Human Rights Violations: Devadasi System as a Decadent Form of Religious Prostitution

Social and religious sanction of prostitution was known as the ‘devadasi’ system. It comprised two words, “deva” meaning God and “dasi” meaning slave or servant-woman. This system is a traditional religious practice, which is followed mainly in the southern part of India. According to this custom, small girls are dedicated to gods and goddesses, by their parents. What happens is that a devadasi is married to a deity and considered as the servant of god. She is not allowed to marry a mortal. However, the traditional religious custom was misused and abused by generations of those who were in charge of temples. They exploited these girls sexually and since then, this term is synonymous with prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation. Such inhuman treatment amounts to human rights violations.

Human Rights Violations: Prostitution in the Name of Religion

Resistance and protests, against prostitution and human rights violations stands very dim chances, due to the persistent of presence of such social evils. At present, the Devadasi system is used to promote prostitution in the name of religion. Often the very same girls are sold off to pimps, touts and bidders, by their family members, in the name of Devadasi custom.

Most of the devadasis carry out prostitution, in the disguise of religion. This is the reason that they are not covered under the jurisdiction of the Suppression of Immoral Traffic (in women and girls) Amendment Bill, 1986.

The government has passed the Prevention of Devadasis Act, 1935 and the Devadasis Samarpan Nishedhan Act, 1982 to curb this evil practice. However, no fruitful result has been obtained till date, as law alone cannot bring social changes.