India’s largest red light area in Kolkata’s Sonagachi inaugurates Durga Puja

The Durga Puja inauguration ceremony at Sonagachi, Kolkata, India’s largest red light area. Photo credit: Special Arrangement

Kolkata 

India’s largest red light area in Kolkata’s Sonagachi inaugurated their 14^th Durga Puja on Wednesday (October 14) amid continued resistance and backlash from locals. The sex workers group Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) continue to fight for their rights in the face of persistent social stigma. 

“People always thought sex workers are sub-humans, why do they need to celebrate Durga Puja? Even to get this much space we had to go to the High Court. But problems are far from over, even now locals find new problems with our puja every year,” Bishakha Laskar, secretary of DMSC, told The Hindu during the inauguration ceremony. She said that on the day of the inauguration some locals alleged that their stage was bigger than permitted and tried to create a scuffle.