came from rural people when
the elder people hear he is coming to talk to a Devadasi girl to run away
and hide. I went to one place where I have heard they had a dancer and the
whole village obstructed me. Finally they showed me a man dressed as a
woman and said that it was the dancer I had heard about. "We tell the women
they can have another life", says Kumar. We inform them about government
loans to which they are entitled, each rehabilitated Devadasi is eligible
for 10,000 rupees, which will pay them interest of 100 rupees a month. They
can also claim housing loans sponsored by the government.

Now-a-days with the help of Sakhi a rehabilitated Devadasi can even marry.
She can work in the field or start any shop or business. So now a former
Devadasi can participate in the everyday life of the village.

For Devadasis this is a way to move out of their miserable life and be able
to lead a normal life. The biggest benefit from this project to the
Devadasi is that she is being recognised as a person.

Source: The Star Magazine

 

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