"Mother, am I your love or the reason for all that is painful in your life or am I your liability? I am not the fruit of your love; I came to this world owing to your profession. I don't blame you for this, but today we are examples of how daily necessities push one to take a beaten track. You are my mother, this is as true as another bitter truth - neither you nor I know who my father is..." excerpt of a poem by Madhav Ramanuj
Sunday, history was made as eight girls from the villageWADIA VILLAGE (BANASKANTHA) GUJRAT: got married in a mass wedding for the first time and left their mother's profession behind forever under full support from the state govt . This hamlet of North Gujarat has been known for prostitution since pre-Independence days. Most men of the village openly solicit clients for their women.There have been many attempts to bring the women of this village out of prostitution, but due to the high acceptance among their own community, the women were pushed back into the fold. The girls were not considered marriage material since they carried the stamp of being daughters of prostitutes. Those who consider themselves respectable generally stayed away from this village known for prostitution, But on Sunday, all roads led to this dusty hamlet as it made history. For the first time after Independence one heard the wedding bells in the village. The village, which is infamous for housing sex workers, made a clean break on Sunday. The first mass marriage at this village which, till date, had resisted all attempts to change marked the dawn of a new era. .People of Deesa donated ceremonial gifts for each girl. People finally embraced change . The invitation cards were sent out with beautiful,heart felt words of poetry( excerpts given on top ) by famous Gujrati Poet Madhav Ramanuj
