Indian society holds great pride in its rich culture and values and prostitution is one such job which is considered lowly and menial. Our society looks down upon prostitutes and they are often shunned and considered as ‘lesser beings’. What we fail to realise is that prostitution is also a product of this cultured society which is deep-rooted and took birth from the age-old customs and from the society of the elites. This is an enlightening memoir of such ‘an educated woman’ from the well-off society who embarks in the journey of prostitution after her beloved betrays her. A great deal of underlining emphasis lies in the word ‘educated’. Often it is seen the downtrodden and dejected get pushed into prostitution. Then what led Manda Debi to undertake this vocation though she hailed from a distinguished family. The book gives an important insight to this and also breaks this myth that ‘prostitution’ is beyond any class, caste, creed and economical background.
Originally published in 1929 in Bengali, this edition is an English translation by Arunava Sinha.
Set in the backdrop of 1900s, in erstwhile Calcutta, An Educated Woman in Prostitution is based on the life story of Manada, a girl born in a well-established and an affluent Bengali Brahmin family. Leading a happy, carefree life, Manada’s life takes a turn after her mother passes away and her father brings in a stepmother. A father who was always concerned about Manada’s well-being and took interest in her growth, took a blind eye to her presence as her new step mom took away all her father’s attention.
Manada’s father’s neglect and lack of motherly love pushes her to seek comfort outside. She finds joy in her new found friendship with Kamala, cousin Nanda dada, tutor Mukul dada and a distant cousin Ramesh dada.
When downfall happens, darkness clouds all forms of virtuousness and righteousness. At a tender age of 15, she ran away from home with her beloved Ramesh and this was her first step into the world of darkness. She embarks on the journey of sin, after falling in love with Ramesh who leaves her making her pregnant.
Left by her lover, shunned by the society and also hopelessness from her father makes her take up prostitution.
She starts entertaining men of high society. Few years down the line she joined the non-cooperation movement. However, she could not stay true to the cause due to the lack of her self-constraint and insincerity. Entertaining several Babus, trading her body for goods, exchanging pleasure for money Manada took up the identity of Feroza Bibi, and later Miss Mukherjee.
Firoza Bibi was the product of such a society where the men used to be held in high regard and led happy family lives though these men pushed destitute women into prostitution. They had no shame and no guilt and neither the society looked down upon them.
Though we have come a long way but things haven’t changed much for women even in today’s times. Women are single-handedly considered to be the epitome of morality, virtuousness and righteousness.
Journey of Manada was indeed painful and brutal, however I felt that she made some conscious decisions towards the path of sin when in later life she had a choice to live a normal life. After reading this book, I felt she was deliberately victimising herself only if she had some self-restraint.
Overall, it was a good and fast paced read. If you want a peek into the lives of ‘Bengali babus’ and the Bengali society in the 1900s, it can surely be a great pick.
I will rate this book as 7 out of 10.