'Kamasutra' invites UN attraction

[Guest guest]

'Kamasutra' invites UN attraction. Sunday, 19 October , 2003, 14:01

Kolkata: The ancient " Kamasutra, " India's world famous love treatise

may now offer prescriptions globally about having safe sex at a

reduced risk of contracting AIDS.

Following a city-based NGO's unique experimentation of imparting

training to sex workers from the pages of Vatsayana's " Kamasutra " on

aesthetics of lovemaking, a senior UN representative had visited a

red light zone of the city and was impressed by what she saw. She

will submit a report about possibilities of implementing these

procedures elsewhere in the world.

The Institute of International Social Development (IISD) started the

workshop from August last on this experimentation to train the sex

workers from the texts of " Kamasutra " on how to make the clients

happy without sexual union, thereby greatly reducing chances of

getting infected with the deadly disease.

Senior Inter-regional Adviser of OUSG and UNDESA and Project Co-

ordinator of the UN's NGO sector Najet Karaboni yesterday visited

Sonagachhi, the largest red light zone here and where the project has

been started on an experimental basis, and inspected the entire

process.

" I am very much impressed by what I have seen and, when I go back to

the UN, I will report these to my high-ups and see whether the means

can be implemented elsewhere in the world. I am satisfied with the

techniques and I think it might be implemented to ensure better

health of the sex workers, " Karaboni said.

" The project deals with innovative techniques to handle those clients

unwilling to use condoms. It's about entertaining the difficult

clients by the sex workers with low-risk activities by resorting to

safe-sex practises, including minimising of sexual unions yet making

the clients totally happy, " said Rajyashri Chaudhuri, Secretary

General, IISD.

" This method may partially prevent vulnerability of both parties to

STD, HIV and AIDS. Moreover, the sex worker will be at liberty to

choose when she wants to have a child and will not be pressurised to

go for biologically harmful repeated abortions, " she said.

Chaudhury said with every sexual union, the sex workers were at the

risk of conceiving, besides the risk of contracting AIDS, and they

frequently had to go for abortions -- risking their lives. Again, if

a woman did not abort, an unwanted child was born and most of time,

after being rejected by the society, was trapped into the same trade.

Chaudhury said a baseline survey had shown the need for such a

syllabus where presentation, aesthetics and attractive acumen of the

sex workers, was developed, which could evade occurrence of high risk

activities.

The project, which was conceived by eminent HIV and AIDS specialist

Dr Sachhidananda Sarkar, aims to teach the Sonagachhi sex workers,

each of whom handles about 10 to 15 clients a day, about the science

and art of lovemaking and also what the clients want from them.

There are various ways described in the " Kamasutra " of entertaining

the clients without going the whole hog and " we are just trying to

follow those, " according to IISD president Purshottam Kumar.

" We aim to create a major shift in emphasis in the world of sexual

entertainment from mere physical short-lived joy to a more aesthetic

long-lasting exprience, " Chaudhury said.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13287685

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

One would be happy to read the contents of this letter. This is exactly where

the thrust should be given. The principle of pleasure should be there in

teaching safe sex. Even in wearing condoms, if assisted by your partner, one

can derive pleasure. These are tips people should practice universally.

Of course, there is a wealth of knowledge among sex workers, which we can adopt.

Only thing is that they learn all these tricks to avoid pregnancy and

penetration but not out of extending or increasing pleasure. We don't need

experts to tell them to do these but provide the atmosphere for it (in project

lingo - make an enabling environment).

But this is exactly what is missing in India, except perhaps in Bengal. This

Bengal story can't be replicated anywhere else in India (may be in other parts

of the world). The Bombay brothels and other brothels in northern India is so

oppressive, you can't do any of these things there.

Then the life of sex workers in the streets is so hostile, what you can say to

them. Safe sex, condom use, pleasure principle all are alien to their life.

With ITPA act in existence, the above said activity can be seen as promotion

of sex work and you can be arrested for running a brothel. It is just because

the authorities in Bengal keep their eyes closed or clandestinely assist the

brothel owners to run their business, all these can be practiced. The story of

rest of India is different, one can preach these but never really practice.

What we need is decriminalization first, then legitimately accept sex work as

wage earning work and then add quality to the practice of sex work, where and

when all safe sex can be practiced with impunity and quality. With ' moralistic

morons ' running the country all this can remain a pipe dream.

With some hope

Maitreya

E-mail: <maitreya@...>