Re: On legalising sex work

[Guest guest]

Plan panel's `remedy' for AIDS splits relief agencies

Tuesday November 8 2005 12:14 IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Planning Commission's prescription

that `empowerment of sex workers is the real antidote to the killer

AIDS' has stirred a hornet's nest in Moral Kerala.

The Commission's proposal to legalise sex work and homosexuality has

divided the agencies involved in battling the dreaded disease into

opposite camps.

Taking serious exception to the sex activists and the Government-

sponsored agencies who favour the legalisation, the Church-run

agencies have warned that any move to scrap the Immoral Traffic

Prevention (ITP) Act would amount to sanctifying promiscuity.

The ultimate result would be the crumbling of the society's moral

edifice.

In its draft proposal of the 11th Plan, the Planning Commission has

made it clear that the burgeoning AIDS threat cannot be combated in

the traditional way. The panel recommended to the Union Government

that sex work and homosexuality be legalised as an effective

intervention.

" Legalising sex will lead to promiscuity and the Catholic Church is

against it, " was the immediate reaction of the Syro Malabar Church.

The Church, which runs nearly 25 percent of the AIDS rehabilitation

centres in the country, has a major stake in the relief work carried

out for AIDS patients in Kerala.

The Church has a clear perception about combating AIDS. A strong

ethical code is inevitable for a healthy society.

A responsible government should play a pro-active role in enabling

the people to lead a disciplined family life, says Fr

Thelekkatt, the official spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Church.

Questioning the logic behind sanctifying sex work, Fr K D,

another Catholic priest, says: " Giving legal sanctity to sex work

and homosexuality is against Christian visions. For Christianity,

the basics of sexual activity are Life and Love.

" The Church is against `crimes' but is committed to taking care of

its victims compassionately. "

Fr is the director of the Changanacherry-based `Atma Kendra',

the Church-run charity organisation actively involved in the

rehabilitation of AIDS patients.

This time, the Church has an unlikely supporter. Social activist K

Ajitha dubbed the Plan panel's move as a high-level conspiracy by

the advocates of globalisation.

" We are against legalising promiscuity. First of all, sex is not a

work. If the government makes any move to legalise sex work, it

could be seen as a larger agenda by the champions of globalisation.

" The market forces have identified India as a major hub of sex

tourism. By advocating the legalisation of promiscuity, the

advocates of globalisation and the market forces are trying to

spread their tentacles in India.

" We are totally against it, and will put up a stiff fight against

it, " she says.

While the Government-sponsored NGOs and most of the health activists

hail the Planning Commission's move, sex worker Nalini Jameela wants

the Government to take the extreme step of de-criminalising sex

work, instead of legalising it.

Legalising the work would invite a lot of bureaucratic tangles and

corruption.

The Government should scrap the Immoral Traffic Prevention act.

Punitive action should not be initiated against two persons who are

engaged in sexual activities with mutual agreement, she says.

Deepa, a human right activist associated with the `Sahayathrika',

hails the Plan Panel's decision and is of the view that the

scrapping of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and de-

criminalisation of the sex work and homosexuality would help in

preventing the spread of AIDS.

The panel recommended that sex work and homosexuality should be

legalised.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?

ID=IER20051108015235 & Page=R & Title=Kerala & Topic=0