Sexuality, Morality and Livelihood: Activist's Presentation on Dance Bar
Duration: 00:11:08; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 315.255; Saturation: 0.086; Lightness: 0.077; Volume: 0.169; Cuts per Minute: 0.987; Words per Minute: 49.186
Summary: Many women's groups and organisations felt the need for a study on bar dancers, which would present the real picture of the women working in the bars. The study is called Bar dancers- workers, citizens and rights. Here the salient points of the presentation is being shared with the bar dancers and other audience.
Jury members are going to now sit by themselves and prepare a report. During that time we will show you presentation of a report, it's a slide show. Jury members would take about 15-20 minutes to finish writing the statement. Then they will come out and read the statement out. Bar dancers- workers, citizens and rights. We have learnt a lot from you today. And you have said so much, whatever you had in mind, has come out.
This is part of the Public Hearing on the ban on bar dancers programme. It is important to hear the voice of the segment for which government decides to make policies. This programme brings out the voice of the bar dancers, who spoke about what they feel about their work, lives and the impact of the ban.
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Many of you must be wondering who we are. Many of you must have seen some women around you who are not bar dancers. We are women from almost 40 women's groups. These groups are from all over the country- Mumbai, Maharashtra, from Manipur to Kerela, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and many other parts of the country and we all are with you.
Women's groups worried about the moral policing by the government and the impact of such bans of livelihoods decided to conduct a research study presenting bar dancers' point of view.
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Government has appointed itself the moral police for the society. In its bid for development and good society, many policies, steps that they are taking are people unfriendly.
The reason for these are that we feel that two kinds of madness can be seen in Mumbai, Maharashtra in recent times. One madness is of destroying people's homes, not giving them houses, snatching away people's work, livelihood and not giving them any jobs. This is one madness of the government that can be seen. Women's groups are concerned about these happenings and its impact.
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The government has quoted various figures to support their argument for shutting down the bars. The authenticity of theses numbers is suspect as there have been mo studies done by the government to arrive at these figures. As these figures become the basis for government policies that affect many people, it is important to cross check these figures.
The second madness is of numbers. Some say that 75% of bar dancers are from Bangladesh. A woman working with R.R Patil says that 75% of people in Maharashtra feel that the bars should be closed. Where have these numbers come from, who has studied to reach these figures. And what is this magical number 75? Others figures are also quoted. They have said that 55% girls in the dance bars are below the age of 18. We are concerned about the authenticity of these figures. These figures are quoted and policies are made based on these. These policies lead to loss of many people's work and livelihood. This is the reason we felt that madness of numbers should stop and the truth should come out.
Many women's organisations have come together and along with the research institute of SNDT university, have researched and met many of you.
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Earlier there was no study done to find out what are the situations of the bar dancers, who are these women, how many bars exist. There was a need of concrete facts to know the reality of dance bars, on basis of which decisions could be based. To add to the earlier two madness mentioned- to close down everything and to grow out figures, is the madness of morality. Government can see corruption of society in everything. They have appointed themselves as moral police of the society and want to destroy whatever they deem as moral corruption and sin. We want to stop this moral policing. And if we don't challenge this, today they have reached our livelihoods, tomorrow they'll reach our homes, our whole lives and would want to control it.
Moral policing is a growing problem in the country and specially in Bombay. Government and police together are deciding what is morally right and wrong for the society and basing their decisions on those arguments. This moral policing has to be constantly challenged, otherwise it is only going to grow and become all intrusive in every aspect of society.
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We have done this study to present the real picture.
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Many of us from women's rights and human rights organsiations who believe that government does not have a right o destroy our livelihood got together and 25 women from these organisations visited 50 bars in Mumbai and also met 500 women who work in the bars as dancers.
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Women's groups worried about the moral policing by the government and the impact of such bans of livelihoods decided to conduct a research study presenting bar dancers' point of view
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