There is yet another angle to our Hindu “fashionable feminist” defence of the right of the sex workers, devadasis and bar-dancers. As of today, these three categories of professions are reserved mainly for Dalits. But once these professions start attracting very high salary, Dalits will be pushed out and Brahmin and other upper caste women will monopolise these professions.
We have the famous precedent of Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu where temple dancing and singing were once reserved for Dalit women. As the dance attracted attention and gained popularity, the Dalit women are quietly edged out and the Brahmins took over the job of singing and dancing. M.S. Subbulakshmi, Vyjayantimala, the two famous Devadasl women, were co-opted and made famous. A Brahmin married MS. Bharatanatyam is today an upper caste monopoly. So also, Lata Mangeshkar and her sisters belonged to the same profession attached to the Mangeshkar temple in Goa.
Whether it is the Bombay Red Light Area prostitutes, bar dancers or devadasis — now despised being a Dalit profession— will overnight attract Brahmin women once it becomes a lucrative profession. If a bar-dancer gets Rs. 20,000 for a night’s show, there will be no room for Dalits in the profession.
That is why our upper caste fashionable feminists are supporting the bar-dancers “right” to choose their profession and thus gradually prepare the ground for their daughters, nieces of fake over. Beware of the fashionable feminists and their time passala women’s organisations — EDITOR.
