There are parts of Hyderabad that the march of centuries has bypassed. In Andhra Preadesh’s capital, of which Cyberabad—a thriving centre of information technology and bio-pharma—is part of, the age-old, medieval tradition of Joginis is still prevalent. Hyderabad is home to 740 Joginis, women ostensibly dedicated to the service of god, but in reality are poor, unfortunate women who are forced to be prostitutes meant for men of forward castes.
V Raghunath Rao, chairman of the one man commission on problems being faced by children of joginis and others, appointed by the state government says, “The practice exists in all 22 districts, I have visited so far, with the exception of Khammam where people attribute the disappearance of the practice to high levels of political awareness. In Hyderabad alone, you will find numerous Joginis at Balkampet, Ameerpet and, other areas, which are known for temples,” Rao said.
Though recent statistics, do not exist, the total number of women ‘dedicated’ to the service of temples and god are estimated to be 24, 000 as per a 2005-06 survey, while the National Human Rights Commission’s survey in 2008-09 had estimated that 14 districts in the state are privy to the practice. “Most of these women, belong to Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes and a few from Backward Class.
Discrimination against them and their children is rampant everywhere, right from government offices to police officials. They are often denied death and birth certificates, caste certificates, admissions and scholarships as their children write god’s name in place of father’s name, ” said the chairman addressing a press conference.
The AP Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act of 1988 declares the custom void though rules pertaining to the same are missing. Apart from lack of education for Joginis and their children, there is a lack of medical facilities and discrimination keeps the community away from seeking help from public institutions. Jogini’s children are often denied employment. The incidence of human trafficking is also high among the vulnerable community known by different names such as Devadasi, Basavi, and Mathamma, among others. As the community is not segregated, the sops given to them amount to `10, 000, and `10, 000 in the form of subsidies in 2002 by the state government.
“We are likely to release the report by June 2013, and the recommendations will cover legal issues as well as suggestions to improve social standards of Joginis and their families, ” said the chairman of the commission, whose tenure ends in March. But for the joginis of Hyderabad, there is no end to their doomed tenures for life.