Letter to the PM. Atrocities on Sex Workers in Sitamarhi, Muzaffurpur District, Bihar

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Dear All,

Please support this Action plus inititiative.

Thank you

Meena Seshu

e-mail: <sangram.vamp@...>

______________

To,

The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh,

Subject: Atrocities on Sex Workers in Sitamarhi, Muzaffurpur District

Respected Sir,

This is to bring to your kind attention the shocking incident of the

deliberate torching and burning down of approximately 250 houses of sex workers

in Sitamarhi in Muzaffurpur District. According to reports three persons

including a child appear to have perished in the conflagration. In addition the

hapless sex workers were also beaten and thrashed leading to a large number of

them being injured.

The administration, the police and even the Fire Department does not seem to

have responded with due alacrity and promptitude in the situation which could

have well prevented such a large number of houses being burnt down.

Sex Workers are as much citizens of India as anyone else and entitled to right

to life, liberty and shelter. They have a right to the equal

protection of laws. They have a right to prompt steps by the administration to

see that their houses are not burnt down by anyone.

They have a right to the police taking preventive steps to prevent instances of

being beaten up.

It appears that even after the incident there have been no attempts to

locate and apprehend the perpetrators of this ghastly incident.

Instead according to some reports in a travesty of justice some sex workers are

the victims of this violence are being detained by the police.

We Demand:

1. Identification and Apprehension of the perpetrators of this heinous

crime.

2. Action against the officials found guilty of dereliction of duty

and/or criminal negligence

3. Release of Sex Workers detained by the police

4. Compensation to the victims who have lost their residences as well as their

belongings.

In solidarity,

General Secretary,

SANGRAM,

e-mail: meenaseshu@..., snagram.vamp@...

For Action Plus, India

We the undersigned are part of Action Plus: A coalition of 15 organisations

working in the field of HIV/AIDS in India.

Action Plus is composed of the Following organisation:

1. Centre for Development Initiatives, Mumbai

2. Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellor

3. Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), New Delhi

4. International Services Association, India (INSA), Bangalore

5. Nalamdana, Chennai

6. National Addiction Research Centre (NARC), Mumbai

7. Point of View (POV), Mumbai

8. PRAYAS, Pune

9. Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha (SANGRAM), Sangli

10. The Naz Foundation (India) Trust (Naz), New Delhi

11. The service of Society Medical and Educational Foundation (SOS),

Nasik

12. Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI), New

Delhi

13. Tata Institute for Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

14. Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad (VAMP), Sangli

15. YR Gaitonde Medical, educational and Research Foundation YRGCARE),

Chennai