Centre split over legalising sex trade

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Centre split over legalising

27 August, 2008: New Delhi

The Central government is spilt wide open on the issue of whether sex trade

should be criminalised or legalised. Different government ministers, ministries

and departments are taking diagonally opposite positions on the amendment which

if passed will derail the HIV/AIDS programme in India in a big way and force sex

workers to go underground thereby compounding the problem, say experts.

Union labour and employment minister Fernandes has voiced his reservations

for penalising clients who visit sex workers.

He said that this would not curb sex trade but only push it underground. Also

having severe reservations is the National Aids Control Organisation

director-general K. Sujatha Rao who has said that it would only make it more

difficult to track down sex workers who are most vulnerable to contracting the

virus.

On the other side of the spectrum is the ministry of women and child

development, which has introduced the bill in Parliament in 2006. It is expected

to be sent to the Cabinet before the next Parliament session so that it can be

passed.

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