an appeal - to situations pertaining to sex workers in Kerala

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir/Madam,

With regard to the allegation aginst NGOs and in particular, to that of the NGO

to which Maitreya from Kerala belongs to, that too with regard to the topic and

concern expressed with that of the sex workers i humbly take the following stand

and re-appeal to pick out the senistive issues related to the course of

incidents that would have taken place with Maitreya and his team in Kerala

related to the cause;

1. Maitreya is an extreme strong person with a visual thinking and focussed to

work for the well being of sex workers probably may differ from the usual

process of technical input such as the " HIV/AIDS Interventions with sex workers "

which could be viewed from the Government point of view and works with a team

who are sensitive to the practical issues per say, faced by the sex workers; -

he perhaps has been the lead perspective in dealing with the Government

officials versus the problem! - cannot the NGO heads and workers express their

grief, ventilate their feelings and take all steps to prevail a platform to the

voiceless like the sex workers and if it is slightly strong by virtue should it

be taken to heart by the specific individuals as officers and act

bureaucratically?

2. It is understood by the course of incidents that has been expressed by

Maitreya over a period of time through various forums and clearly over the

AIDSINDIA - Forum, that the problem identified lies not with the sex workers but

on the contrary with the stigma imposed on Maitreya and his NGO which has been

stamped & discriminated for which no stand from the side of the Government has

been openly alleged! - there needs to be a clear explanation stated as to why

funding should be stopped to the NGO to which Maitreya is attached? This

question is posed so that we as NGOs would not undergo the same torture in the

future days to come!

3. On behalf of the National Forum For The Advocacy And Rights Of Sex Workers

(FARS) i would like to plead to all officers and civil servant societies and

other indivduals let us shrug our shoulders and shake our selves and view with

practical notions; let us not go by the abide of moralitic values to which you

and me may be exposed but the actual fact lies that there are so many who might

not have had the chance to view life in such a way and the problems towards

living could have been far beyond the same which could have made them to view on

a contrary and may not be able to think on the same views such as the so called

bureaucratic officers would do so!

4. There are quite a few national and state networks which constantly work

towards the upliftment of the qulaity of life of the sex wokrers and their

families with particular emphasis on their children; one such meeting was

recently held in Chennai wherein the groups working with the sex wokrers decided

to go on for a state wise " Dharna " where in they expressed their grief and a

need for a safe environment to be rendered to the sex workers, which was adhered

by all the NGOs and one such initiation has been adherently followed by Maitrya

too - that cannot forbid him to loose grounds on the ground work that which may

be appreciated and has lent the sex workers in his state; would it also mean

that all NGOs who went on a Dharna would be forced to loose thier ground to work

with the sex workers adn that their funding to their respective organsiations

would be removed; what is the boost and the inclination that we would have? how

long would we spend the best part of our lives trying to convince you people on

the state of sex workers and their marginalised lives directly and indirectly

and where are we after all that?

5. It is most often felt that NGOs and individuals attached to the cause of the

sex workers and their discrimination are most often viewed as " activist " so much

so the word activist by itself is now marginlaised and discriminated;

6. There are most of us as forum members who do not view and judge the sex

wokrers with moral attitudes and try to argue if what they are perfroming sex

work as a profession or not but view them with their own rights and safe guard

their interests towards better living;

7. If the funding has to be stopped for FIRM (NGO attached to Maitreya) we need

a convincing explanation and i think we do have the right to enquire as civil

societies, if we are needed for the National Planning on the HIV/AIDS

inititations with the World Bank as civil societies ( i happened to represent

POndicherry on the planning process);

8. At all Forums Kerala was viewed with great honor and vigour for the efforts

taken and realised due to thier 100% commitment to education and literacy as a

Human Development Indicator and a fore runner to development - it would be a

shame and sheer walk out if the current issue has to be only dealt by

withdrawing funds from FIRM; it shows the failure and selfishness on the part of

the bureaucrats and the state the inability to grope with the current HIV/AIDS

situation in the state;

8. Last but not least let me remind you of the recent World Conference on

HIV/AIDS held at Barcelona to which many of us addressed here happened to be

particpants, concluding remarks of Clinton as an ambassador to the work on

HIV/AIDS globally, clearly specified the recent torture and the human rights

violations imposed on the sex workers by the police in India which was viewed

with a heavy heart and repeated pleads to the respective Governments of the

countries with special alegations and the pleadings directed to India to

immidiately stop the same and directions taken to safe guard the environment to

the sex workers and their families;

Exact Words from Clintons speech:

" Human Rights Watch published a report last week that details unconscionable

police abuse of front-line AIDS prevention workers in India. In one case, peer

educators repeatedly faced violence and harassment for training sex workers in

prevention techniques. One AIDS worker had hot chili powder rubbed into her

eyes. When the AIDS workers complained to law enforcement, the local police

chief said they were not " normal citizens " who had the right to complain.

In another case, AIDS workers reaching out to men who have sex with men were

detained by police for 47 days, part of the time without access to drinkable

water or sanitation facilities. One of the workers, a Muslim, was accused

of trying to destroy India by promoting homosexuality. The complaint

said: " Hindus don't have these practices; these are all perversions of Muslims. "

The police responsible for this abuse are traitors to their own people. The

government should rein these rogues in now " .

On behalf of the National Forum For The Rights of Sex Workers i plead you to

reconsider the thought and action directed against FIRM (NGO) and Maitrya and

shed your current un wanted discriminatory inhibitions and realise the need for

working for the sex workers to help prevent HIV/AIDS amidst the sex workers and

thereby the nation itself;

Jai Hind

Shyamala Ashok

FARS - Member

SFDRT - Pondicherry

E-mail:<aabinand@...>

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