Karnataka: Couple held for forcing daughter to become Devadasi

Kalaburagi: The police have arrested the parents of a ten-year-old girl and the priest of a local temple in Chittapur taluk for allegedly forcing her to become a Devadasi.

Following directions from the Deputy Commissioner Ujwal Kumar Ghosh, the police have also filed a FIR against two teachers of the school at Mavinsoor village, where the girl had studied, for failing to alert the police.

The Minister for Women and Child Welfare Umashree is said to have on Saturday obtained a report regarding the incident from the District Child Protection Committee officer.  

The Dalit girl, who was forced to become a Devadasi five years ago, was rescued recently by the officials of District Child Welfare Committee(CWC), Child Helpline and the officials of Department of Women and Child Welfare.   The girl has been put in a government girls' home here.

The officials came to know about the practice of abhorrent Devadasi system at Mavinsoor village through the Child Helpline and the girl was rescued immediately.

During the inquiry, it was revealed that as the parents of the girl did not have issues for a long time, they had vowed to the village deity to offer their child as a Devadasi, if they got a female one.

“Moreover this girl was suffering from a chronic illness. When we sought the advice of Poojary Sharanappa,  priest of Sumavva Devi temple at the neighbouring Bedasur village,  he told us that she would be cured if she became a Devadasi. Following his advice, we made her a Devadasi. We are ignorant people and feel now that we have committed the offence without actually knowing it,” the girl’s mother said.

According to officials, the priest is alleged to have performed the rituals of tying a taali to a countless number girls in the surrounding villages during the last few decades for converting them as Devadasis.

“This priest used to make the parents of poor Dalit girls believe that the goddess of the temple where he was a priest would tell him her wish in his dream that such and such a Dalit girl should be made a a Devadasi.  He used to instil fear and convince the parents that they would fulfil the wish of goddess. Believing his words, many ignorant parents made their daughters Devadasis,” the officials said.

What is worrying is that though the girl, who had been tied a taali as per the ritual and had stopped attending the school four years ago, the teachers did not bother to inform the officials of the Child Protection Committee. Taking serious note of this lapse, the DC had directed the police to book a case against them.

Moreover, in the wake of reports that the practice is still prevalent in some temples in the district, Ghosh has sought a report from the Devadasi Nirmoolana Samiti in this regard.