Karnataka State Devadasi Women Liberation Organisation and Karnataka State Devadasi Children’s Agitation Committee have launched a movement to prevent dedication of and to abolish the Devadasi system completely.
Honorary State president of the organisation U. Basavaraj, addressing Devadasis in Kalaburagi on Wednesday, said that a three-day State-level agitation has been organised at Freedom Park in Bengaluru starting December 28 demanding rights for Devadasi and their children.
Despite legislation abolishing the practice of Devadasi system, the evil practice of dedicating girls to temples continues. The Devadasi system is still prevalent in some parts of India, but the absence of reliable statistics on the prevalence of the Devadasi practice is one of the main obstacles to understanding why it is not diminishing, he said.
Mr. Basavaraj said that caste domination, religious beliefs, poor enforcement of laws, poverty, patriarchy system and lack of awareness are some of the reasons that women and girls become victims of this social evil.
He urged the State government to provide alternative sources of income generating programmes for sustainable livelihood of Devadasis. The stigma attached to the children of Devadasis prevents them from continuing their education. The government has to rehabilitate Devadasis and provide shelter homes and extend monetary assistance to their families.
In the ancient period, the Devadasi system was meant to honor deities through dance, but it has been marred by exploitation and abuse over time. The practice often leads to trafficking and sexual exploitation, Mr. Basavaraj said.
Activists Meenakshi Bali, Shrimant Biradar and Sudhama Dhanni were present.
