Sex slaves can be found all over parts of southern India as a result of an ancient Hindu practice that sanctifies prostitution. A Devadasi, which translates as "Servant of God," is a girl who is "dedicated" by her parents to dance at a temple. In reality, the practice of Devadasi is about selling young girls into a lifetime of prostitution for as little as £6. Although it is officially illegal,
there are tens of thousands of Devadasi working in city brothels or selling their bodies on the streets, the impoverished
victims of modern India's booming commercial flesh trade. We met 31-year-old, former Devadasi Shobha Dasti, who was pimped by her parents and systematically raped in the guise of religious devotion until she finally managed to escape. This
is her story.
Annons
mother in a dream. When she told the local priest about her vision, he
insisted that it was a sign from the goddess that she must devote me
as a Devadasi in return for my sister, who left the system a few years
earlier after marrying one of her 'patrons.' He warned her that if I
wasn't initiated then my brother would be punished by the goddess. So
it was decided that I would be sacrificed in her place."The Devadasi dedication ceremony is very much like a traditional Hindu
wedding, but without any husband. The whole community gathered
together and I was bought elaborate dresses, gold necklaces, jewels,
silver toe rings, and all the other symbols of marriage. I was only a
child and didn't understand the significance of what was happening. I
just felt happy to be the center of attention, and to be wearing a
real sari for the first time. I was becoming a woman. I remember my
sister and brother being incredibly upset about what was going on. They
kept fighting with my mother, saying 'What about her studies? Why do
you want to ruin her life?' But to me it was the most exciting day
of my life."After the initiation ceremony life went back to normal for about a
year and a half, living at home and attending school as normal. I know
now that the community were waiting for me to reach puberty. Then one
morning, when I was around 13, a male employee of a local hospital
offered my mother Rs. 500 (£6) in exchange for my virginity. It is
traditional for a Devadasi's mother or grandmother to arrange their
sexual partners, and so it was my own mother that sent me that night
to the dark X-ray room at the hospital, to be sexually abused by a
complete stranger. I had no idea what was happening to me, but I was
terrified. A marriage is supposed to be a moment of pride, of
celebration, but for me it was a crude business exchange. Even after
all these years, the memory of that night brings me to tears.
Annons
"The next encounter was with my sister's own husband, who had invested
some money in my expensive dedication ceremony. According to
tradition, the Devadasi's patron is always entitled to some return on
his investment, so as soon as he found out that the first abuse had
happened he started pestering my sister saying, 'Now I want to use
this girl, I want her to come to me.' He said that if she didn't make
it happen then he would leave her, and began simultaneously bribing my
mother with small amounts of money each week."Finally it was arranged, without my consent, that I would stay with my
sister and her husband every weekend between Friday and Sunday, during
which time I would be used by him at his will. During the week I was
still attending school and living at home, but as soon as Friday drew
near I would begin to feel sick with dread, visualising my attacker
and what was going to happen to me. It was like living in hell. The
abuse continued for almost five years, during which time became
pregnant and carried two of his children – a boy and a girl."When my daughter was a year old, I secretly joined an awareness and
protection programme for Devadasi women in the district and started
doing some volunteer work for them. I vividly remember one of the
early meetings I attended, when a lawyer came to speak about the legal
rights of women. That was the first time in my life that I had ever
heard of 'consensual sex,' and the news that the Devadasi practice was not
permissible under Indian law. That was like a bomb going off in my
head. It sounds ridiculous, but before then I never knew that it was
illegal for someone to touch me without my consent. It was then
that I started thinking about my own situation."As the months passed, the organisation started paying me a small
amount of money each month, which finally gave me the courage to say
no to my abuser. It made me independent. I knew I could take care of
myself and my children without going back to him. I said to my sister,
"You do what you want, but I am never going back.""After the first year of working, I was promoted from volunteer to a
women's group leader earning Rs. 1000 per month, of which I gave Rs.
800 to my mother to stop her from pressuring me to go back to that
man. Financially it was a struggle to buy food, bus fares and look
after my children – just basic survival – but it was worth it to be
free."Because of my past I won't ever be able to get married, but life is
very different now to what it was. I lead a womens' organisation
called MASS with 2,500 members, and have become a community
spokesperson and campaigner. Whatever happened to me as a child, I am
my own woman now, but there are still hundreds of children throughout
the country at risk of sexual exploitation – their parents acting as
their pimps."SARAH HARRIS