30 years after being outlawed, Devadasi system still haunts victims

In a stark example of how the shackles of the Devadasi system have been haunting its victims for generations, a woman from a Devadasi family asked officials and experts on Tuesday about the rule that mandates her to provide the name of the father to get government benefits.

At an event organised by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and the Children of India Foundation for consultation on a bill for comprehensive development of Devadasi women and their children, victims of the system raised some of the pertinent issues.

A woman from Koppal sought changes in the rules to save them from the perpetuation of suffering. “I come from a family, generations of which were caught in the Devadasi system. I struggled against that system and got an education. I do not know the name of my father. However, the name of the father is mandatory in applications to get any government benefit. Officials look at me and advise that I write any name. It is a humiliating experience. It is also one of the reasons why many Devadasi women quit education and are reluctant to avail themselves of benefits,” she said.

A woman from Davangere said though the state brought law for the prohibition of Devadasi system in 1982, the practice continued. “I have not received the monthly pension because my name was not included in the survey conducted by the government in the 90s,” she added.

Devadasis and their family members from Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and other districts shared their stories.

KSLSA Secretary H Shashidhara Shetty said the authority would help the women get justice. “There is a need to bring pressure on the government to set right such injustice. If the government doesn’t listen, we will give the necessary support to fight against the system,” he said.

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