(Film review/Social commentary)
“Danza en libertad" or “Dance in Freedom”, is a documentary film directed by Spanish director Ana Pinilla in Hindi and Kannada with Spanish subtitles. It is based on the Devadasi system which was prevalent in India in ancient times. The movie says that, though illegal as of now, the system is still being practiced in many parts of Karnataka, albeit in modified forms. The film pays particular attention to the Devadasis who have been dedicated to Goddess Yellamma. It also talks about the many NGOs and social activists who are working hard to bring a complete stop to this system that degrades the dignity of women and take away their freedom to live a life of their choice.
A peep into history will show that the profession of Devadasis which was held in high esteem in the beginning had a gradual degeneration. The Devadasis of the early years of Orissa were chaste devotees who were expected to keep their virginity till their death. These girls who were devoted to the deity were considered the wives of the God/Goddess. They enjoyed very high status in the society, learned music and dance and performed regularly at the temples to please the deity.
This compulsion to preserve virginity was not a part of the Devadasi system practiced in some other parts of the country. To the contrary, the tradition in fact had unmistakable sexual undertones as well. It can even be doubted that satisfying the sexual desires of wealthy and powerful members of the male community was the most important driving force behind this tradition which continued to exist for many centuries and probably still exists illegally in some states. Traditionally, each Devadasi had a 'patron' who had exclusive 'rights' to avail sexual services from her. In certain cases the girls were free to provide her services to other males also, but the patron always enjoyed preference since it was he who paid for the maintenance of the Devadasi and her kids if any. It is beyond logic why the wives of the Gods/Goddesses were made to have sex with the mortals. If it was for sustenance, other better ways could have been devised. Many of the temples were rich enough to look after the Devadasis. Even if they were not, the devotees could have donated towards a maintenance fund, because after all, the Devadasis are the wives of the Gods on whom the devotees spend exorbitantly huge sums of money without second thoughts. Another thing that baffles me and must have confused you already is how a Devadasi, a female, can get married to a Goddess. Well, it’s not altogether impossible, but the more logical thing would have been to get a male, a Devadas, married to the Goddess. But that would not have served the interests of the 'patrons' who were the real beneficiaries. The film says that even 'untouchability' which was a strong tradition in ancient India could not deter the patrons from seeking sex from the Devadasis. Most of the Devadasis who were attached to the temples depicted in the documentary film were from the Dalit community but their castes automatically got upgraded once they became a Devadasi. The film suggests that this must have been done to facilitate the sexual escapades of the upper caste males at a relatively lower 'cost'. In fact, Indian history is full of examples of rites and rituals and traditions which were carefully formulated and meticulously followed with the sole intention of exploitation: exploitation of the weak, of the illiterate and of the womenfolk. But nobody dared to question them if they were practiced in the name of religion. However, things changed for the better during the Reformist movements of the 19th and the 20th centuries.
With foreign invasion of the country the wealth of the temples and the clout of the kings who were the patrons of the temples declined. This was one among the many reasons which contributed to the fall of the Devadasi system. The Devadasis lost their patrons and with nowhere to go they were like fishes out of water. The only way forward, which was also the logical continuation of what they were already doing, was to move to organized prostitution. Many devadasis migrated to other towns and cities to become sex workers and to thus earn a living.
THE KARNATAKA DEVADASIS (PROHIBITION OF DEDICATION) ACT, 1982, says: “Notwithstanding any custom or law to the contrary, the dedication of a woman as a devadasi, whether before or after the commencement of this Act and whether she has consented to such dedication or not, is hereby declared unlawful, void and to be of no effect and any woman so dedicated shall not thereby be deemed to have become incapable of entering into a valid marriage.” "Dedication" means the performance of any act or ceremony, by whatever name called, by which a woman is dedicated to the service of any deity, idol, object of worship, temple, other religious institutions or places of worship ; and "devadasi" means a woman so dedicated.
Thus the Devadasi tradition was made illegal in the state of Karnataka with good intentions and great hopes. But the rehabilitation programmes didn’t work as proposed and practically most of the devadasis were left to fend for themselves. The law may have prevented many girls from being dedicated, but the social and economic conditions of the earlier decades which must have been the real cause behind the religious prostitution, still remains unchanged. Many inhabitants of the backward villages still live in abject poverty and in miserable living conditions. No wonder then that the Devadasi system still continues in Karnataka, as the film claims, by evading the law.
We would have been forced to look at the Devadasi system from a totally different angle had the girls been becoming Devadasis out of their own choice. But it was hardly so. Why would a girl willingly choose a life of desolation? In many cases they were being forcibly dedicated as a Devadasi by their mothers who were Devadasis themselves. The film asks why any mother would push her daughter into prostitution which has been the almost certain consequence of being dedicated as a Devadasi. The interviews in the film throws up some answers too, however unconvincing or illogical they may be. The mothers of prospective Devadasis hold that since they are Devadasis and their grandmothers and great grandmothers too have been, their daughters too are bound by tradition to become a Devadasi. But the truth is, the film says, that the poverty stricken stomach is not allowing the Devadasis to exit the system.
The film focuses exclusively on Devadasis, but it is worth mentioning here that there is a parallel in Christianity, although the characteristics are quite dissimilar: a nun is considered to be the bride of Jesus Christ. Kerala is a state where Christianity has established its roots so firmly ever since St.Thomas set his holy foot on the Kerala soil in AD 52. It is generally said, although without proof, that some of the young nuns who take the vows of ‘Poverty, Chastity and Obedience’ in Kerala are not doing so out of their own wish. Some from poor families are emotionally forced to become nuns since their parents are not wealthy enough to marry them off. If this is true, the number of nuns in Kerala will increase in coming years, given the importance of gold ornaments in Kerala weddings and the ever increasing price of gold! In certain other cases, the parents decide on their own that one of their daughters will become a nun in return for favours received by the family from the Almighty. There is an economic rationale in the former case, and a religious rationale in the latter. But the disagreeable aspect which is common in both the cases is that the girl is not having any say in these affairs. However, a nun in Kerala cannot be even remotely compared with a Devadasi. A nun leads a respectable life devoted to the God and the Church and enjoys a very high status in society. They remain a virgin till their death. They are not exploited, neither sexually nor otherwise. They are at a disadvantage only to the extent that they are not able to rear kids and lead a normal family life. However, girls who are forced to become a nun are a small minority only and most of the nuns are devout followers who willingly chose celibacy over family life to devote themselves to the God and, more importantly, to the mankind. My only intention is to point out, without any disrespect to any community or profession, that the ways in which society forces some of its female members into roles unsuitable for them and the reasons behind the society's doing so have remained unchanged over the centuries.
The NGOs which have been featured in the film, some headed by former Devadasis, are doing the best they can to eradicate the Devadasi system and to bring respectability to the lives of the women who had been victims of the system. But it is not an easy task. The film shows the daughter of a former devadasi who, although hopeful about a better tomorrow, talks about the social stigma attached to being the daughter of a devadasi. We can well imagine the plight of such children in schools and other public places.
But the film does offer a hint of hope. The NGO members are enthusiastic, hopeful and hardworking. Many among the younger generation don’t want to follow the footsteps of their Devadasi mothers. They know that, if they can weather the storm, education can take them places. Yes, education, as always, is the path to salvation: For a fresh beginning and to bury the past behind.
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