Inspired by the success of sex workers of the Sonagachi red light area who fought hard to put together a Durga Puja last year, sex workers in many places across the State have been seeking the permission of the police to do the same.
Sex workers have expressed their desire to have their own puja pandals in south Kolkata’s Kalighat, north Kolkata’s Boubazar, Seoraphuli in Hooghly district, Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, Kanthi in Purba Medinipur and Durgapur in Burdwan district, said founder of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee Smarajit Jana.
“We were approached for help from women who wanted to set up puja pandals. A lot of legal formalities need to be fulfilled in order to get a pandal permission, so they seek our guidance,” Dr. Jana said.
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Except Durgapur, pandals at all the other places have been finalised. The women at Durgapur would be meeting the local councillor to obtain permission for the pandal, Dr. Jana said.
Sex workers of the city’s Sonagachi in north Kolkata were the first to start a puja pandal on their own, overcoming hurdles.
“From the very beginning, the police told us that they would not grant permission to us. They raised flimsy objections and said the area where we would set up the pandal was too small for the fire brigade to enter. They asked us to obtain permission from the High Court of Calcutta, which we did,” secretary of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee Bharati Dey said.
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“There is an unwritten rule which does not permit sex workers from participating in the festivities in Durga Puja pandals. It is frowned upon by the society when a woman belonging to a red light district visits a Puja pandal. The women at Sonagachi, thus, wanted to have their own Durga Puja where they would be in charge of everything,” Dr. Jana said.
While people have been forthcoming with their help and support, police has opposed the sex workers’ efforts from the very beginning, said Ms. Dey.
“Police are yet to give a green signal at various places. We have been asked to talk to the local councillor to set up a pandal in Kalighat. Women in Basirhat [in North 24 Pargamas district] are quite enthusiastic to follow on Sonagachi’s footsteps but have to obtain the local councillor’s clearance,” she said.
The obstacles, however, do not seem to daunt the women.
“The fact that so many women want to set up their own pandals proves that the Sonagachi pandal was a success. I’m sure, women at more places in the State will be inspired to do so in the coming years,” Ms. Dey said.