উনিশ শতকের সমাজজীবনে ‘চৌদ্দ আইন’ : বিস্মৃতির একটি অধ্যায়/ The ‘Act XIV’ in Nineteenth-Century Society : A Forgotten Chapter

Abstract

During British rule in the nineteenth century, around 1868, a disease named Contagious Diseases spread rapidly through the brothels of Calcutta. Within a short period, the disease also spread among British soldiers, creating a chaotic situation. In response, the British government introduced the Contagious Diseases Act, commonly referred to in this context as the Contagious Diseases ACT XIV in Calcutta. Under this law, all sex workers in the city were required to visit medical hospital and undergo examinations for sexually transmitted diseases. However, these examinations were extremely painful and humiliating. Women were subjected to various medical procedures, reportedly involving the use of mercury-based substances. Many women faced serious health risks, and hospitals became places of abuse and exploitation under the pretext of medical examinations. Fearing these examinations and the accompanying harassment, many sex workers fled Calcutta. Amid this atmosphere of conflict and oppression, several newspapers and periodicals began publishing articles condemning the mistreatment of women. The issue was also reflected in contemporary literature. Several literary works were written based on the Act XIV, including ‘Bahaba Choddo Ain’, ‘Beshya Bibaran’, ‘Badmaish Jabda’, ‘Bharat Darpan’, ‘Beshya Guide’, ‘Panchali Kamalkali’ among others. These works portrayed the social conditions of contemporary Calcutta, the fear and suffering of sex workers, their tragic circumstances, their departure from the city, and incidents in which women from respectable households were allegedly taken to police stations and subjected to harassment and abuse.
As oppression intensified, a number of progressive individuals, with the support of the Brahmo Samaj and women’s rights members, appealed to the British government to repeal the law. Eventually, the law was officially repealed in 1888. Gradually, the lives of the affected women began to return to normal, while the spread of the disease also declined over time. The terrible consequences suffered by sex workers in Calcutta during this prolonged period of approximately twenty years were unprecedented. Although some scholars have expressed doubts about the historical authenticity of certain literary works based on the ACT XIV, their social and historical significance cannot be denied. These writings provide valuable insights into the oppression of women, the social prejudices of colonial Calcutta, and the relationship between colonial legislation and contemporary Bengali literature.