Re: DHARNA of CSWS in front of Surat District Collector's Office

[Guest guest]

Dear Sahoyag members,

We all are concerned about the situation of the friends in Chakla Bazar,.

GAP has already written a letter to you to send the details about your case so

that GAP can intervene in the matter. Unfortunately till today no response

/reply to the letter has been received in this office. Please send us the

details .

Radium

GAP_ISRCDE, Secretariat

E-mail: <radium@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Meera from Wins in andhra sent this mail. i think all of us can use

versions of the same. can anyone get hold of the DC's e-mail please? Five

women from SANGRAM/VAMP have gone to surat today and i can give you all an

update after they reach there but for now this all i have.

Meena Seshu.

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

_____________________

To

Dr.R.B.Deshmukh

Project Director

Gujarat State AIDS Control Society,

0/1 Block, New Mental Hospital Complex,

Menghaninagar,

Ahmedabad-380016

Respected sir,

You are very much aware that NACO and the Government policy to combat

HIV/AIDS is through targetted interventions, one of such targetted groups

being sex workers. Any form of violence against them would drive them

underground. Police violence and raids would only drive them away from red

light areas, and on to the highways. All thse would result in depriving them

of basic services like condoms, STD care and scientific health messages.

Apart from all these, ensuring their basic human rights is an important step

in the direction of reducing HIV transmission rates.

We now understand that the police have increased raids and have effectively

rendered homeless hundreds of sex workers in the Chakla Bazar area of Surat.

Reportedly about 60 children are on the streets starving. We gather that

about 600 sex workers are present in the area. Rendering them homeless is

not only a heinous crime, but it also effectively blocks all kinds of

interventions.

We, from the National Netowrk for Sex workers, now wish to lodge our strong

protest against such high handed methods of the police, and urge you to

intervene in the matter to ensure the rights of sex workers are restored to

them. Only such positive responses from your Office can instill confidence

in the women, and enable you to obtain cooperation for the AIDS program.

We look forward to receiving your reply informing us of actions taken.

In Solidarity

R. Meera S.V. Sreeram

Secretary Director - Advocacy

Women's Initiatives (WINS)

6-8-1017 NGO's Colony

K.T. Road

Tirupati 517 507 (A.P)

Tele Fax: (0877)-2230607