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Govt apathy ‘forces’ Badis to sell themselves again
GULARIYA, MAY 13 -
Most Badi women in Bardiya district have returned to their old profession -- prostitution.
At a press conference in Gulariya on Thursday, women from the Badi community admitted they are into the profession once again and laid the blame on the government for it.
They accused the government of not implementing the agreement it had signed with the Badi people in 2007.
As per the agreement, the government was to launch a rehabilitation and employment programme focusing on the economically and socially downtrodden community, originally entertainers -- musicians, dancers and singers. The women of the community later took up prostitution out of abject poverty, while the male members of the community played the procurer’s role.
“After the agreement in 2007, we thought our community would finally get to lead a respectful life with a respected profession, but the government reneged on its promise,” said Shanti Nepali of Rajapur-6.
Another Badi girl, Gita Nepali, said she had to resume her profession to survive.
She had opened a teashop as an alternative, but people would not visit her shop as she belonged to the so-called ‘low caste.’ “I went back to prostitution as my tea business did not fare well,” she said.
Social acceptance is something that the Badi community has been struggling with for long now.
Although the government has outlawed discrimination of all forms against the community, many people still deem them as an impure and untouchable lot.
Posted on: 2010-05-14 08:08
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