Sonagachi sex workers hold 14th Durga Puja amid resistance, seek mainstream acceptance

Kolkata: The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), a collective of sex workers in Sonagachi, inaugurated its 14th Durga Puja on Wednesday, October 14. Sonagachi is one of India’s largest red-light districts. The event took place amid resistance from some local residents, organisers said.

Bishakha Laskar, secretary of DMSC, told The Hindu that the community has long faced social stigma. “People always thought sex workers are sub-humans, why do they need to celebrate Durga Puja? Even to get this much space we had to go to the High Court. But problems are far from over, even now locals find new problems with our puja every year,” she said.

Ms Laskar said that on the day of the inauguration, some locals alleged that the stage was bigger than permitted and tried to create a scuffle. She added that neither local residents nor neighbourhood clubs were willing to cooperate with the sex workers to organise their own Durga Puja.

According to the organisers, sex workers often feel judged and unwelcome when they visit other pujas. This is why they decided to start their own, despite considerable resistance. “We organise these events because it is also our safe space. But, one day we hope to become part of the mainstream so that we do not need separate pujas for marginalised people like us. We want to be able to participate in every puja like the rest of the society,” said Ismail, the son of a sex worker, during the ceremony.

A guest at the event said that a society cannot progress if it does not offer rights to sex workers and treat them as equal citizens. The organisers said that the number of participants and guests had increased in recent years. Local MLAs, ministers, social activists, college students, and residents now visit the puja to pay their respects, which they see as an indication of change.

The puja also highlights a longstanding tradition in Kolkata. The Durga idol is considered incomplete without a little clay from the courtyard of sex workers. Kumartuli, the city’s prominent potters’ colony, is a stone’s throw away from Sonagachi. Every year, artisans traditionally collect clay from the courtyard of sex workers to make Durga idols. Yet the women whose courtyards contribute to the making of the idols have often felt unwelcome at the pujas where they are worshipped. So they started their own, reclaiming their space and agency.

Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh, who was present at the inauguration, said he would always stand in support of sex workers and do what he can to make things better for them. “The men who come here to pay for sex and those who traffic women into the sex trade are not questioned, but women who enter sex work have to bear the burden of society’s judgement. How is that okay? A civilised society should not accept this,” Mr Ghosh said.

The DMSC has been organising the Durga Puja for 14 years. For the community, the event is not only a religious celebration but also an assertion of their right to participate in public life with dignity. Under the Constitution, all citizens are guaranteed equality before the law and the right to life with dignity. The continued resistance, however, shows how far society still has to go, organisers said.

While the puja has drawn more visitors over the years, the organisers say acceptance remains incomplete. They hope that one day separate pujas for marginalised groups will not be necessary, and that sex workers will be able to join Durga Puja celebrations anywhere without fear or judgement.