Sambhaji Brigade slams alleged 'hiring' of girls for garba events in Maharashtra
Sambhaji Brigade has alleged girls are being hired for Rs 1,000 to 5,000 to dance at garba events in Maharashtra and warned of protests.
With Navratri approaching, Maharashtra and Gujarat are gearing up for garba and dandiya festivities, with dhol beats, colourful clothes and young people dancing to garba tunes a common sight. But this time, a fresh controversy has erupted in Maharashtra over garba events.
The Sambhaji Brigade has claimed that girls are being hired for a fee to dance at garba events. The organisation has alleged that at some places, girls are being "bid" for amounts ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. The group has expressed anger over the matter.
Sambhaji Brigade state spokesperson advocate Santosh Shinde raised strong objection to the alleged practice. He said that in the rush to commercialise the traditional garba and religious festival, wrong methods are being adopted at some places. Shinde said, "The Sambhaji Brigade will not tolerate this racket of supplying girls for hire for garba in Maharashtra."
He warned that if boys and girls continue to be hired for garba dance for Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, such events will be opposed. The Sambhaji Brigade said that such practices in the name of a traditional festival should not be tolerated in what is called a progressive Maharashtra.
The organisation said garba and dandiya are not merely entertainment events but have a cultural and religious background, and so the nature of the festival should not be altered for commercial gain, Shinde said. The Sambhaji Brigade also raised the issue of drought-like conditions currently prevailing in the state, saying that when farmers are in distress, there is a need for social awareness while celebrating festivals.
Garba and dandiya events are organised on a large scale during Navratri, with large numbers of boys and girls taking part. The organisation has demanded that organisers follow rules while planning such events and avoid anything that could bring disrepute to the festival. Shinde said clearly that "such events will be disrupted", meaning the group will not allow them to proceed.
