... willingness of their families to push them into flesh trade, the seedy dance bars of Mumbai ...
From dance bars to school: Bedia girls on reforms path
Eram Agha | TNN | Dec 27, 2015, 04.36 AM ISTHighlights
• Bedia girls used to entertain artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal.
• During British rule, men started going to them for “amusement, dance, pleasure”, which became the trademark of the tribe.
• Today, 90% of families “don’t send their daughters away” rather they are sending them to schools.It is believed that Bedia girls from UP’s Basai village used to entertain artisans who came to build Taj Mahal.• Bedia girls used to entertain artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal.
It is believed that Bedia girls from UP’s Basai village used to entertain artisans who came to build Taj Mahal.
BASAI (AGRA): Known as much for their beauty as the willingness of their families to push them into flesh trade, the seedy dance bars of Mumbai for long were where one would find pretty Bedia girls from Basai and other parts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. They came in hordes, spent their youth there and as age dimmed their looks got sucked into Maximum City's dark underbelly. The men, used to the money that their daughters brought home, shunned work and hit the bottle, happily killing every little girl's dream of school and education - generation after generation.
The late 1990s and early 2000 saw the traffic from these parts, especially to Maharashtra, hit an all-time high. But, quietly and slowly, things are changing in Basai. Bedia girls go to school now and in the last 15 years some have become doctors and management professionals. Many here say the credit for this mostly goes to formation of the Gandarbh Samaj Utthan Evam Jagriti Samiti, an organisation formed to sensitise the Bedia men to take care of their girls and to rid their village of the blot. Members of the samiti locked up erring men, used persuasion as well as force to instill in them the value of education for their daughters, and to help them join India's growing workforce of women.
It is believed that Bedia girls entertained artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal. Later, during the British rule, men started going to the village for "amusement, dance, pleasure", which gradually became the trademark of the tribe.
Today, however, according to activists, 90% of families "don't send their daughters away". As a TOI team found out, there is a bright glimmer of hope now in what was perhaps one of UP's most maligned hearts of darkness.
"We have changed," a woman said, adding, "Men have started working. Earlier they were happy to live like parasites off their daughters." To emphasise her contention, she pointed in the distance to men running tea stalls and snacks shops. She added, "Our daughters are getting married now. Every house has a daughter who is married or is going to school. Some have become doctors. If this is not change, what is?"
Her husband Arjun Singh, who works at a car servicing centre, said two of their daughters are studying to become pilots. But this change did not come easy. "When I was young, I saw men thronging our village for our daughters," Singh recounted. "What followed was police raids. On one occasion, my wife too was put behind bars. This kind of disgrace won't do in these modern times."
Singh's daughter Alisha is in class 12 now and studies commerce. "Pursuing education is a must for us, for our future to be secure," she said. "Though there are still some who pass lewd remarks at us, we have grown to ignore all that. In fact, even some of my friends tease me saying I must be having a lot of 'fun' after school," she said.
Not that it is easier for the men. Atma Ram, a graduate looking for a job, said, "I go for an interview and people look at me and say 'why would a man from Basai need a job?' They forget times have changed and that we have changed. We are educated now."
An elderly Bedia man, who has been part of the Samiti for years, starts counting on his fingertips and says, "The house you see on your left has four daughters - one preparing for medical, one for CA (chartered accountant), and the other two for boards. The house on your right has three daughters, two are married. Every house is sending their daughters to school."
Chandra Sen Taplu, an activist and one of the founding members of the Samiti, said, "The work we started in the 1990s has borne some fruit. People thought this is what they were born to do. Now they think different."
Ashok Kumar Singh, the circle officer at Fatehabad, under whose jurisdiction Basai falls, said, "I can't talk about the past but since I have been posted here there have been no raids by the police in this area. People have acquired education and many have migrated to other cities to look for work that is dignified. There is change, of course."
• During British rule, men started going to them for “amusement, dance, pleasure”, which became the trademark of the tribe.
• Today, 90% of families “don’t send their daughters away” rather they are sending them to schools.It is believed that Bedia girls from UP’s Basai village used to entertain artisans who came to build Taj Mahal.• Bedia girls used to entertain artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal.
It is believed that Bedia girls from UP’s Basai village used to entertain artisans who came to build Taj Mahal.BASAI (AGRA): Known as much for their beauty as the willingness of their families to push them into flesh trade, the seedy dance bars of Mumbai for long were where one would find pretty Bedia girls from Basai and other parts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. They came in hordes, spent their youth there and as age dimmed their looks got sucked into Maximum City's dark underbelly. The men, used to the money that their daughters brought home, shunned work and hit the bottle, happily killing every little girl's dream of school and education - generation after generation.
The late 1990s and early 2000 saw the traffic from these parts, especially to Maharashtra, hit an all-time high. But, quietly and slowly, things are changing in Basai. Bedia girls go to school now and in the last 15 years some have become doctors and management professionals. Many here say the credit for this mostly goes to formation of the Gandarbh Samaj Utthan Evam Jagriti Samiti, an organisation formed to sensitise the Bedia men to take care of their girls and to rid their village of the blot. Members of the samiti locked up erring men, used persuasion as well as force to instill in them the value of education for their daughters, and to help them join India's growing workforce of women.
It is believed that Bedia girls entertained artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal. Later, during the British rule, men started going to the village for "amusement, dance, pleasure", which gradually became the trademark of the tribe.
Today, however, according to activists, 90% of families "don't send their daughters away". As a TOI team found out, there is a bright glimmer of hope now in what was perhaps one of UP's most maligned hearts of darkness.
"We have changed," a woman said, adding, "Men have started working. Earlier they were happy to live like parasites off their daughters." To emphasise her contention, she pointed in the distance to men running tea stalls and snacks shops. She added, "Our daughters are getting married now. Every house has a daughter who is married or is going to school. Some have become doctors. If this is not change, what is?"
Her husband Arjun Singh, who works at a car servicing centre, said two of their daughters are studying to become pilots. But this change did not come easy. "When I was young, I saw men thronging our village for our daughters," Singh recounted. "What followed was police raids. On one occasion, my wife too was put behind bars. This kind of disgrace won't do in these modern times."
Singh's daughter Alisha is in class 12 now and studies commerce. "Pursuing education is a must for us, for our future to be secure," she said. "Though there are still some who pass lewd remarks at us, we have grown to ignore all that. In fact, even some of my friends tease me saying I must be having a lot of 'fun' after school," she said.
Not that it is easier for the men. Atma Ram, a graduate looking for a job, said, "I go for an interview and people look at me and say 'why would a man from Basai need a job?' They forget times have changed and that we have changed. We are educated now."
An elderly Bedia man, who has been part of the Samiti for years, starts counting on his fingertips and says, "The house you see on your left has four daughters - one preparing for medical, one for CA (chartered accountant), and the other two for boards. The house on your right has three daughters, two are married. Every house is sending their daughters to school."
Chandra Sen Taplu, an activist and one of the founding members of the Samiti, said, "The work we started in the 1990s has borne some fruit. People thought this is what they were born to do. Now they think different."
Ashok Kumar Singh, the circle officer at Fatehabad, under whose jurisdiction Basai falls, said, "I can't talk about the past but since I have been posted here there have been no raids by the police in this area. People have acquired education and many have migrated to other cities to look for work that is dignified. There is change, of course."
Basai, Uttar Pradesh 282001
BASAI (AGRA): Known as much for their beauty as the willingness of their families to push them into flesh trade, the seedy dance bars of Mumbai for long were where one would find pretty Bedia girls from Basai and other parts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. They came in hordes, spent their youth there and as age dimmed their looks got sucked into Maximum City's dark underbelly. The men, used to the money that their daughters brought home, shunned work and hit the bottle, happily killing every little girl's dream of school and education - generation after generation.
The late 1990s and early 2000 saw the traffic from these parts, especially to Maharashtra, hit an all-time high. But, quietly and slowly, things are changing in Basai. Bedia girls go to school now and in the last 15 years some have become doctors and management professionals. Many here say the credit for this mostly goes to formation of the Gandarbh Samaj Utthan Evam Jagriti Samiti, an organisation formed to sensitise the Bedia men to take care of their girls and to rid their village of the blot. Members of the samiti locked up erring men, used persuasion as well as force to instill in them the value of education for their daughters, and to help them join India's growing workforce of women.
It is believed that Bedia girls entertained artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal. Later, during the British rule, men started going to the village for "amusement, dance, pleasure", which gradually became the trademark of the tribe.
Today, however, according to activists, 90% of families "don't send their daughters away". As a TOI team found out, there is a bright glimmer of hope now in what was perhaps one of UP's most maligned hearts of darkness.
"We have changed," a woman said, adding, "Men have started working. Earlier they were happy to live like parasites off their daughters." To emphasise her contention, she pointed in the distance to men running tea stalls and snacks shops. She added, "Our daughters are getting married now. Every house has a daughter who is married or is going to school. Some have become doctors. If this is not change, what is?"
Her husband Arjun Singh, who works at a car servicing centre, said two of their daughters are studying to become pilots. But this change did not come easy. "When I was young, I saw men thronging our village for our daughters," Singh recounted. "What followed was police raids. On one occasion, my wife too was put behind bars. This kind of disgrace won't do in these modern times."
Singh's daughter Alisha is in class 12 now and studies commerce. "Pursuing education is a must for us, for our future to be secure," she said. "Though there are still some who pass lewd remarks at us, we have grown to ignore all that. In fact, even some of my friends tease me saying I must be having a lot of 'fun' after school," she said.
Not that it is easier for the men. Atma Ram, a graduate looking for a job, said, "I go for an interview and people look at me and say 'why would a man from Basai need a job?' They forget times have changed and that we have changed. We are educated now."
An elderly Bedia man, who has been part of the Samiti for years, starts counting on his fingertips and says, "The house you see on your left has four daughters - one preparing for medical, one for CA (chartered accountant), and the other two for boards. The house on your right has three daughters, two are married. Every house is sending their daughters to school."
Chandra Sen Taplu, an activist and one of the founding members of the Samiti, said, "The work we started in the 1990s has borne some fruit. People thought this is what they were born to do. Now they think different."
Ashok Kumar Singh, the circle officer at Fatehabad, under whose jurisdiction Basai falls, said, "I can't talk about the past but since I have been posted here there have been no raids by the police in this area. People have acquired education and many have migrated to other cities to look for work that is dignified. There is change, of course."
Basai is a Village in Fatehabad Tehsil in Agra District of Uttar Pradesh State . History and Detailed Information guide of Basai , People and near by Tourist ...
Satellite and street maps of Basai village (1584200) in Agra Tehsil of Agra district in Uttar Pradesh, India, data provided by Google maps database.
BASAI (AGRA): Known as much for their beauty as the willingness of their families to push them into flesh trade, the seedy dance bars of Mumbai for long were where one would find pretty Bedia girls from Basai and other parts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. They came in hordes, spent their youth there and as age dimmed their looks got sucked into Maximum City's dark underbelly. The men, used to the money that their daughters brought home, shunned work and hit the bottle, happily killing every little girl's dream of school and education - generation after generation.
The late 1990s and early 2000 saw the traffic from these parts, especially to Maharashtra, hit an all-time high. But, quietly and slowly, things are changing in Basai. Bedia girls go to school now and in the last 15 years some have become doctors and management professionals. Many here say the credit for this mostly goes to formation of the Gandarbh Samaj Utthan Evam Jagriti Samiti, an organisation formed to sensitise the Bedia men to take care of their girls and to rid their village of the blot. Members of the samiti locked up erring men, used persuasion as well as force to instill in them the value of education for their daughters, and to help them join India's growing workforce of women.
It is believed that Bedia girls entertained artisans who came to build the Taj Mahal. Later, during the British rule, men started going to the village for "amusement, dance, pleasure", which gradually became the trademark of the tribe.
Today, however, according to activists, 90% of families "don't send their daughters away". As a TOI team found out, there is a bright glimmer of hope now in what was perhaps one of UP's most maligned hearts of darkness.
"We have changed," a woman said, adding, "Men have started working. Earlier they were happy to live like parasites off their daughters." To emphasise her contention, she pointed in the distance to men running tea stalls and snacks shops. She added, "Our daughters are getting married now. Every house has a daughter who is married or is going to school. Some have become doctors. If this is not change, what is?"
Her husband Arjun Singh, who works at a car servicing centre, said two of their daughters are studying to become pilots. But this change did not come easy. "When I was young, I saw men thronging our village for our daughters," Singh recounted. "What followed was police raids. On one occasion, my wife too was put behind bars. This kind of disgrace won't do in these modern times."
Singh's daughter Alisha is in class 12 now and studies commerce. "Pursuing education is a must for us, for our future to be secure," she said. "Though there are still some who pass lewd remarks at us, we have grown to ignore all that. In fact, even some of my friends tease me saying I must be having a lot of 'fun' after school," she said.
Not that it is easier for the men. Atma Ram, a graduate looking for a job, said, "I go for an interview and people look at me and say 'why would a man from Basai need a job?' They forget times have changed and that we have changed. We are educated now."
An elderly Bedia man, who has been part of the Samiti for years, starts counting on his fingertips and says, "The house you see on your left has four daughters - one preparing for medical, one for CA (chartered accountant), and the other two for boards. The house on your right has three daughters, two are married. Every house is sending their daughters to school."
Chandra Sen Taplu, an activist and one of the founding members of the Samiti, said, "The work we started in the 1990s has borne some fruit. People thought this is what they were born to do. Now they think different."
Ashok Kumar Singh, the circle officer at Fatehabad, under whose jurisdiction Basai falls, said, "I can't talk about the past but since I have been posted here there have been no raids by the police in this area. People have acquired education and many have migrated to other cities to look for work that is dignified. There is change, of course."
'We're dancers, not prostitutes' - Sify.com
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Jun 9, 2005 - "Basai
alone had 250 dancers in Mumbai. The majority of them are back and will
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Basai Village , Fatehabad Tehsil , Agra District
www.onefivenine.com › Uttar Pradesh › Agra
Map of Basai village in Agra Tehsil, Uttar Pradesh in Google ...
villagemap.in › Uttar Pradesh › Agra › Agra
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