Thousands of sex workers stage protest in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Thousands of Devdasis (sex workers) staged a massive protest in Bengaluru on Monday demanding acceptance of their demands. The protest is being staged in Freedom Park. The agitation would continue overnight.

U. Basavaraju, the honorary president of the Karnataka Rajya Devdasi Mahileyara Vimochana Sangha, stated that the Sangha along with the Karnataka State Devdasi Women's Children's Struggle Committee has submitted memorandums many times but their demands have been totally ignored till date. The pension of Devdasis should be increased from a minimum of Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000, he said. The loan amount given to Devdasis has been reduced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 30,000. This should be increased to Rs 5 lakh, he stated.

A survey of Devdasi women's children should be conducted and the government should place no conditions to claim subsidies on marriages. Now, there is a rule that if the boy and girl of two Devdasi women get married, they will not be subsidized. They have to be married to a man or woman outside the community of Devdasis, he explained.