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Drayangs often make news headlines, but mostly for the wrong reasons. These entertainment centres are associated with exploitations of girls and social nuisance. The issue was even discussed during the Sixth session of the National Assembly. Why is that so?
Drayangs are basically bars with a stage where girls dance, sing and entertain customers. The customers are predominantly male. The entertainers are mostly young girls, most of them, high school leavers, with no job prospects. Others had come from remote villages to try their fortune in the capital.
“I would like to work in an office but I am illiterate. Forget about me, even those who studied up to class 10 and 12 can’t find jobs. So dancing in a Drayang is my only option,” says Jambay Zangmo, 24.
She lives with her husband in a rented apartment in the heart of the capital. She loves to dance and sing. So Jambay travelled all the way from Dremetse in Mongar to the capital to pursue her dream. “People say drayang girls are like prostitutes. I don’t believe this. We have to stay in the drayang till 10 or 11 pm. We get advice from our employers. And when time permits, I stay home and weave. I like it here.”
Like her, scores of high school drop-outs and young illiterate women have found employment in this booming entertainment business. Their work starts at 5 pm and continues till 12 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and till 11 pm during rest of the days. Tuesdays are off. They are paid Nu. 3000 or more depending on their experience.
Currently, there are 27 Drayangs in the country. Together they employ over 250 people. Close to 61 percent are girls. They are compelled by economic circumstances to join the Drayangs, but for some, singing and dancing is their passion. Besides her passion, Karma Chozom, 20, says that she can also help her parents and family. “I can also learn Driglam Namzha. After getting employed in a Drayang, we get to meet people of all kinds. Our employer teaches us how to deal with people. Apart from that we can showcase our talents,” she adds with a smile.
Apart from singing and dancing, the girls also go around cajoling customers to sponsor a song or a dance, mostly to male customers. And this is where suspicion arises, that the girls could be sexually harassed.
“People say, I love you, you are beautiful and will you marry me. But I think people who visit Drayangs have children and wife back at home. They say they are single. Some say they will send us to school,” says Karma Chozom.
Another dancer, Pem Lhamo, says the some of the customers offer them money to go out with them to a hotel. “When we come across such people, we do not listen to them.”
Drayang owners deny that the girls are harassed or exploited. Some, however, said other Drayangs may be allowing their girls to be harassed. “Some drayangs may be allowing customers to harass their girls. I can’t deny this. Because of one or two who allow this to happen, all of us get a bad name,” says a Drayang owner.
So, what are the concerned officials doing about it? The National Commission for Women and Children carries out an inspection and refers cases of violation to the Women and Child Protection Unit of the Royal Bhutan Police.
Meanwhile, a few of the Drayangs are making conscious effort to help the girls. Tashi Tagay Drayang in the capital is one. It has hired an instructor to teach the girls traditional songs like Zhungdra and Boedra. The girls are also taught embroidery on Mondays.
“The Royal Academy of Performing Arts, RAPA, alone cannot preserve our tradition. Private individuals also should come forward to help. With this aim, I hired a music teacher and an embroidery teacher to train them,” claims Namgay Dorji, owner of the Tashi Tagay Drayang in Thimphu.
As the suns sets and office goers in Thimphu call it a day, it is time for the girls working at Tashi Tagay Drayang to get dressed and ready for work. They pray on the stage where they earn their living.
BBS also spoke to the parents of some of the girls working in the Drayangs. They said they have no objection because their daughters love to sing and dance and the little money they are bringing home is handy.
The Drayangs have also drawn the ire of the neighbours. In Paro, the matter was reported to the local government. The members were told that the Drayangs are a nuisance. The singing and dancing late into the night is disturbing the neighborhood.
“Drayangs and discotheques create a lot of problems. There are also undesirable activities taking place in these areas. Residents get disturbed. It is also not safe for vehicles. We discussed the issue at the DYT and submitted them to the government,” says Chencho Tshering, Dzongda, Paro
The issue was eventually discussed in the Sixth session of the National Assembly. The House decided that henceforth, local governments will decide whether a Drayang would be allowed to operate in a particular area.
There are also other issues as well. Drayang owners say there are unlicensed drayangs. The license is issued by the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority, BICMA. “So far they have not received any formal complaint about Drayangs functioning without license,” says Ugyen Pem, Media Spokesperson, BICMA.
For the dancing girls, the main worry is about their future. As the Labour Minister, Dorji Wangdi, says they cannot spend their whole life dancing and entertaining in a Drayang. “The ministry is willing to provide training programmes to help them find long term employment.”
However, drayangs are mushrooming. The Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority has been entrusted to come up with stringent rules and regulations to monitor them.
The Drayangs are here to stay. The business, if anything, is only going to grow. There is no question about it. How do we regulate them? How do we ensure that the dancing girls are not exploited? And more importantly how do we provide them long term employment? Solutions and answers must be found. And sooner the better.
