Re: Violence against Sex Workers in Calcutta

[Guest guest]

DESPICABLE VIOLENCE AGAINST CALCUTTA SEX WORKERS

Response from: Dr. Moni Nag, Adjunct Professor of

Anthropology, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.

This is in response to the appeal made by Ms. Angura

Begum, Secretary of the DMSC, an organization of about

60 thousand sex workers. She has appealed for support

towards DMSC’s efforts to see that the West Bengal

Government as well as human rights and women’s

organizations take immediate action regarding the

heinous acts of violence in Calcutta against Ms. Rekha

Lodh, a sex worker and Ms. Swapna Gayen, sex worker

President of DMSC. The attacks were committed by local

mastans (anti-socials) who apparently felt threatened

of their loss of power in brutally exploiting the sex

workers with the rising influence of the DMSC, the

world's largest sex workers’ collective.

Ms. Begum’s appeal deserves immediate international

response from all who are interested in the welfare

and development of sex workers who are the most

helpless victims of unfortunate circumstances

including the emergence of AIDS epidemic.

It is well-known among AIDS circles that the DMSC has

been highly praised by UNAIDS, WHO and India

Government’s NACO for its significant contribution in

keeping the HIV/AIDS prevalence among sex workers in

Kolkata lower than in any other Indian city ( see my

article, “Prostitution and AIDS in India”, Economic

and Political Weekly, October 20-26, 2001 and my

Letter to the Editor, New York Times,”Sex Workers and

AIDS”, July 13,2002). DMSC’s efforts in HIV/AIDS

control are bound to suffer if it is weakened by

similar attacks on its members and elected

representatives.

I met Ms. Gayen last March in Kolkata and listened to

her a few speeches in seminars and conferences. With

her mild manners and strong determination, she, as a

President of the DMSC, seemed to be a natural leader

of sex workers. It is very difficult for me to imagine

how a woman like her could be beaten so brutally that

she had to be hospitalized. I wish her a quick

recovery so that she can resume her obligations as

President of the DMSC and as the main income-earner of

her family.

I wholeheartedly support the appeal circulated by the

Secretary of the DMSC and fervently request the West

Bengal Government to take immediate action against the

anti-socials whose attack on the sex workers was

apparently a pre-meditated action to undermine the

movement of the sex workers for empowering themselves

through DMSC.

Dr. Moni Nag, Adjunct Professor of

Anthropology, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.

E-mail: <mn1925@...>

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[Guest guest]

I too want to add my supportive comments to those Professor Nag and DMSC.

Please folks understand that sex is a post pubescent experience and always

has been. It is hypocritical to imagine in the time between puberty say 9 or

10 and marriage say 25 to 30 that some engagement with the hormones is not,

will not, and should not be happening.

Recognising that it does happen we should be teaching our young people the

meaning of respect in relationships and empower them with messages that will

keep them safe and allow them to develop management skills for their

personal lives. Children were made to be mimics so it is natural that they

will mimic those who are nearest and dearest to them and hopefully the

examples that are set for them to follow are respectful of gender and

orientation. Of course for some the examples are not, and pretty much they

have to make their own minds up. Gone are the days when boys and girls

should be seen and not heard within the family. Getting back to the sex work

industry that engages all ages and all genders in India and of course

elsewhere, they are now internationally setting some sexual health and

safety standards that make them a lot safer than the fear based furtive

liaisons that I am observing in my travels and in reading the literature

that is extensive in india already.

Maintaining standards of health and safety in this industry is a requirement

of departments of health. Regulating and licencing them might help. It does

in our Country and State. But criminal violence is not only unhelpful but it

is also contrary to international human rights standards, whether the

perpetrators are street thugs or enforcement officials. Exposure and

documenting of any and all instances of such violence is essential as is the

documenting of the cases. There is often no political will to react to such

instances unless they are matched by unequivocal community rejection and

protest.

Please don't leave it to the sex workers to try to protect India's sexually

active citizens from STI's and BBV's. It is the responsibility of all of us.

Geoffrey Heaviside

E-mail: <gheaviside@...>

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