The Supreme Court recently lifted the ban on dance bars after eight years. Varsha Kale, Honorary President of the Bharatiya Bar Girls Union (BBGU) and social activist, tells The Finger why it’s wrong to ‘morally’ condemn bar girls and why the girls are eager to get back.
by Shruthi Padmanabhan
While in Mumbai registering and planning an election campaign for the Womanist Party of India (WPI), the country’s only all-woman party, Varsha Kale made long commutes to Dombivili on the late night local trains. It was during these commutes in the years 2002-2003 that she noticed women who “looked to me like sex workers”. She later found out that they were bar dancers.
At the time, the WPI was trying to organize Mumbai domestic workers and was focused on helping and supporting underprivileged women. Varsha raised the issue with party members about helping the bar girls and was met with opposition. That was when she decided to take this on as a project of her own.
How did you begin working with bar girls?
There was a time when I didn’t identify with what these women were doing, but I have evolved, as has my thinking. I identify as a feminist and went the liberal/progressive route. After having interacted with these girls, I’ve realized that for them this is a job, a livelihood. I was nobody to question or judge that.
If our party was helping out domestic workers, then these women were also in need of our help. In their case the line between work and exploitation was extremely tenuous.
Why was the ban on dancing bars unfair?
The government banned dancing bars in 2005 and it hit the girls really hard. We (BBGU) had registered as a union under the Trade Union Act in 2004, and we knew that the law was on our side.
There were no provisions in the verdict for a rehabilitation program for these women – that was our biggest contention, that there be some provision for their livelihood. These women have families to support. I even spoke to RR Patil about the lack of a rehabilitation provision.
Some of them were subject to sexual violence. Some of them committed suicide because they didn’t know what else to do. Some got into other, lesser-paying professions – they were making as little as Rs 3-4,000 per month while their income as bar dancers used to be Rs 15-20,000. Their children had to leave school. Many of them got into prostitution, which poses so many health risks for them.
What’s wrong with taking a moral stand against bar dancing?
Before casting aspersions on the character of bar girls, we need to ponder on certain questions. Who are these men who come to the bars to watch these girls dance? What are their domestic lives like? What about regulating alcohol?
The women who want to be bar dancers are not doing something wrong. The problem is that people keep beating on the easy targets. There are so many ways to ensure these women’s safety, [such as] charging an entry fee that includes drinks. I think if one were to equate this to going to watch a performance, then I’m sure the men who pay to watch these girls will also respect their boundaries.
Under the guise of morality, all people do is intimidate, conduct raids and make life difficult. The aim is now to make sure that the bar dancers are treated with respect at their work places. That they are ensured good food, sanitation, and some kind of formal, on-paper agreement to wages and work timings.
What does the new judgment overturning the ban mean to you?
I’m really happy about the verdict. I feel like justice has been served. Eight years is a very long time and a lot of these girls had lost their faith in the system and in justice. This verdict, and the way it has been stated, makes me very optimistic.
When we were talking to our lawyers, we never expected such a rational judgment. It only looks at the rights of these women to pursue bar dancing as a profession without any moral or censorial overtones. That’s the best part. Can Can was [also] a dance form that originated in the bars of the 40s and 50s, so why can’t this lead to the invention of a new dance form?
The verdict doesn’t make these women out to be sexual provocateurs or sexual exhibitionists. It doesn’t make them out to be victims or even criminals. It simply states their freedom of choice. It asks the lawmakers to take responsibility and ensure a safe working environment for these women.
What happens next? Will we see the return of the bar girl?
They will definitely get back to this. This city sees hordes of people pursuing their dreams and better livelihoods, women included. Some don’t anticipate that they will become bar dancers and there are some whose purpose of moving out of their homes is to become bar dancers.
After being away from it for eight years, they know exactly what they have missed, the good, the bad, and all aspects of their former lives. I know for a fact that tailors have already gotten orders for their clothes and they are being stitched. Some of them are very eager to get back to their jobs. If a licensee is ready to open for business tomorrow, there will be girls waiting.
Shruthi Padmanabhan is a freelance writer who is currently based in Deolali, Nashik.