Flashy vibrant lights, sparkled-tight-fitted costumes and the teenage girls swaying their bodies to the rhythm of the music playing in the background, audience cheering, hooting and uttering vulgar words, this is something not depiction of a Bollywood movie rather it is a reality in the state of Bihar. This particular event is infamously known as an orchestra and it is attended by good amount of audience with majority of them being men. An orchestra being held is so common that it serves as an entertainment purpose in functions as well as some parties, the women who are active in such events are paid for their dancing. Young girls of age 14 to 18 are lured into this because of their economic financial status, they are easy to manipulate on the basis of money, house and promise to marriage.
What is actually very concerning issue about these events are, they are held publicly with men sexually exploiting the girls in stage as well as afterwards. And the public witnesses this laughing and cheering. It has also come to the light of the authorities that some of the girls were trafficked into this. The whole chain of organizing orchestras really needs to stop because it is unjust, un-ethical and unlawful in the eyes of law as well as the society, the continuation of such events in 2025 is really shameful and needs to get condemned by the majority. The organizers of orchestras have been accused of allegedly kidnaping and trafficking minor girls, in June 2025, six-girls were rescued by Saran Police, acting on the inputs of NHRC, the police raided on multiple orchestra group and found the girls, the girls were in extreme bad conditions as they were sexually abused and exploited.[1] It was also reported that Bihar police rescued 17 minor girls from orchestra-dancing groups, where they were sexually harassed and forced to do inappropriate acts and dance. [2] The Patna High Court had taken a crucial judicial stance against rampant child trafficking and sexual abuses taken place at the disguise of orchestra and other dance group, despite of this, the practice continued and flourished in the state of Bihar. It is justifiable that organizing such performances cannot be stopped all at once as some dancers willingly participate out of poverty, and it may be against right to profession but if any orchestra is majorly involved in the crimes against women, then it's the duty of the official and judiciary to end this cycle of exploitation.
What Specific Legal Measures Can Court Order To Regulate Orchestra
Although, there is no complete ban on the orchestras of Bihar, but the state government along with the state judiciary can form an alliance to curb the abuses faced by people, in the disguise of dance performance. For e.g. The Devdasi system in Southern part of India, the Supreme Court ordered the state governments to pass strict laws to completely abolish practice. And the state governments took various measures to prevent it from being practiced and to abolish it completely, Devdasi, was a culturally accepted practice, in which the girl was married to the deity, where she had to perform dances in the temple, also they were assaulted too in the name god's service. Similarly, if the government of Bihar takes initiatives to curb the practice or to regulate the orchestra system as per law and guidance, the assaults and violations felt by the women in it, can be put to an end.
To regulate the orchestra system in Bihar, the state government needs to take various steps and legal remedies, and these are as follow:
- Lack of awareness regarding this ill practice, people are not aware that women, especially the minors are being assaulted in the name of dance, the crowd cheering for the performances shows the lack of concern and apathy towards women dancing in front of them. The State government with the help of an NGO must try to organize acts like nukkad-natak in villages as well as the places, where orchestra is really prevalent, to show the seriousness regarding this issue.
- If any missing girl is found, working for any such group, there should be an immediate report to the Police officials. It's the duty of the police to transfer the girl safely to her house and arrest the owner of the event. Police officials should visit such events on regular basis to check if any underage girls are participating, or is being sexually assaulted, they must immediately rescue the girl and put her in a safe place.
- State Government must put complete ban on such orchestra, where the band members consist only of minors or if any woman is being forced to be an orchestra dancer against her will.
- In most of the performance, the women dancing gets inappropriately touched and they seem helpless while getting molested, for this proper barricade must be made around the stage, with strict consequences if anyone trespasses it.
- There should be mandatory registration of each an every orchestra group in the state, with the mention of name, age and address of each member. Also, the members should sign the certificate of consent which is to be mandatorily attested by two constables. The constables should make sure that certificate is signed with one's consent and not coerced or forced.
- If the members report the case of sexual assault, immediate action should be taken and FIR must be registered against the accused and heavy fine must be imposed against him.
- There have also been instances where the parents themselves sell their daughter to be part of orchestra to improve their economic status, actions must be taken against those parents and the girl should be handed over to any working NGO of the state.
- The department of Women and child development should conduct regular inspection to check the prevalence of girls and women being affected by the orchestras by any means. Additionally, they should also provide employment to such women and rehabilitation to minors getting kidnapped or assaulted.
It is not possible to completely ban this practice until and unless the people of Bihar raise their voices against it, because even if officials pass a law completely banning it, the people may continue it illegally and more crimes will be committed against the minors and the women. So, there must be certain strict rules to regulate the working of Orchestras because we cannot let women and minors get assaulted and trafficked under the nose of government.
Views Are Personal.
Reference:
Six minor girls 'trapped in horrific conditions' rescued from orchestra groups in Bihar The rescued girls were trafficked from New Delhi, West Bengal, and Nepal. The operation was carried out based on intelligence provided by Narayani Seva Sansthan, and inputs from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Published - July 03, 2025 12:40 am IST - PATNA. (2025, July 3). THE HINDU. ↑
'Forced to dance, subjected to inappropriate acts': Bihar Police rescue 17 minors from 'arkestras.' (2025, May 24). The Indian Express. ↑