Time to turn off the red light

With forced prostitution still a major issue in Mumbai, is it time to shut down the brothels?

Recently five women were rescued from a brothel in Grant Road. But their story is not an exceptional one. They share their story with thousands of other women who work in Mumbai’s red light areas. From human trafficking and forced prostitution, to underage sex workers, the horror stories are myriad from the streets of Kamathipura to Peela House. The question that some NGOs are now beginning to raise is this: “If we know it’s happening, why can’t we just shut the whole area down…permanently?”

“Most women who work in the sex trade, do not do it by choice. But once they are into it they find themselves trapped,” says Triveni Acharya, founder, Rescue Foundation.

Although the police, along with NGOs do conduct regular raid on suspected brothels in the city, their focus is on rescuing minors. The adults, however, are often overlooked. “Even when a woman says she is a prostitute of her own free will, the pressure she is under to say that is not really taken into account. Someone may be forcing her to do so, or there may be no one else to feed her children,” says Preeti Patkar, founder, Prerana. 
Sucheta Banerjee, project director, Oasis India, agrees with that sentiment, and feels that most of the women working in the sex trade would leave, if given a chance. “There is no proper health care for them, no one to look after their children. They are not leading a great life. But it is true that more attention is given to minors, as compared to the adults,” she says. The NGOs, however, lay no blame at the doorstep of the police. According to them, “a commendable number of rescue operations have been undertaken by the police”.

“The situation is much better than before,” says Patkar. “And there has been a major change in their outlook as well. The rescued women are looked on as victims, not criminals.”

The rescued women are produced before a court, and all minors are sent back home. Senior inspector, NR Mali, of the DB Marg police station, says, “Whenever we get a tip off, we immediately take action without a minute’s delay. We also send our constables to take the girls back home.”

When asked if the industry could be permanently shut down, he says, “We do try to stop it. It is a social crime. With minors or forced prostitution, we take immediate action, but when women are in it willingly, we cannot do much.”

Most social workers are of the opinion that the industry can be eradicated if there is political will and the civic determination to do so. “The police should try to stop it completely. In Surat, we conducted many operations, with the help of the police, and the red light areas have all been sealed,” says Triveni.

But what about the rehabilitation of those that have been ‘saved’ from the brothels? “We rehabilitate about 150 girls every year. But a lot more effort is needed in this direction. Adequate provisions need to be made in the law, and joint efforts need to be made by the police, NGOs, politicians, and the Press,” says Triveni.

Mayor Shubha Raul is also of the opinion that a concerted effort should be made to shut down the industry. “I believe it can be done. If we decide to do so, we can make it possible. I have also spoken to RR Patil, saying that the matter needs to be taken very seriously,” she told DNA.  

But Banerjee is sceptical: “More than 50,000 women are in this trade. It does not seem possible to stop it completely. We need more help and support from the authorities.”
Whether willing or not, social workers believe that the prostitutes are unhappy. But if that’s reason enough for the big push to turn off Mumbai’s red light…only time will tell. s_surekha@dnaindia.net