NHRC pulls up Karnataka, five other states for 'continuing menace' of Devadasi system

The rights body has sought detailed reports from the states about the issue in six weeks' time

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the Centre and six states, including Karnataka, to submit reports on "continuing menace" of Devadasi system despite laws banning it.

The rights body has given six weeks time to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra to submit detailed reports.

The NHRC has asked the Centre and states to provide supporting data mentioning the steps taken or proposed to be taken to prevent the Devadasi system and to provide the Devadasis rehabilitation and social security so that they could lead their lives with dignity.

It also has sought to know whether any local laws have been enacted in the states to prevent such social evil, and if not what steps have been proposed to be taken to eradicate it.

The latest action by the NHRC came after it took suo motu cognizance of a media report on the continued menace of Devadasi system in various temples, especially in south India.

The media report claimed that most of the women who were to lead their lives as Devadasis belong to poor families and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

In the process of making a girl, a Devadasi, she is married to the deity of any temple and after that, she spends her life taking care of the priest and the daily rituals of the temple. Most of the victims are being subjected to sexual abuse. They are sexually exploited by men, made pregnant and then left with their fate, the NHRC statement said.

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments had declared the Devadasi system illegal in 1982 and 1988, respectively. Reports however, suggested that around 70,000 women are leading their lives as Devadasis in Karnataka alone.

A Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Raghunath Rao had put the number of Devadasis at 80,000 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Issuing the notices, NHRC said it had received a complaint a few years ago regarding the Devadasi system in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which the states had denied.

"Various laws have also been enacted in the past to stop the malpractice of the Devadasi system but it is still prevailing, as the news report indicates. The Supreme Court has also taken a stern stance in condemning the malpractice of dedicating young girls as Devadasis. It has described the practice as an evil done to women by subjecting them to sexual exploitation and prostitution. This is a serious issue of violation of Right to Life, Dignity and Equality of these victim women," NHRC said.