Taboo!: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area

Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking social research
Review: Taboo is a result of extensive research carried out by an eminent social scientist and human rights activist in Pakistan. Dr. Fouzia Saeed has been a prominent figure on the NGO-scene in Pakistan and is attributed with setting up an organization called 'Bedari' (awakening) which was the first ever NGO set up to address the lack of basic human rights for women. With this background, her book comes as yet another groundbreaking feat. In Taboo, she studies the lives of the people of the Shahi Mohalla in Lahore. Shahi Mohalla is a place inhabited by a community of entertainers, dancers and musicians. This community is known for providing all forms of entertainment and traditionally its forte has been in providing sexual services to clients who visit the Mohalla. It is a place which has been a source of mixed feelings for all that know about it. The Mohalla has always been well guarded under layers of myths and perceptions.

Dr. Saeed's work has been the first definitive step towards sifting out the myth and creating a factual account of what life is all about in the Mohalla.

The inspiration for this research is totally relatable. In the opening chapter, Dr. Saeed touches upon the association of dance and music with prostitution in our society. In her own words, she talks about how she had to tackle with this association as an annoying obstacle to her desire to learn and master various classical and folk forms of dance. As a woman she had to face discouragement due to one of the most clichéd terms in our society- 'achay ghar ke ladkian yay naheen karteen' (girls from good families do not indulge in such activities). This obstacle set her on a quest and she spent considerable effort in penetrating this uncharted domain of social sciences in Pakistan. The book is a result of this extensive research.

An interesting and integral characteristic of the book is its non-judgmental treatment of the people of the Mohalla. Dr. Saeed has worked on studying these people as individuals living in circumstances that are unique. She has interacted with these people not to find answers to whether they are good or evil or how they can be eradicated. Rather, she has focused on studying their life with an objectivity that is essential for any scientific work. This approach has resulted in her work being real and factual. It is neither sympathetic nor degrading towards the subject and thus free of any myths or perceptions. She has reported what she has seen and left it to the reader to form a judgment if they cannot live without one.

Reading through the book, amidst all the scientific objectivity, one does see traces of Dr. Saeed's background as a human rights activist. These traces always appear in the appropriate context and make the reading experience worthwhile. Leaning on her background, Dr Saeed asks some very valid questions in the book. Questions which go right to the core of how we as a society manage to live with our double standards. As an example of these questions and reflections, Dr Saeed asks why is it that a woman who is a prostitute is branded as an evil person while her customer is let go with a slight slap on the wrist (sometimes not even that!!!). She asks as to why traditionally, prostitutes are blamed for sexual misconducts in the society and not those who pay for their services. So, the book uses the case of the women in the Mohalla and manages to find parallels between women in the Mohalla and women anywhere else in the society. With this approach, Dr. Saeed points out the inherent exploitation of the 'weaker' sex that prevails in our society.

After presenting her interactions and experiences with the people of the Mohalla, Dr. Saeed sums up her work in the last chapter. Here she sums up her entire work to reflect the immense social pressures that women face in our society. The setting is perfect and Dr Saeed plays a listener to a conversation between a 'normal' girl and a girl from the Mohalla. Reading the conclusion in the words of two people who can be seen as characters in the story of the status of women in our society, proves to be a treat. All I can say is that I understood and agreed with each and every word of it. This discussion is presented as a session of self-realization where a young girl from the 'normal' part of the society talks to a girl of the Mohalla and through their exchange of ideas they come to conclusions about their similarities and how they are part of a bigger system and have almost similar roles to play. This session is very enlightening and makes one think about how things are for the women in our country.

Overall, the book is a very interesting read and for those who are interested in learning about people and social issues that challenge us, it is a must-read. The book is also a source of enlightenment as it sheds light on the life of a group of people that has always been looked at from a safe distance. For all of us who wanted to know everything about the Mohalla and were afraid to ask, Dr. Saeed took the initiative and dedicated a considerable amount of her scientific work in researching and learning about these people. And not only that, in her reporting of the lives of these people, Dr. Saeed went on to ask some serious questions about the state of affairs for women in general.

Rating:
Summary: empathy
Review: tells you who is having stains on his character when pointing to others. an empathetic approach to the lieves of members of proctected groups and is a useful source of sociological problems our country is facing

Rating:
Summary: Well written. Well researched. A must read for all.
Review: Well written. Well researched. A must read for all.