What is it like to be a prostitute in India?
“Slavery still exists, but now it applies only to women and its name is prostitution”- Victor Hugo
In a conversation with a junior of mine almost a month ago, I came to realize the plight of the sex workers (mostly women) in India, and the facts and figures were startling. This was a highly sensitive and controversial topic for me to deal with in the first place, and I was reluctant to write anything without actually understanding the problem.
In all honesty, it is impossible to fathom the endless ocean of prostitution in our society, its origin, and the current situation as well. While there are a number of NGOs and activists who are consistently trying to bring to light the actual situation of countless sex workers in India on a daily basis, it is terrifying that prostitution is a full-fledged industry despite being illegal in most parts of the country.
Prostitution has been prevalent in our society since as early as the Greeks. In India, prostitution took prominent shape with the arrival of the British, but it has been there even during the time of ancient Indian dynasties. So how did it all start?
Trying to find reasons behind prostitution
No woman/girl would ever join prostitution willingly. It can be argued that most women would choose to be a prostitute, but after giving it a thought, one would agree that the motive is always guided by some sort of psychological pressure, howsoever minute it may seem. It all starts with a compulsion, whether it is money or the use of force by men. Imagine one day you wake up in a wooden box ready to be shipped to a world that is full of hungry men who want to ravage your body for any price?
That is exactly what happens with 99% of young girls who hail from rural or poverty-stricken areas.
It is highly debatable as to why would you find young girls, some below 18 years of age, in a commercial brothel. It is also visible in plain sight as to how most of those girls ended up in there in the first place. Selling your body is the worst humiliation one can ever face in their lives, and these sex workers have been doing this for years, every day. Most of us can only condemn such an act but we are the ones promoting it unknowingly!
Almost every red light area in the country swarms with girls and women who work there to support their families, or have been sold to the pimps for a few thousand rupees. Half of them don’t even know how or when or why they ended up there, while the other half has lost track of life like a normal human being, free from humiliation and sexual assault.
What is it like to be a prostitute?
Prostitutes have no rights. The freedom of living a life without fear and with good financial, social and psychological support is only a far-fetched dream for them. They are void of any free will, they can’t deny a customer or take a break, and they cannot run away. With no law or legislation made keeping in mind the rights of prostitutes as human beings, the matter has gotten worse over the years, and no one has an answer to their problems.
The most probable answer I found was to legalize prostitution, but then what?
The psychological effects of continuously being used physically for pleasure are haunting. I recall from an article I read that was about an interview with a girl rescued from being trafficked. She stated that she was raped and beaten repeatedly and her private parts were vandalized with burning cigarettes. Another NGO worker stated that they went there (red-light area) to help them (sex workers) live a better life, but they refused to believe that something like that was even possible!
With no identity proofs, no bank accounts, and no formal national document, the prostitutes don’t have access to Government aid, or medical facilities, or insurance. That simply means that once you become a prostitute (or made one), you have no right to life. And if you try to run away, it would be better to die than to get caught, again.
So what do you think it is like to be a prostitute?
Final thoughts
I have not even touched the surface of the reality in this blog, because it is impossible to put into words all that I have read and processed in the last few weeks. Prostitution is a real part of our society, and unfortunately, people forget that it is their doing. Lack of empathy makes us equal to the illiterate populace who think that prostitution is a woman’s choice.
There are endless articles, cover stories, and blogs, about the plight of prostitutes in India, and real stories that would send shivers down your spine, but unfortunately, we can’t do anything about it. Those of you who can do something about it are really doing a wonderful job!
All comments, suggestions, stories are welcome!
And thank you Pragya for your inputs!
