AIDS activists violated: Urgent call for global solidariy

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

I send you this e-mail with a heavy heart and with a deep sense of being

violated and abused. The following unveils a story that turns more and more

weird and sordid beyond anything that I have faced in ten years of my work

with women in prostitution and sex work. My middle class upbringing never

exposed me to the right of men who use abusive language so effectively as a

form of violence that silences women such that we can never hold our head up

with dignity. I am also deeply shocked that my dignity is so fragile.

It all started with VAMP the prostitutes' collective buying a piece of land

in the border town of Nippani in the Belgaum district of Karnataka state.

Since the collective had finally bought its own space the regular Monday

meetings shifted to Nippani. Women from seven districts of Western

Maharashtra and North Karnataka were to atted these meetings as they have

been doing for the past ten years in Sangli. Unfortunately from the second

meeting the local coporators decided that the women who attended these

meetings were defiling the `pure and sacred' space and they decided to put a

stop to these meetings.

They first threatened to kill the main leaders i.e. Meena Seshu and Shabana

Khazi if the meetings continued. When this did not happen they threatened to

break the vehicles that brought the women to the meetings and when we

refused to bow down to their wishes they pelted stones on the building in

the dead of the night. 25 to 30 boys with swords and thick bamboo sticks

beat up every man who dared to pass through the street and robbed them of

their gold and their money. The police turned a blind eye. On 18/2/2002 they

tried to break down the door to Shabana's rented room and but for her land

lord she would have been seriously injured if not dead by now. All this

because the terms laid down by them were not acceptable to the collective

and SANGRAM the NGO working with the women.

When they realised that legally we had every right to hold a meeting on our

own land they decided to negotiate. The terms offered by them were firstly

all the women should use the `Bhangi bol' [the night soil lane of yester

years] as they were not to be seen by respectable wives and children.

Secondly, they should hold the meetings in the back side of the building

under the hot sun because the hall faced the street and meetings held in the

enclosed hall would mean that the women can be seen by the naked eye while

entering the premises. Thirdly, none of the women in prostitution should

come by four wheelers as this dared to offend the richer men in the

street!!! They demanded that the jeeps are parked outside and the women walk

down the side entrance through the Bhangi Street with their heads properly

covered so that the respectability of the upper caste `chaste' women is not

offended.

Since all their demands were unacceptable and we rejected the same the women

were hounded out of Nippani.

Following is the report written by the reporter of TOI who wanted to cover

the story. The words in italics are my insertions.

" 30-commercial sex workers hounded out from their homes by local gundas and

policemen. "

Hounded out of their own homes in Nippani by an armed mob, the 30-odd

helpless commercial sex workers are not even a living entity today. Cowering

in their make shift shelters in Sangli, Kolhapur, Ichalkaranji Shabana (a

sex worker) and her frightened acquaintances are a traumatized lot. " For

years we have been residing in the Devekar colony red light area. But today,

we are homeless, " says Shabana as tears spill down her cheeks.

Ever since the prostitutes's collective Veshya AIDS Mukabla Parishad (VAMP)

bought a small piece of land for themselves on January 10, 2002 to carry out

their HIV/AIDS and STD awareness programme in Nippani, the CSW's have had to

face the wrath of local ruffians and few policemen. " On one arm the

government is giving us free condoms to carry out HIV/AIDS prevention

programmes and on the other hand police officials are harassing us, "

lamented Meena Seshu, general secretary SANGRAM.

When contacted, the local Shiv Sena coporator, Mr Babasaheb Khambe said:

" The CSW's were causing a bad influence in the neighbourhood. Under the garb

of HIV/AIDS prevention programme these women are promoting prostitution, " he

said. Likewise, Congress counselor, Mr Vijay Shetge said, " The women were

all `hardcore prostitutes', and they should leave the place immediately. "

When asked where they should go, he said: " anywhere that is not our look

out. "

However, what needs to be mentioned here is that, the red light area has

been there for more than 80 years. Ex-MLA, Nippani Mr Subhash Joshi said

that the rights of women in prostitution should also be protected, as they

too are the citizens of this country.

Furthermore, the so-called, culture vultures and harbingers of peace went on

a rampage against these women. In the wee hours of Sunday, an armed mob of

some 70-odd ruffians threatened and rattled the doors of a few CSW.

Fearing their lives Shabana and few others fled to the nearest Townhall

police station to file an FIR and ask for police protection, but in vain.

" The inspector in charge just wouldn't write down the complaint. Instead

they shunned us away, " said Shabana.

Worst came, when Neil Pate, a correspondent from a reputed national English

daily investigated and questioned the Nippani Circle Police Inspector, Mr

Satish S Khot for not filing the CSW's complaint. " They are are `bloody

veshyas' and not `normal citizens' hence their compliant cannot be

registered, " Mr Khot asserted. In a fit of anger, Mr Khot showered a volley

of abusive words and threatened the women saying, " I will strip all `veshyas

' in the public square and beat them black and blue till they die or else I

will book all of them under the Immoral Trafficking Act (Prevention) Act

1956. "

The circle police inspector Mr Khot used abusive language that is very

difficult to translate into English but the gist of all he said was that `

you prostitute - today you have come with this woman and creating this

drama. Let her leave and tomorrow I will personally come and pull out your

pubic hair. I will enter your vagina and tear it apart and do not forget

that my penis has the strength of my police job and power.' He said, `hadasu

', bosadi and phodhari,and so on and on. all of which are very abusive and

is violence against all women. He shouted raved and ranted to the extent

that I had to ask him to please sit down fearing he'll have a heart attack!]

Furthermore, in a very rude manner Mr Khot even had the audacity to accuse

Neil Pate of being a `pimp' and `agent' of the CSW's. He even threatened

him, if the article was ever published. Mr Khot said, " The HIV/AIDS

prevention programme was a big sham. The NGO Sampada Gramin Mahila Sanstha

(SANGRAM), managed by Meena Seshu was making money from the government via

condoms distribution. "

Meanwhile, fearing their lives and the lives of their small children the

30-odd CSW's fled to the neighbouring districts on February 18. Despite all

this, the reaction of the local police authorities has been very casual so

far.

Western Maharashtra Shiv Sena Mahila Aghadi Coordinator, Ms Neelam Gorhe,

who also manages the Stree Adhar Kendra in Pune said: " CSW's also have a

right to live and get police protection when they are in trouble. It is

erroneous if a police officer says they are not `normal citizens'. "

A cursory look shows that, the `hounding episode' in Nippani red light area

was a joint operation of the police, local ruffians and some prominent

corporators.

" Very few people listen to women issues. In the present situation, only a

strong protest from the government and censures from the Human Rights

Commission will help, " laments Sadhana Zadbuke, a social worker from

Kolhapur.

Ends.

in solidarity,

meena saraswathi seshu

E-mail: " meena " <meena@...>

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