Following Entry Posted 4/17/2008 09:05:00 AM

Indian Virgin For Sale

(Bharatpur, India) A roadside cluster of young girls, heavily made-up and dressed beautifully, attract the attention of travelers in passing vehicles. The girls' maidenheads are offered for sale to the highest bidder.

Nita (pictured) is a pretty 13-year-old virgin who will follow her four sisters into the prostitution trade. One sister said Nita is particularly pretty and should command a high price. And Nita is willing, saying she doesn't like housework.

Nita's family is one of 59 who populate the roadside collection, all members of the Bedia tribe.

The Bedias are regarded as a 'warrior' caste, which initially took to prostitution, hunting and illicit brewing after suffering a series of military defeats in earlier times. It is said that to a member of the warrior caste, robbery or prostitution is preferable to manual labour.

[Note: Readers are cautioned not to confuse the Bedia tribe with the U.S. Congress since the Washingtonians, arguably quite adept at robbery and prostitution, have ceased to be recognized as a warrior caste.]

Deflowering virgins is a much sought-after commodity among middle-class businessmen and the price is high.

The normal rate is 100 rupees (£1.30) but a virgin is sold to the highest bidder for anything over 20,000 rupees. If she is very pretty, the community would hope to get up to 40,000 rupees. For this, the man can have access to the girl for as long as he likes - several hours, days, or even weeks. When he tires of her, there is a celebration.

Because it is considered unlucky for a girl to keep the money from her first time, it is spent instead on an extravagant party. Jewellery is bought for her and for her relatives, goats are slaughtered and alcohol runs freely. There is dancing, and offerings are made to the gods.

Unfortunately, once the girls are deflowered, they can no longer get married. It's of little concern, though, since the Bedia tribe has been sending girls into prostitution for at least a thousand years. There is no social stigma in what they do.

Starting with British colonial rule and continuing today, the government has attempted to reform the tribe by educating the girls. So far, there has been scant success since the Bedias are secretive by nature and the tribe's prostitution is a family institution which brings in a lot of money.

Ominously, the Bedia secrecy has stalled government efforts to collect data regarding the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the tribe's estimated 3,000 members.

Also: Jawa Report
|