Is Prostitution a Crime or Exigency?

  • Gururaj D. Devarhubli and Bushra Sarfaraj Patel
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  • Gururaj D. Devarhubli

    Assistant Professor of Law at Institute of Law, Nirma University, India

  • Bushra Sarfaraj Patel

    Student at Parul Institute of Law, Parul University, India

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Abstract

Prostitution has been observed as a profession throughout ancient and modern culture. Prostitution has been narrated as the world’s oldest occupation. A Tawaif was considered a courtesan who catered to the magnanimity of South Asia, particularly during the epoch of the Mughal Empire. These sex workers would dance, sing, recite poetry and entertain their inamorato at Mehfils as like the Geisha Tradition, which was followed in Japan whose foremost purpose was to professionally entertain their guests. The most admired and the highest-rating tawaifs could often pick and choose the best of their suitors. In order to entertain their suitors, they often contribute themselves in music, dance, theatre, film and in the Urdu literary tradition. The term ‘Devadasi’ initially describes a Hindu pious practise in which girls were made to marry and dedicate themselves to a deity (Deva or Devi). They were authoritative in taking care of the temple, performing rituals, practising Bharatanatyam and other classical Indian art traditions. This status allowed and permitted them to enjoy high social status. The recognition of Devadasis seems to have reached its pinnacle around the 10th and 11th centuries. The leap-up and drop down in the status of Devadasis can be seen contrary to the rise and fall of Hindu temples. Due to the of temples by Islamic invaders, the status of the temples fell very rapidly in North India and at a slow pace in South India. The Devadasis were forced into a lifetime of poverty and prostitution after the demolition of the temples as the temples were considered as their homes. Considerably, India’s Devadasi was forced by their poor families to pledge themselves to the Hindu goddess Renuka. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the British East India Company’s rule was fairly common for British soldiers to grab in inter-ethnic prostitution so that they could frequently visit local Indian Nautch dancers. Sex tourism came out in the late 20th century as a controversial aspect of Western tourism and globalization. It was typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries.

Type

Research Paper

Information

International Journal of Law Management and Humanities, Volume 5, Issue 1, Page 1317 - 1324

DOI: https://doij.org/10.10000/IJLMH.112629

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