Help! Ex-Devadasis

    Imagine yourself being a slave in a free country, sounds scary, isn't it? Now imagine not just being a slave but a forced sex slave from the age of 5 or 6. Imagine when due to wrong practices and misleading myths you have been forced to become a sex slave under the title of temple prostitute. Imagine taking the name of god and doing worst possible things, not allowing a person to live freely, forcing her to become a sex-worker just for some money and our corrupted practices of past. I was literally in tears and my heart is grieved to see the video.1

The Problem:    You must be thinking its past which I talk about, or mystic land where this practices take place but don't be surprise its in India(Kappalguddi, Karnataka, India) and still this practice is going on. Yes the tradition where this women are called Devadasi,2 (meaning: ‘servant of God’) system involved dedicating a girl, as young as 5-6 years of age, to the temple Goddess. This meant that she would spend her entire life serving the temple and was not allowed to marry anyone else. The system was abused by the rich and the powerful who began to force the young Devadasis to sleep with them.Over the years, the Devadasis were reduced to being incorrectly termed 'temple prostitutes'. This merciless practice, though illegal and outlawed, still exists in certain small towns of India and its stigma continues to cling to the women who attempt an escape. Because of the social stigma around their roles, employment opportunities are denied to them. It is a vicious cycle where future generations too, are drawn into this ruthless system3. I am sure many of us are not even aware of such practices and even though its illegal its still going on, you want to know why?

    Logic is simple, do you remember the old hindi line which says “Kalank kajal se kali”  (blemish is more blank than collyrium) which indicates or really means that once you are blemish in the society you cannot walk with dignity. Imagine everyone calling you names “whore” ,“slut”, “prostitute” and they even don't know they didn't chose to be their and they didn't want to be there but we leave no option for them. Either they die or they choose to remain in the same trade. They don't want to beg. We all dislike beggars and we always complain, “why can't they work?” They can't work because no one in the society want to give work to them. Remember old slave story of America when the law was passed and slavery was illegal, now suddenly there was freedom and they didn't knew what to do and how to do? So many of them continued to serve their master’s willingly.But few who fought and struggled hard to make their position in the society. So its not very different story here, there are group of women who are no longer Devadasis but they are struggling with the society, with the financial struggle to support them and their family, their many objective now remains to stop and abolish this practice and give a better future to the next generation. They are like helpless birds trapped in a prison. Even animal right activist don't allow to treat animals like the way human are treated by our society.

Change:    But what if I want to say there are few changes, what if I say the birds inside the cage are restless to come out now, what if I say they want to live in dignity they want to spread awareness that same should not be repeated with someone else. What it they are courageous enough to take a stand, will you stand beside them. What if I say they just need ordinary people like you and me to help them. What if I say with a small help they can become independent.As they don't get jobs and ill-treated by the rich, many of them want to become self-employed and want to work with their own hands also teach others and help other who are still in the same trade and want to bring the change in society.They want to become enterpreneur and they are not only thinking about themselves but for other similar women who are trapped in viscous cycle they need a small help to break through. They want the same dignity as we have. They are also fellow humans like us, they also want to live an independent and a happy life. They are eager to help others because who else will know the pain better than them, they have experienced it for years. They know the pain and they want to change it. All the need a chance. We all make mistakes and look for a chance to change but here they made no mistakes but they are asking for a chance for the mistake we made. For justice to be done with them they are eager to change this. Will you help them?

Act/Help:     Lets be practical now. What can we do? The need is certainly vast. But what if I say lets help people and group one at a time.Lets take small steps to begin with. And as I said they want to start new business they need help financially, now you will think they are asking for donation and we don't have money to donate because we have so many things to do and we earn very less but its not donation but its lending money. Yes, you can give loan to the group of people who want to start a new business on their own and after certain period of time you will get back your money which you can pay it forward. And guess what its like you don't have to give a large chunk of money but you can begin as small as Rs.500(what a cost of two movie tickets/ a good dinner at your favorite restaurant). Trust me if we share our resources in right way and it reaches the right person who is impacting others, this world will become better place to stay. Think your help will change and touch so many lives. There will be so many employment opportunity because of this help. You will be helping group of people to get back their dignity, to get back their life at their terms freely and they can live like us. And they will be really thankful for your help and I am sure they will be encouraged to help others. And your kindness will reach miles and miles away.

There are plenty of reasons why you should give, if you want to refresh you memory and looking for reasons read this.4

For donation lending money join me on: http://fundraiser.milaap.org/campaigns/Sushant You can make payments using your Credit/Debit cards, Netbanking.

Milap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zha3iaLbHHA

#Hopeproject an initiative by milaap and Indiblogger
#http://milaap.org/fund/lalita-k-harijan-and-group/2035?&referrer_id=8951

Disclaimer: All images are copied from the Internet via Google Images

References:

1:http://milaap.org/campaigns/hope and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k026QTnKlqQ

2:http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/21/devadasi-india-sex-work-religion

3:http://milaap.org/campaigns/hope

4:http://www.openbible.info/topics/giving_to_the_needy

Social Saturdays: Crime ki kehke lenge

HALAAT INSAAN KO CRIMINAL BANA SAKTE HAIN

Recently the serial going on Red FM 93.5 called Crime ki keh ke Lenge Season 2. Though the name sounds a bit weird and a slang. But I really liked the concept of the program please read the tag line in there own language as below

Source: http://delhi.redfm.in

“Kabhi halaat toh kabhi dhokhadhadi ke shikar kuch log sahi aur galat raste mein fark nahin kar paate. Aur hamesha ke liye un par criminal ka thappa lag jaata hai.

Par wahi log badalne ki than lein toh kya aap unhein sahi rasta dikhayeinge?! Kya aap Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge?Aapka pledge kiya hua amount jayega Delhi police ke Yuva foundtation ko jo aise hi naujawaano ko apne pairon par khada hone mein madad kar rahi hai. Aaiye aur support kijiye Red FM ke iss initiative ko taaki phir koi majboor galat raah par na jaaye.

Red FM Morning No. 1 pe Swati aur Rocky ke saath Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge Season 2, Badlaav ka ek mauka banta hai.”

It basically a program where the call up some people who were arrested for wrong reasons and other times they were mistreated by police and the community. Other times they were cheated and sometimes they were forced to do wrong things. Some people are really innocent and just somehow trapped in the big net of trafficking. Law and system not able to solve all the cases and even if they do, how are those people treated in the society. Do we accept them back as normal human beings or just as downcast criminals.

Once you are labeled as criminal, you are always labeled life long, no matter even if they want to live a normal life again, are we willing to give them second chance. We play a very crucial role in this society by being a good samaritan. But think of it they are humans but not treated as one. They are thought as threat to the society and thus there is no employment for them and they are forced to take the road to crime. There are n number of stories where we are know the victim was just a poor man and he was blamed and he could not defend himself, maybe because lack of proper education and improper knowledge about one’s right given by the country. How many mafias force small kids in some kind of crime just because of their tender age and improper knowledge and for easy money.

Then comes the part of society where we look down to them. As the Bible clearly says that “we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” and none of us are perfect. We all sin some or other way. You know I always think we the white collar people are so called “good” not by choice but its just lack of opportunity. A survey was done and asked people if you have a chance to rape a girl and probability of getting caught is nil; 90% people say they will do that. So think of it, aren't we similar to those criminals in our minds. But then we are white collar people after all the so called society is good because of us and those criminals are pests and they should be terminated from the country thats what we think. We never think what goes unto their lives who are in prison due to wrong reasons and even after they are free from the prison we create a virtual prison for them by labeling them “Criminals” and black color people. There is no mercy, forgiveness for them.We are humans we are bound to make mistakes and we are bound to make mistakes again and again. And if we make mistakes we need forgiveness from each other. We make mistakes again and again. Forgiveness is something we long for but we don't forgive other people because of one thing thats proud and ego and this brings a difference in the society of bad and good. If we accept our mistakes and if we forgive mistakes of others I think a lot of crimes can be stopped at very early stage. People don't chose to become criminals but the society forces them to become one, we have heard many times in so many places but it doesn't make any difference in our lives. Monsters are not born by themselves but society create them, its mostly our ego which stands against us. We talk about equality but not about forgiveness and second chance. Second chance what do you mean by that, I mean to accept them, to love them, to look at them with same respect we give to others. And as the golden rule of Bible says “Do unto others what you would like them to do to you” Matthew 7:12. Wear their shoes for sometime and think how they feel and what if you or some of your beloved are in their place how will you feel if the society looks down to you.“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them friends.” so said Abraham Lincoln and if we want to see a positive change in our lives and a criminal free society the formula is clear not to make new monsters/criminals in society by hating them but turning them into honest men and allowing them to become self respected and doing good jobs.

You might have heard the song: “Everyone needs forgiveness,The kindness of a Saviour;”  And the Saviour Jesus who forgave us said that you shall be forgiven if you forgive others. And if we give chance to those people they will be more than willing to live a better life.  

If you think they deserve a second chance with you join Red FM and Delhi Police Yuva foundation to get this people a better and a respectful job. Please visit http://delhi.redfm.in/pledge/index.aspx to support them. Come let us make a crime free society.