Consultation titled, “Engaging community in eradicating Devadasi practice” Organized by Arz

Goa Khabar : Devadasi system is a social & religious practice in India where young girls are dedicated to Hindu deity. They are supposed to be unmarried all their life. Many of these girls are sexually abused and trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation.

Arz NGO which has been working in Goa and Karnataka since last more than two decades to eradicate dedication of girls as devadasis organised a 2 days consultation of Devadasis and NGOs from Goa and Karnataka. The consultation was attended by 65 participants. The participants belong to the districts of Bellary, Bizapur, Bagalkot and Belgaum of Karnataka.

Chowgule Industries Pvt Ltd. तर्फे गोमंतकीयांना गणेशोत्सवाच्या मंगलमय शुभेच्छा!!!

In Goa nearly two decades back the girls were dedicated and pushed into prostitution in the redlight area of Baina. Similarly, in the rural areas of Karnataka, girls from Dalit community, are “forcefully dedicated”, and then sexually exploited.

Arz, NGO working in Goa has been instrumental in eradication of Devadasi practice in Baina, Vasco, Goa. Arz with the help of the local community and law enforcement agencies in Goa, managed to eradicate devadasi practice, prevalent in-migrant Dalit community from Karnataka. 

Nearly, two decades earlier it was common for the migrant dalit caste population from North Karnataka in Goa to dedicate their minor girls and forced them into prostitution in the redlight area. It was due to the intervention of Arz NGO, which in collaboration with the Goa government not only got legislation to ban dedication but was also instrumental in rescue of the girls being dedicated and with the help of police take penal action against those involved in the dedication. The last dedication which took place in Vasco, Goa was in the year 2004. In that case the mother of the victim was involved and she was convicted for 8 years by the children’s court.

Arz livelihood program, Swift Wash, played a key role in providing economic empowerment to devadasis and eradication of devadasi practice in Goa. 

During the two days consultation Arz team members shared their experience of successfully eradicating devadasi practice and stopping child prostitution. Further the participants exchanged the experience of situation of devadasi practice in their district and interventions to address the problem of devadasi practice. During the consultation strategies were discussed to prevent dedication and to get benefits from the government scheme.

The organisations participating in the consultation agreed to work together and engage with the community and law enforcement agencies in their districts and state to ensure that the practice of dedication is eradicated in Karnataka and the devadasis from Goa and Karnataka get benefits from government scheme.