India's Devadasi Custom: Sex Slavery Under the Fig Leaf of Religion

The English film director Beeban Kidron (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) has directed Sex, Death and the Gods, a BBC documentary on the devadasi custom in India. This vicious custom, although illegal in India since 1988, continues in a few areas. Destitute mothers -- often devadasis themselves -- sell their young daughters into sex slavery. The sale itself is framed as the mother dedicating her daughter to a life of service to a God. But nobody is under any illusion that it is anything but prostitution. This is an especially vivid example of how religion can be used as a fig leaf for any kind of atrocious behavior, whether it is murderous violence and terrorism or the sale of children into sexual slavery.

Here is a video with scenes from the documentary and excerpts from an interview with the filmmaker. See also:

Why India's 'devadasi' girls face a wretched life in the name of religion by Tracy McVeigh guardian.co.uk, Saturday 22 January 2011. [It was once considered a holy calling but a BBC film shows that becoming a devadasi is a direct path into sexual exploitation.]

Beeban Kidron on the devadasi system As told to Joanna Moorhead The Guardian, Friday 21 January 2011. [The film-maker is outraged by the practice, but says that 'evil mothers' are not to blame.]

'Devadasis are a cursed community' by Nash Colundalur The Guardian, Friday 21 January 2011. [Southern India's devadasi system, which 'dedicates' girls to a life of sex work in the name of religion, continues despite being made illegal in 1988. A veneer of religion covers the supply of concubines to wealthy men.]