Sex workers' Durga puja shelved

The rigours of getting court permission every year to organise their Durga puja has made sex workers of Sonagachhi discontinue their celebrations this time.

Started in 2013, the community puja has been shelved because sex workers are tired of begging for permission, hoping the state administration would grant their wish.

The Durga puja at Sonagachhi, arguably the largest red light district in Asia, has been organised by Durbar Mahila Samannay Committee, a body that represents the voice of thousands of sex workers operating from hundreds of buildings in an area spread over nearly 2 sq km in north Kolkata. After organising Durga puja for the last three years, they decided to shelve it this year, unhappy that the government makes it difficult every year.

“We cannot run from pillar to post every year to obtain permission,” Durbar secretary Bharati Dey said. She pointed out that since they started the community Durga puja in 2013, they have faced hurdles from the police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. “Every year for the last three years we had to move court to obtain permission after the police and KMC turned down our application. This year we don’t want to so much trouble,” she added.

Durbar members, who include both working sex workers as well as retired ones, pointed out that traditionally they have played an integral role in Durga puja since idol makers can start working on a Durga idol only with a lump of clay from the doorstep of a brothel.

“Despite this, we have been made to beg for permission when we wanted to organise our own Durga puja,” said Shikha Das, another Durbar office-bearer. Among the nearly 2,500 community Durga puja marquees in Kolkata, the one at Sonagachhi was the only one organised by sex workers.

Dey pointed out that the first year they organised Durga puja with a budget of Rs 2 lakh, armed with a Calcutta High Court directive. The next two years too, they faced obstacles from the authorities until the court stepped in. In 2015 they held the puja at a rented community hall in the neighbourhood. “We don’t want to go to court every time we want to organise Durga puja. Local clubs organise community pujas in the area without hassles but authorities have problems when it comes to us,” Dey complained.

The objections of the city police and the civic body have remained unclear. “This time they haven’t applied so I cannot comment on it,” was all Deputy Commissioner (North) Subhankar Sinha Roy of Kolkata Police said. While a senior police official stated that permission to Durbar’s Durga puja faces problems every time because they hold it in a narrow lane, causing congestion.