Police has offered the sex workers in Nagpur, to choose any profession for their rehabilitation, for which all kind of help will be provided.
The offer appears strange as nothing in the past has been done to rehabilitate them. The area is known to be of prostitutes for the last about three centuries. And Women and Child Development Department is silent over the issue. There have been two groups fighting against each other, one for their rehabilitation and other for their evacuation from the place called ‘Ganga Jamuna’.
Prostitution is stated to be oldest profession in the world. Need, side-effects and ill-effects on the society have been discussed on various forums. Sociologists have written extensively on the issue. It has also been stated that no woman would voluntarily enter into this profession. It has been accepted that they are either forced into it or accept it in helpless situation.
Social activist Jwala Dhote has been leading a group o protect the women in flesh trade in Ganga Jamuna. Her father late Jambuwantrao Dhote had earlier had come forward to prevent their evacuation from the place.
Although they are victims of social ills, they are condemned by the society. Several schemes are launched for rehabilitation of prisoners, who have committed some form of crime. However, these victims are left neglected. Even sponsorships for education, training and rehabilitation of prisoners or criminals, are offered. None so far has made any offer for rehabilitation of sex workers. Moreover, nothing has been done by the government so far.
Some social organisations have been working with them, mainly to prevent their children to accept the same profession. They are being motivated to pursue education, lead healthy life and make efforts to withdraw their mother from the profession.
The police might have made appealed them to shift to other profession, but would the society accept them as member of the society, is the big question. Would anyone in the society offer her employment, if her identity is revealed?
Police have sealed the area. They are indirectly being strangulated and the society, the law makers and the court are silent over it. Neither human rights activists have uttered a word about it.
The area is known for prostitution isolated from the remaining society. Flesh trade is not uncommon in so called civilised areas. Hotels, farm houses are common places. It also goes on in beauty parlours, spa, salons, hotels etc.
The fate of women ‘rescued’ by the police from the area is also not known. Unless any concrete programme for their rehabilitation in the true sense is implemented, evacuating them using police force, is inhuman.
