Prostitution State of Human Development

45 2014 CHAPTER IV State of Human Development

4.1 State of Human Development

4.1.1 Prostitution

Badis agree that they were brought from India, either by Lichhavis or by the Bhure hakure kings for entertaining. hey were also skilled at horse riding. hey used to call Badis to perform on diferent occasions. At that time, singing and dancing was respectable and welcome. Badis had their own songs, gajals, and kathaks, and their performance was of a special type. Obviously, singers and performers would need to be and were neat and clean. Later, the kings and the rich began to eye Badi women and began to provide enough food for the family for a year in return for their sexual service. Initially, the kings and the nobles employed them as caretakers of queens and wives of nobles. hen they began to sexually exploit them. When Badi women began to give birth, the kings and nobles expelled them from their homes, and they began to live on the streets. When on the streets, they earned their living by entertaining and went from village to village begging. At that time, they had not forced their women and daughters into prostitution. However, their occupation of begging by entertaining was not suicient to make a living. he rich and powerful lured the Badi women for sexual services. Seeing an improved economic lifestyle with prostitution, other Badi women began to practice it. While migrating, they descended to Terai from hills where they began to keep a rais. he rais would provide food for the whole family for 47 2014 46 2014 six months, and the jamindar landlord in the hills would provide food for the remaining six months. hus, the Badis made their living. Women used to sing and dance in the streets and men used to ish and make maadal and tariya and earthen pots. Badi women would be invited by all, ranging from the petty kings through jamindar, mukhiya, and ghadbudha, and began to be sexually exploited. After being involving in prostitution in the Terai, they ceased to go to the hills and began to live permanently in the Terai. Prostitution spread to such an extent that the family members such as husband, father, and brothers began to ind clients for their wives, daughters, and sisters. Men began to drink alcohol and got involved in gambling. In some places, women also began to decorate themselves to attract new clients. hey started calling men who they met on the streets, and began to commercialize their occupation. hus, history shows that Badis were compelled to adopt prostitution due to poverty and exploitation from the kings and the rich and powerful. With change in time, there has been some awareness among Badis and they are somewhat motivated to ind alternate occupations. However, women who are already involved in prostitution do not seem to abandon it. A Badi activist of Dang doubts that the new generation would discontinue this occupation.

4.1.2 Nathuni kholne