No soil from brothel for Durga idols? Not to do with Kolkata doctor's rape, says sex worker

A sex worker in Kolkata has denied that she and her colleagues are refusing to provide soil from their brothel area this year to make Durga idols in protest against the horrific rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In the aftermath of the rape and murder of a doctor that rocked Kolkata, there were stories of how sex workers in the Sonagachi red light district in the city have refused to give the soil near their homes to make the Durga idols. This is part of a centuries-old custom.

However, according to a report in Aaj Tak Bangla, a sex worker from Sonagachi refuted this story. For the past few years itself, sex workers have been refusing to part with the mud and have been celebrating Durga Puja on their own, she said.

Durga Puja is one of the key festivals celebrated with Bengalis with fervour.

Soil issue not linked to rape-murder

"This is not a recent issue. For many years, we have not been parting with the soil. This is mainly because our sex work has not been accepted as a profession in society. We have been seeking recognition for sex work," said the sex worker in the report.

The sex workers felt that while the mud from their courtyards is considered sacred, they are not. Though they donate thousands of rupees to Puja pandals, they are not allowed to even enter the pandals and are made to feel that their presence will pollute Puja.

The issue is not related to the crime at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital at all, she said, adding that when they achieve their rights and are respected, they will provide the soil once again.

Sex workers have often questioned that "if our soil is sacred, our money is sacred, and the body consumed by so-called civilised men in the dark of the night is sacred, then why are we considered profane?”

Why brothel soil for idols?

According to a centuries-old tradition, the soil is considered sacred as it is believed that upon entering the brothel, a man sheds all his “virtues” or “purity” on the soil at the doorstep. This mud, on which all the person's goodness settles in, is therefore considered auspicious for conducting Durga Puja. The idols are not considered complete unless the soil from the courtyard of these sex workers is used to make them.

Another belief said that since the woman is considered an incarnation of goddess Shakti anything that goes wrong in her life is the result of flaws in society and the times. So, this practice is observed to uphold the honour of women. It is to show the world that they too have power and can be a goddess Durga.

According to some, the custom, in which priests have to beg the prostitues for some soil, ironically, underlies the patriarchy inherent in Durga puja, which revolves around the worship of a goddess.