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| The dark street leads to a darker life. |
Images and text by Omkar Narvekar
Just behind the famous Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati temple lies the red light area of Pune city in Budhwar Peth. The place is located in the heart of the old city of Pune. The paradox about the place is that it has brothel at one side and the first girls school of Maharashtra the other. The area is a tale of both the places which show the struggle of girls in the past. While some ended in uniforms, some were left with no option and were forced into prostitution. Now, 171 years after the school was established, it is sad to see women of both the places still fighting for equal rights.
There is an interesting graffiti work at the start of the area. The left art work says 'Drishtikon badla' which means 'change your outlook,' and it has a woman staring from the right side. Hats off to the artist to paint something this powerful. According to recent data, it is known that there are 1,500 women living in the brothels.
It is no surprise that the sex workers are looked down in disdain in India. Their profession is considered as a taboo. Gone are the days, when they used to be respected and be regarded as 'Nagarvadhus' (brides of town). However, people believe that these brothels help in decreasing the rape count in some ways. It is high time we consider them as an equal and give them an identity.
One thing I noticed about such areas, be it in Mumbai or Pune, that there are always goddesses protecting them. A woman understands a woman after all, it is time for the men to stand by them and not behind them.
The Beats is a team of independent and unconventional young journalists seeking to connect people and help make sense of the topsy-turvy world through the eyes of the youth. We curate content that is thoroughly analysed, fact-checked and unbiased in the form of write-ups and videos. Although we like classics and contemporaries, we are here to give voice to the unheard and shout out to the whispers. The Beats is a non-partisan organisation delivering multi-dimensional news of the millennials, by the millennials and for the millennials that reflects the essence of neutrality. We are the New in News.
Superb Omkar, I didn't know you have this art to focus. Lovely, keep it up. The subject is explosive & needs full social backing,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you.
Thank you very much. This is what 'The Beats' thrives on. We will keep on getting more social articles published soon. Thank you very much for your kind words.
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