Padmaavat ban OK, but what about loos, ask female guides

Prattling off their fluent English skills while ushering in a cohort of French tourists, Snehlata Sukhwal and Parvati Sukhwal tirelessly complete the 13km-long trail of the grand Chittorgarh fort on foot everyday, often humming along Kaanton se kheench ke aanchal, tod ke bandhan payal…aaj phir jeene ki, one of Guide’s most popular number filmed on Waheeda Rahman here at the fort.

But they don’t hesitate to vent out their ire at the successive governments for lack of women toilet facilities, unsafe environment with illegal guides, no facilitation of pre-paid autos or battery rickshaws. Into their early 40s, they are the only two recognised women guides working and living inside the quarters of the fort.

“Padmavati’s jauhar is ok but not our bravery here. Padmaavat ban is ok for the distortion of history but we also need efforts to upkeep the history, help their patrons take a peek and secure our livelihood. For most Indian tourists, it’s still unacceptable and shocking to see that women can engage them in a two-hour long conversation as a guide. Why? Because the politicians are busy seeking ban on Padmaavat,” remarks Snehlata.

She was born in Ajmer to a junior Army officer, lost her mother but went on to study MA in library science after her marriage in Chittorgarh. Parvati, Snehlata’s sister-in-law, is equally livid.

“We are women. Like men, we can’t huddle around tourists and seek their favour to allow us to guide them. We are recognised by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation after we cleared the exams for guides but we have never been given any support on education, health or public transport that can help our livelihood beyond Rs 500-800 we make a day during the tourist season between November-March,” she says.

There are around 4,000 families which live around the fort. Most of them face difficulty in having access to ration shops, government schools, or hospitals. While some express gratitude to BJP MP C P Joshi for ensuring a road constructed here, they now demand for frequent public transport service.