LET US TURN HISTORY INTO HERSTORY!

(Geeta Shetty, Varsha Kale, Mahesh Bhatt, Vaishali Haldankar, Avinash Pandit)
BOOK RELEASE CEREMONY OF 'BAR BALA', AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BAR SINGER. BOOK WAS INAUGURATED BY NOTED FILM DIRECTOR MAHESH BHATT)

At last long drawn process with Vaishali reached to its logical conclusion. Hope to get this book translated in other languages soon. I have already started translating it in Hindi. Quaries for translations are coming thick and fast.

Thanks for your support and wishes my blogfriends.

This is cover page of autobiography of Vaishali Haldankar (bar singer) to be published on 11th April in Marathi language. Hopefully it will get translated and published in other languages in due course.

Shortly I will upload invite of the publication ceremony. The book will be launched by well known Film Director Mahesh Bhatt. I have written a preface of this book as I was involved in the painstaking process of her own inward journey. She happen to be first member of the Bargirls Union that I founded. Please wish all the success to this endeavour.

Shortly autobiography of woman bar singer about which I have mentioned many times earlier is going to be published. Everything is ready. Watch out for details soon.

Bargirls are being forcefully evicted from Thane city of Maharashtra by Shiv Sena, a regional and communal outfit. It is systematic operation tacilty supported by police. All Marathi newspapers are appreciating, praising heroism of Shiv Sena cadre for attacking and beating two women members of Bargirls Union openly on the street. English newspapers and electronic media however have condemned the act. More than 700 bargirls and their families have so far become homeless and shelter less on the eve of monsoon. Shiv Sena has given ultimatum of 10 days to remaining 2500 bargirls to leave the area or else they will use even greater force. The government, police, civil society and human rights groups are all silent spectators.

Bar girls are being beaten openly on the street by women supported by Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena supported woman slap Rekha Chauhan (in black), a Bar Girls Union member, in Wagle Estate on Monday

READ the news reports

DNA

Indian Express

Stop vigilantism

Shiv Sainiks beat up bar girls? leaders in Thane

After storm uneasy calm

Bar girls: Women a target again?

BARGIRLS IN NEW ROLE.

UNDP HAS SUPPORTED THIS INITIATIVE AND SO FAR WE HAVE FORMED "RIGHTS PROTECTION COMMITTEES" IN 69 BARS. THE COMMITTEES WILL PREVENT ENTRY OF MINORS IN THE BARS AS SINGERS OR WAITRESSES, MAKE WOMEN IN THE BARS AWARE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUES AND ALSO RAISE VOICE AGINST ANY HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION FROM STATE, POLICE OR CRIMINALS.

AFTER BAN SITUATION STUDY

FROM DANCE BARS TO MUZARA

Mumbai bar girls on UP poll stage (READ FULL STORY here)

Mumbai bar girls on UP poll stage (READ FULL STORY HERE)

Mumbai bar girls on UP poll stage (READ FULL STORY HERE)

Bar girls learn new ‘lessons’ in life

Bar dancers are now looking at education to secure their future instead of going back to a trade that currently stands on shaky ground

-by SANTOSH MISHRA

During their heyday, bar girls never thought of being lawyers, software programmers, social workers, secretaries or editors. Actresses maybe, but nothing beyond that.
The closure of dance bars has forced them to confront the possibility of going back to their former lives of poverty, abuse and abandonment or charting a new path for themselves. Mumbai Mirror met some who chose the latter.
They have not given up entirely on dance bars, but are no longer willing to risk their future. Prodded by their union and its president Varsha Kale, they are either completing their education or have enrolled for vocational courses.
They might not be able to get back to their heyday, but at least they can look forward to a better and secure future.

NEELU SINGH
Std XI dropout Works at a bar in Vikhroli
She came to Mumbai about five years back with some money to try her luck in the film industry. Within no time, she ran out of money and began working in bars to sustain herself and her ambition of becoming an actress. Over the years, she gave up her ambition and became a full-fledged dancer in bars. She was shaken out of her stupor by the closure of dance bars.
She is sustaining herself now by singing but, after completing a basic computer course, has enrolled in a course in non-linear editing. Yes, she is once again looking forward to working in the film industry.

PINKY RAO
Std IX dropout Works at a bar in Fort
Pinky was a resident of Hyderabad. She wanted to earn money. One of her friends seemed to be doing quite well in Mumbai. They had met when the latter came for vacations. Pinky thought she too would try her luck in Mumbai. Without informing her family, she abandoned her studies and sneaked off to Mumbai with her friend’s address in her pocket. Her friend turned out to be a bar girl. This was about 7-8 years ago. Since then, Pinky has worked in several bars.
She also took to singing when dance bars closed, but is aware that she will have to look at alternatives soon.
“I am pursuing a secretarial course with computer applications from Mumbai University. Soon I will be one of the few computer literate bar dancers,” she laughs.

VAISHALI HALDANKAR
Std IX dropout Works at a bar in Andheri
Vaishali used to study in Chhabildas High School in Dadar (W). She learnt classical singing from her father. She gave up her education when she got married to a rickshaw driver. They had two sons. Vaishali began making bangles and packing tiklis to supplement their income.
Along the way, her husband became a drunkard and then stopped working. In 1989, he forced her to join a bar as a singer to pay for his addiction. Since then, she has worked in several bars across the city.
Her family problems continued. In 1991, her husband disappeared. She survived the closure of dance bars because of her singing, but realised the precarious nature of her profession. Unwilling to take chances, last year, she enrolled for a Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) and cleared it this year. She has now secured admission in FYBA in Yeshwantrao Chavan University.
“I want to be a lawyer and fight the evil I faced in my life. My life has taken several twists and turns, but I won’t let other women suffer the same pain.”
Prodded by Varsha Kale, she is also writing a book on her life.

REKHA CHAUHAN
Std VII dropout Works at a bar in Mulund
R e k h a Chauhan hails from Punjab. She was a Std VII student in a convent school when she was lured to Mumbai by a woman. She was 13 at the time.
She got sucked into prostitution and was detained at a Mumbra brothel for three years before she managed to escape. After a chance encounter with a bar dancer, she too joined the profession.
“It is strange that even after undergoing all the tyranny, we can still dance,” she says. When the dance bars closed, she took to singing but admits she isn’t good at it.
At that point, she realised the importance of education.
“Varsha (Kale) inspired me to complete my education,” she says. “This year, I enrolled in the FYBA course of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). I usually study while travelling or taking rest in the make-up room in the bar. I want to be a social worker.”

BAR GIRLS’ UNION

It was very difficult for the union to motivate these girls to resume their education. After interacting with them on a one-to-one basis, they started to fill up application forms. Now, an increasing number of bar girls are keen to earn degrees. They are inspired by girls like Rekha, Vaishali and Sadhana
— Varsha Kale President, Bharatiya Bar Girls’ Union

(Article published yesterday in Mumbai Mirror (TOI publication) on the initiative of restarting education of bargirls. I am posting this to keep you inform about my activities. I will try and do it time to time)

Just for a fun.
A local Marathi (my mother tongue) newspaper published this small article. It refers me as new avatar (incarnation) of Durga (the famous martial goddess). It attributes to me all divine qualities of love, compassion, forgiveness as well as fighting spirit.
Wow.
But it also reminded me when sometime back some paper portrayed me as woman of devilish mind.

Good or bad, many times I generally ignore what media think of me and the issues I raise.
However...
Hate or praise, I wonder, why I get such exaggerated responses?

Thanks everyone for the love, support and solace. You all helped me with your messages to recover and reengage.
It is the friends one has to rely upon in the time of distress.
I feel lucky to have friends who understand and care about me.

At presently the bargirl's case is in Supreme Court and hearing is not yet started. Girls are loosing hope and morale. Trying hard to keep it intact.

I have also taken to translation of one classic work into Marathi, which will be published soon. Will tell more about that later on.

Now more bar girls are coming out to write their life stories. Many cry while recollecting horrors of past, but then we get opportunity to revisit and reinterprete past events to draw strength out of it.

Many girls have responded to my call for restarting education and last week I submitted admission forms of five girls for different courses to two different open universities.

THANKS FRIENDS. LOVE YOU ALL. TAKE CARE.