Venkat I do not think that we need to find instances of real or imaginary injustice in other cultures and religions and in another period of history to justify injustice being meted out to women in our country today. The Devadasi system is bad and rehabilitation is only one step. We need to fight against an unjust system and not merely think of rehabilitating the victims of our misdeeds. It is a common fight of all against injustice and does not have to be attributed to any one religion. If we think of rehabilitation alone as the answer we are sure to be kept employed for the rest of our life because the unjust system will continue to exploit them. We need to rehabilitate those who are victims of exploitation but should make every effort to stop this injustice, without finding any excuses in other cultures and in another era of history.
Walter Wal Dr Walter Fernandes Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre
