Raksha Bandhan 2023: S*x Workers In Kolkata’s Sonagachi Tie Rakhis To Passer-By, Seek Respect | Watch

S*x workers in Kolkata’s red light area, Sonagachi, celebrated Raksha Bandhan by tying rakhis to passers-by on Sunday. The event was organised by the Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee, a community-based organisation of s*x workers in West Bengal. The s*x workers said they wanted to erase all societal divisions and claim respect in society.

The s*x workers tied rakhis to people from different castes, religions and professions without any discrimination. They also received sweets and gifts from their passer-by whom they tied Rakhi as a sister and expressed their happiness on the auspicious day. They said they prayed for their brothers’ safety and looked forward to the next year.

"This is a festival to celebrate the relationship between brothers and sisters. Throughout the year we pray for our brother's safety and wait for tying the Rakhi next year. Every sister out of their own free will is tying rakhis to the passersby without any discrimination," Bishakha Laskar, who is also a s*x worker, said as quoted by news agency ANI.

The passers-by who received rakhis from the s*x workers also appreciated the gesture and promised to support them at all times. They said they felt the love and respect of their sisters and cherished the occasion. They also praised the committee for its work and initiatives.

#WATCH | West Bengal: On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, s*x workers in Sonagachi, Kolkata, tied rakhi to the passers-by. pic.twitter.com/bypimeFGwF

— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2023

"We are for every festivity, for every religion. We want happiness for all every year. There is no divide on the basis of caste or religion in the s*x workers. They are all women, all humans. There are Hindus, Muslims, Christians. We want to make everyone feel happy," a s*x worker said.

The Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee has been active in the area since the 1990s and organises various programs for s*x workers throughout the year. The committee represents 40,000 s*x workers and aims to remove the societal divisions.

Ashok Kumar Singh, the Head of Department at Shree Vishudhanand Hospital in Kolkata said that they have been visiting the Sonagachi since the 90s when their founder established this Committee. He stated that people associated with literature, plays and journalists from every social background come here on the festival of Raksha Bandhan, interact with women and express their love.

He also emphasised that they wait for this day throughout the year to meet their sister and get rakhis tied on their wrist.