Alternative views to SANGRAM/VAMP activities

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This is in response to the message from Meena Seshu, the leader of SANGRAM/VAMP.

We had some horrible experiences of interacting with Meena Seshu and her

colleague Shabana. We then took a decision not to accept any invitation for a

dicsussion with Meena or her close leaders of VAMP.

I do not know how many of the list readers have read the ideological position of

Meena Seshu's SANGRAM/VAMP. It is repeated at the end of this letter for their

kind information. It unnecessarily gives a facade of being very radical.

Actually it is the most stinking piece of patriarchal formula that degrades and

enslaves women. The ideology stinks particularly when it is reserved fro a

whole lot of disadvantaged women who find themselves in th flesh trade as a

result of some mishap. It also stinks since none of the while collared

intellectual leaders of this ideology follow it in their own lives or initiate

their own children to this radically emancipating life.

During an in house training programme conducted by their own organization

SANGRAM the women who had been gathered to for a collective when asked by

Meena to react to a point " about inducting minor girls in flesh trade " stated,

" We do not want our children to go through what we have been going through.

Hence we would educate them or get her married. " (Page 34), " We shall not put

our children in prostitution. We do not them to have the same fate that we have

suffered from. " (Page 35) " (Muktatechi Bharari (Flight of Freedom) Marathi

publication by SANGRAM the parent organization of VAMP the front of Meena

Seshu Sangli).

On that the organizational leader Meena Seshu states, " Girls should be brought

into prostitution 3 to 4 years after they start menstruating. If put into

prostitution earlier they have to face many difficulties. As it is their body is

not adequately grown, they do not know much about condom and they have to

undergo stitches, suffer from STD, and other diseases. " ( see Page 29 Op. Cit)

The same organization echoing yet another international position states, " We

believe that when involuntary initiation into prostitution occurs, a process of

socialization within the institution of prostitution exists , whereby the

involuntary nature of the business changes increasingly into one of active

acceptance, not necessarily with resignation .this is not a coercive process. "

Page 27 " Of Veshyas, Vamps, Whores, and Women)

This is a dangerous logic that no civilized society can accept. Apply the same

logic to any crime where someone is " involuntarily initiated " into exploitation

and subsequently accepts it under the " internal socialization " of that crime.

A lot of people believe that this involuntary initiation is called trafficking,

abduction, kidnapping, criminal force, coercion deception, fraud, etc etc. A

lot of people also believe that the " internal socialization " of a new recruit

into flesh trade is nothing other than starvation, beating, and rape, repeated

rape and repeated gang rape by the pimps and the henchmen of the brothelkeepers

till the self esteem of the victim and her desire to escape are completely

smashed.

VAMP holds that once in prostitution women like to remain in it since they

experience more empowerment, emancipated status and subjectively more happiness

as compared to a household woman.

The white collared leaders of SANGRAM and VAMP reserve this emancipation for the

helpless women who are uneducated, illiterate, and disadvantaged and who come

from the drought affected regions, Dalit landless families or the deserted

women.

On its HIV/AIDS control efforts the leader of SANGRAM/VAMP writes, " Responsible

sex is a whole gamut of things that together constitute a way of life. " Says

Mena Seshu of SANGRAM. " It is responsibility to yourself that makes you ensure

you use a condom every time you have penetrative sex. " Responsible sex is not a

moral concept, but a concept that encompasses more human dimension than safe

sex. " Even in schools, we never say, you should not have multiple sex

relationships. " explains Seshu. " We say, " be responsible to yourself in multiple

sex relationships. " (Of Veshyas, Vamps, Whores & Women SANGRAM / VAMP

Publication P.36

One has to only imagine the age group of schooling children to understand the

full meaning of this advice by VAMP/ SANGRAM.

There are some terms used deceptively by the legalization decriminalization

lobby. " Women in prostitution " is one such deceptive term. The term includes

the brothel keepers, brothel managers, the pimp women, the procurer women and

not just the victim women and young girls who are trafficked taking criminal

advantage of their vulnerability and helplessness. The two groups are not

merely entirely different in terms of their role, profits, and damages in the

flesh trade but they are mutually antagonistic. It is a great intellectual

error to categorize them together.

There are no two opinions that the incidence of trafficking of children, minors

and young women has shot up phenomenally in the past few years all over the

globe. It is the third largest illicit trade next to trade in arms and narcotics

run by organized gangs.

D'Cunha in her book Legalization of Prostitution (1990) gives detailed

accounts of the real nature of the organizations floated in the name of the

victim women and shows that largely they are formations floated by the brothel

keepers and pimps and do not represent the interests of the victim women who

are prostituted.

We the members of NACSET (Network Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation &

Trafficking) representing over 273 voluntary sector organizations and over

500 individual professional members including some of the women's organizations

( Stree Mukti Sanghatana, Stree Adhar Kendra included) from the state of

Maharashtra as well as NACSET Karnataka condemn the position of

decriminalization taken by VAMP as well as that of legalization taken by some

other groups floated in the name of the victim women. In this we are also joined

by the other voluntary organizations such as the Joint Women's Project Delhi,

Sanlaap Kolkata. The network of organization working against trafficking and

commercial sexual exploitation from Andhra Pradesh NATSAP also condemns this

position.

It is important to note that some of us have been working for the rights of the

women and children victims of CSE & T for over 14 years now and Prerana runs 24

hours services for them in the redlight areas of Kamathipura, Falkland Rd.,

Turbhe etc. Let the readers not be misdirected by the likes of Meena Seshu

and VAMP. The victim women of Kamathipua and Falkland rd have their collective

called NISHANT which fights for the dignity and rights of the victim women.

They in no uncertain terms demand abolition of the flesh trade as it is

incompatible with the basic dignity of women. A social wrong must be corrected

even if it is late. It should never be regularized. The likes of VAMP and Meena

Seshu should have no respectable place in any civilized society.

This is not at all to justify what is being quoted to have been said by the

concerned police officer. Responsible platforms must verify if the police

officer truly used such words. Appropriate action must be initiated against

anyone who might have used such indecent words. At this stage however I am not

sure if the officer did really say such a thing.

Nevertheless nothing lessens the damage caused by Meen Seshu to the cause of

the women victim of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. We must

learn to differentiate between tears and tears.

Pravin Patkar

Coordinator

Network Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking (NACSET)

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A STATEMENT OF WOMEN IN PROSTITUTION

Prostitution is a way of life like any other. It is a survival strategy that

is parallel to any other occupation. It is not created for the benefit of men

as is the common perception; rather it is primarily for the women who live off

it. Women in prostitution make money out of sex and we are the breadwinners of

our families.

We disagree with the statement that prostitution is a profession. We make a

distinction between profession(vyavasay) and occupation/ business(dhandha). For

instance, if we are presently occupied by making money out of sex, then that is

our occupation for a short span of time. The nature of the business itself is

time bound. Therefore, by using the term profession, we are necessarily being

pushed into a category for a lifetime. We are women who are practicing this

time-bound business of prostitution for a short and specific period in our

lives. Please remember that when we are not making money out of sex, we are

engaged in other income-generation activities.

We believe that all occupations stereotypical to women adhere to so-called

'femine values'. They capitalize upon qualities like tolerance, sympathy,

tenderness, endurance, understanding, patience, forbearance and much more, be

they housewives, typists, nurses, teachers, office assistants, receptionists,

women in prostitution etc. We believe that the socialization of the girl-child

to accept such occupations as the only alternative is also a major reason for

the perpetuation of sexual discrimination in the female work-force. We believe

that women in prostitution are no different.

We believe that we are more empowered than most women within male-dominated

patriarchal structures. For instance, within the family structure (which we

know is the most oppressive), we are the breadwinners and the heads of our

households. The relationships we share with the men from our families are more

honest and equal because the purdah of double standards is not necesary.

Economic independence from men is a reality that we enjoy with pride and

dignity. Brothel-owners, goons, the police and the self-appointed crusaders of

morality in society harass us , try to curb our independence and are forever

trying to douse our spirit. Control structures have a vested interest in

criminalizing prostitution. What we demand is the decriminalization of

prostitution such that we can live safely and continue to choose to make money

from sex without stigmatization. We demand the eradication of all laws

concerning prostitution, which are oppressive and help in further criminalizing.

We believe that making money from sex is but selling a part of our body which

is in no way different from selling our brains or physical labour. We protest

against a society that deems our work contribution as less prestigious than

other traditional forms of work. We believe that we challenge and undermine

structures of power by using a part of our womanhood - our sexuality, as a

source of our power and income.

We also protest against all laws and value systems that treat soliciting for

sex as indecent while sanctioning other forms of sexual contracts from

advertisements to exchanging gifts by marriage partners to dowry.

As People who experience violence as a part of our daily, we are being more

and more penalized by increasing violence in a society that is trying to order

and control our lifestyles. As women in prostitution, we protest against a

society that forces on us the violence of a judgmental attitude.

We believe that a woman's sexuality is an integral part of her as a woman, as

varied as her mothering, a domestic and such other skills. We do not believe

that sex has a sacred space and that women who have sex for reasons other than

its reproductive importance are violating this space. Or if they choose to make

money from the transaction they are immoral or debauched.

We believe that child prostitution is akin to child sexual abuse, molestation

and child labour, and that it exist in a society that is fraught with crimes of

abduction, kidnap, rape, assault and violence against women. We believe that as

comparable to poor, weak and marginalized communities, we are unable to have

reasonable control of our lives and destinies. We share the same experiences of

women who live in the Third world.

We believe that there is a distinction between trafficking, which is a

criminal issue, and adult prostitution. While we agree that choice is a cruel

mirage for all women within capitalist patriarchy, we feel the need to

acknowledge that adult prostitution as an option, exists. We also believe that

women who are in prostitution , choose to continue to remain in business for

many years.

We believe that when involuntary initiation into prostitution occurs, a

process of socialization within the institution of prostitution exists, whereby

the involuntary nature of the business changes increasingly to one of active

acceptance, not necessarily with resignation. This is not a coercive process.

We believe that, despite living within a capitalist patriarchal society and

having experienced the freedom of living outside the patriarchal system, it is

almost impossible for us to contemplate entering such a system with its inherent

double standard, lopsided value system and inequalities.

We protest against a society that deems us immoral and illegal mainly because

we don't accept its mores, rules and governance. We protest against the various

forces of mainstream society that deny us the right to liberty, security, fair

administration of justice, respect for our lives, discrimination, freedom of

expression and association.

We also protest against a society that aggressively promotes objectification

and commercialization of women and their sexuality. We protest against the sale

of our sexuality in the international market by unscrupulous individuals and

governments who reap huge profits off our bodies. We are in a business where

the control has shifted from traditional members of our community to criminal

syndicates. We were not for sale. In today's world, unfortunately we are

sacrificed and commodified by vested interests, sometimes from within our own

communities.

Globalization and the economic liberalization is further breaking up our

communities and forcing us to accept the sale of our bodies and the sale of our

young in the urban industrial centres for prostitution. Movement in search of

work is not new for us; the problem however is the criminalization of the trade

which is forcing us to turn to debt bondage, forced labour and slavery-lime

practices. Consequently, we find ourselves in the trap of criminal syndicates

in our search for work.

We believe that it is imperative that we must unite with each other to rease

the stigmatization of women in prostitution and restore our dignity as workers

and citizens of civil society. We must build alliances with other segments of

society and, together we must struggle against the forces who have a vested

interest in eroding the rights of all women.

We believe that a woman's sexuality is an integral part of her as a woman, as

varied as her 'mothering', domestic' and such other skills. We dont believe

that sex has a sacred space and women who have sex for reasons other than its

spiritual importance are violating this space.

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