Followed by a gap of two years during which the COVID-19 pandemic marred festive celebrations, the Durbar Mahila Coordination Committee, the largest organization of sex workers in West Bengal celebrated Holi at the red-light area located in Sonagachi, Kolkata on Thursday.
Bishakha Laskar, sex worker and President, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee while speaking to ANI said, "The sex-workers cannot go out and celebrate the festivals with the other community so every year we organize various celebrations in Sonagachi red-light area. Though, we could not celebrate the festival for the last two years due to COVID-19, this time we are excited to get this celebration organised for the sex-workers." "We all had a great time playing Holi and also discussing the lives with the community as we could all not meet during festivals for the last two years," she added.
Sangeeta Paul, a sex worker's daughter, and a member of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee said, "Holi is the festival of colours and we all including the children of the sex workers come together to celebrate the festival." Sex workers welfare activist and gender equality research scholar, Satabdi Das said, "I have been working with the sex workers since 2017 and I feel very nice seeing the sex workers enjoying the festivals. We want them to live a life like all normal people."
