this is a matter of survival for many like rachna. they are abused in this system but stay for lack of any other avenues of work. there is a stigma attached to these villages, as the people here belong to the bottom of the caste hierarchy. nats, bedia, banchada and kanjar, where these women come from, have traditionally been nomadic tribes. before the women were driven into sex work, these ethnic groups worked mainly as performers: dancers, jugglers, acrobats and magicians. because of their work and way of life, the british colonial power viewed these ethnic groups as a threat. in 1871 they were criminalized under the criminal tribes act, which was only repealed at the time of india's independence. stereotypes about these tribes still persist in society and makes it almost impossible for them to start other professions or means of livelihood. i went to meet male members of a family from the community. there is a lot of discrimination. no one wants to give us decent jobs - that would mean we could climb up and out of our misery. people