CONfident Women (Not that kinda Women's Day episode)

Boju Bajai

It’s that time of the year again! And no, we aren’t out marching this year cos we are boju bajai yaaaaa. Leg and back is dukhing hau. Also, no girl boss energy or women breaking glass/wooden/cement ceiling stories this time. Cos this Women’s Day we are putting the spotlight on jhooti, makkar, thaggar ladies - from “माताको भेषमा मूर्ति र घण्टी चोरी गर्ने” ladies’ gang in Dang to laptop luteri in Delhi and Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, the woman who caused the infamous diamond necklace kanda in 18th century France.

Female con artists’ को कारनामा/ कर्तुत is as old the as the history of scams and frauds. So in this episode we are going to talk about women - con women, confident women - and our fascination with them.

अपनी कुर्सी की पेटी बाँध लीजिये, cos we are going on a world tour with our scammer ladiz! Just so you know, this is in no way us glorifying crimes. Just some harmless fun re kya.

Also, Women’s Dayमा चक्लेट, चिम्टी, चुरा र बिदा दिन बन्द गर्दा हुन्छ होला।

Hope you enjoy this episode!

Credit

- Research: Shristi Shakya (we miss our bhupu boju)

- Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

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- Bunty aur Babli soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuIplXLce0w

-Bluffmaster Vishal and Shekhar (those hip hop fakers, rey kya ;p) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX409_Bq7m0

- Don https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NkzxwE2Yzg

- Dauda Dauda Bhaga Bhagasa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTDZPmO3luQ

Reading list

1. माताको भेषमा मूर्ति र घण्टी चोरी गर्ने पक्राउ, Ratopati https://www.ratopati.com/story/422906

2. राष्ट्रपतिले भने,'स्याबास् अनुजा', Kantipur

https://ekantipur.com/feature/2011/04/21/328357.html

3. के हो सत्य अनुजाको ? Salokya, MySansar

https://www.mysansar.com/archives/2011/04/18535/

• 4. 'The big laptop heist': Delhi's ‘Bunty and Babli’ con duo arrested, Hindustan Times https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/the-big-laptop-heist-delhis-bunty-and-babli-con-duo-arrested-101732854825390.html

5. Two women held for fraud https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/two-women-held-for-fraud

• 6. एमबीबीएस टपर डाक्टर भन्दै ठगी गर्ने दुई युवती प्रहरीको फन्दामा https://www.ratopati.com/story/347324

  7. Glitzy, Tragic and Selfish: Female Con Artists Waltz by Society’s Rules

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/25/us/female-con-artists-tori-telfer.html

• 8. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has a fandom of “Holmies” who hail her as “girl boss” despite fraud charges

https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-trial-court-fans-holmies-girl-boss-fraud-2021-9

Affair of the Diamond Necklace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affair_of_the_Diamond_Necklace