Echoes of the margin: Negotiating life and identity in Heeramandi, Lahore

Abstract

This paper will examine place-based identity and symbolic marginalization of people residing in Heeramandi of Lahore, a place traditionally stigmatized with prostitution. The study focuses on territorial stigma and how this stigma remains a frame of organizing societal perceptions that influence the everyday life of people, even in the face of major shifts in the area on a socio-economic level. It is found that the geographical tag of Heeramandi carries a lot of impact as an indication of social exclusion and thus puts its dwellers in disadvantageous position of prejudice, moral values and reputation against them irrespective of their proficiency in their jobs or their personal conducts. An orientation left over by place based stereotypical thinking, identity formation and social mobility, was seen in many of the participants who related that they changed the identification of their residence or business location to avoid discrimination. The study also illustrates how the narratives in the public domain are the cause of dismantling the multifaceted cultural and historical nature of Heeramandi into one that is solely of moral deviance which helps create a symbolic marginalization of the locals. Based on the theory of territorial stigma and symbolic violence, the paper emphasizes voices from the local community to map local fears, perceptions, and experiences, and thus opens up discussions on urban stigma, identity and the ambiguous social processes of historically stigmatized space.