Farewell to India's Pattaya, Neemuch Mandsaur Highway in MP

There is a slogan "Good guys go to heaven and bad guys go to Pattaya" but not only to Pattaya but even to Neemuch – Mandsaur Highway in Madhya Pradesh.

Banchhada is a tribe in central India that is traditionally identified with prostitution and other crimes. They are listed as the scheduled caste for the Indian reservation system and were formerly classified as a criminal tribe in the British Raj era. Banchhada tribes are located in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They have been identified by human rights observers as a group that uses prostitution as a source of revenue.

What is the Ancient Banchhada tradition?

According to Nari Mata, an ancient Banchhada tradition, the eldest daughter must prostitute herself to provide earnings for her family. Girls as young as 12 years are forced into a life of prostitution with no chance to get an education or escape. As they become women, they contract venereal disease and mother-child which further bonds them to the sex industry. When they give birth to a daughter, they already know that she will follow in their footsteps. The tradition is so embedded in the culture that it is considered as everyday business. It is a 5-century-old form of cultural slavery that is still alive today.

Leaving the mucky trade of prostitution is not easy but for the women from the Banchhada tribe in Madhya Pradesh, prostitution is their fate. While passing along the Neemuch – Mansaur Highway in MP, one can see women sitting on charpoys, dressed in bright clothes, wearing loud makeup and hoping to get a client. Sometimes truck drivers and men from other villagers.

The birth of a girl is auspicious as it means another breadwinner for the family

 The flesh trade has a social sanction in Neemuch, Ratlam and Mandsaur districts of Madhya Pradesh. The members of the Banchhada community, Who operate family-based prostitution for livelihood, consider the birth of a girl auspicious as it means another breadwinner for the family. The fathers and brothers will end up acting as pimps, taking care of all the arrangements. The family house has a dedicated room for this purpose exclusively.

Banchhada tribes' tradition is a social evil

When the matter came to public attention a few years ago, there was concern that such a practice should still persist. In February 1983, the state assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to make special efforts to eradicate this social evil. But still, Banchhada tribes remain the same.

Under the dim light of the naked bulb hanging from the roof of the hut, the family has just sat down for a quiet dinner. Father, Mother, brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law and children sit on the floor to eat their meal. It is a scene characteristic of any happy family in the countryside.

How do they operate?

A truck comes to a screeching halt outside. The driver climbs down and walks in. A girl hurriedly finishes her meal accompanies the tipsy driver to a room and closes its door. The other family members continue to eat silently. A girl, the eldest daughter in the family who practises the oldest profession in the world is known as Khilawadi (one who plays). These girls do not live in brothels and consider themselves superior to the common prostitute.

Indeed, prostitution in the community is socially sanctioned. Khilawadis are highly respected and in joint families, their position is often more powerful than that of the male members.

“The Banchhada prostitutes suffer no social stigma. In some families, their position is stronger than men”

They suffer no social or ritual taboos and participate in festivals like Raksha Bandhan with their families. The sole restriction on the Khilawadis is that they forfeit the right to marry men of their community.

Most parents introduce their daughters to prostitution at the age of 12 or 13

It is not surprising that the birth of a girl is considered auspicious. Most parents introduce their daughters to prostitution as soon as they attain puberty, at the age of 12 or 13.  The girl's initiation is also celebrated as a social event in the community. After they have been initiated, the Khilawadis usually depend on stray customers to make a living. To ensure a regular clientele the community lives either in hamlets near larger villages or by the side of highways where truck drivers halt. On the Neemuch – Ratlam highway trucks can be seen parked in front of their house at any hour of the day. Some of the better looking - women have rich patrons who provide them monthly allowances.

Prostitution has led to the menace of human trafficking in the community. To improve the financial condition of the family, Banchhada members buy girls from different parts of the state. They even indulge in buying newborn girls and children from different areas. Once they come of age, they are thrown into prostitution. The rise in the number of women in the community is not only because of their birth but also because of the rampant purchase of trafficked girl children.

Even though the Khilawadis are protected by a familial environment, their trade continues to be associated with its attendant social evils. Both men and women of the community are known to be fond of liquor. Many of the youths are notorious criminals, indulging in the theft of standing crops or acting as conduits for other underworld criminals.

“Poverty most often forces the women into the flesh trade”

Once a notified criminal tribe, the Banchhadas – who speak a mixture of Gujarati. Rajasthani and Malvi – are now considered the Harijans in Madhya Pradesh. But unlike other Harijan communities, they are not considered untouchables and don’t suffer from the same social stigmas.

Still, their origins and how they adopted their peculiar custom, remain unknown. One theory maintains that they were nomads in Rajasthan who were brought to Mandsaurdistrict by the British to entertain the garrison established at Neemuch.

According to Neemuch Collector Jitendra Singh Raje, a survey of girls between 11 and 18 years of age will be carried out to provide them admission to government schools while the Principals will be given the responsibility to provide them with job-oriented skills. Besides, some girls will also be given admission in private schools and it will be ensured that the students will not face any discrimination.

The district administration has decided to appoint a nodal officer. Plans are being chalked out to help them get rid of the generations-old bad practices. To ensure proper implementations of the plans to uplift people of the community and earn a respectful livelihood.

Keep Reading

Indian agriculture household earns just Rs. 10,218 in a month: Govt

Post-harvest losses still high, reveals data shared in Lok Sabha

Kashmir's rice fields wither amid rising temperatures & water scarcity

Support us to keep independent environmental journalism alive in India.

Follow Ground Report on X, Instagram and Facebook for environmental and underreported stories from the margins. Give us feedback on our email id [email protected]. 

Don't forget to Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Join our community on WhatsApp, and Follow our YouTube Channel for video stories.

Check out our climate glossary, it helps in learning difficult environmental terms in simple language.