No last rights for brothel artistes

Saharsa (Bihar): Death is a great leveller, but not for the dancers and musicians in the red-light area of Saharsa in Bihar.

For them, ostracism goes as far as graveyards and burial grounds.

The dancers and musicians in Saharsa's red-light area have been forced to bury the dead in their courtyards.

Society treats them and others associated with the trade as untouchables and they are not allowed to bury their dead in graveyards. "We are artistes, but people don't respect our profession," says Meera Kumari, an artiste in the red-light area .

"We aren't allowed to bury the dead in the graveyards, so we have to bury them in our courtyards," says artiste Nejabul.

Almost every house in this red-light area has got a grave. While a few have built mazars (tomb) to mark the grave, others who can't afford to do that just plant a tree.

Behind their smiles, lies the gloomy tale of the inhuman treatment meted out to them.

They cater pleasure to thousands but live with a stigma so strong that they can't even complete their last journey to the graveyard.

They live within the four walls of the brothel, work there and die and get buried there.

"People look down upon dancers and musicians. We are forcibly turned away when we go to bury our dead," tabla-player, Mohammad Hanif says.

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