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Red Light Despatch APNE AAP WOMEN WORLDWIDE AN INITIATIVE TO END SEX TRAFFICKING RED LIGHT DESPATCH VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 RELEASING SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM MUMBAI, DELHI, 2 OCTOBER 2006 KOLKATA, AND FORBESGUNJ (BIHAR) NUTT COMMUNITY ISSUES HISTORIC DEMANDS by Mohammad Kalam FORBESGUNJ, OCT. 2: In the have repeatedly faced dis- profession as we are. wake of the recent ITPA placement, due to which Even after Independence, amendments, the women of the our development and our our situation has not Nutt community in Forbesgunj, children’s education have changed. We have not Bihar—nearly all of whom are constantly been at risk. For gotten any government forced to make their livings our survival, we are forced facilities or oil rations. through prostitution—have to travel from place to We keep submitting ap- issued a historic petition, articu- place; which has had a bad plications under the BPL lating their views and demands, impact on our children’s scheme, but government to the District Magistrate of education. We want a bet- officials only say to us, their area. Though it has never ter tomorrow for our chil- “Why do need this?” done so before, the year-old dren. We are struggling Every year, our houses IT IS A MATTER OF BITTER mahila mandal, organized under hard for our survival. We are ruined by floods, but SHAME AND SORROW DEEP HUMILIATION THAT A NUM- Apne Aap Women Worldwide, are constantly facing threats we do not get any bene- BER OF WOMEN HAVE TO SELL has come forward boldly to say from the local community fits because officials did THEIR CHASTITY FOR MEN’S the following: and government officials. not include our names LUST. MAN, THE LAWGIVER, We kept ourselves separate under any scheme. We To the District Magistrate: WILL HAVE TO PAY A DREAD- from the main community, do not even have toilets FUL PENALTY FOR THE DEG- Respected Sir, but now people from the in our community. RADATION HE HAS IMPOSED community have sur- UPON THE SO-CALLED We are the people in the red- Due to these circum- rounded us and they blame WEAKER SEX. WHEN light area of Forbesgunj. We stances, we are request- us for being there. How WOMAN, FREED FROM MAN’S have been living here since the ing you for the following: SNARES RISES TO THE FULL long must we suffer in this , times of our fathers and grandfa- 1. We want our children HEIGHT AND REBELS AGAINST way? We do not want our thers. For over 40 years, we MAN’S LEGISLATION AND IN- children to be in the same Contd. on page 8 STITUTION DESIGNED BY HIM, HER REBELLION, NO DOUBT KHIDDERPORE, OCT. 2: MY DREAMS paddy field. There will be a NON-VIOLENT, WILL BE NEV- The place where I will wide road in front of my ERTHELESS EFFECTIVE. settle down in the future is bloom. There will be a pond house. I will have a parrot, a -MAHATMA GANDHI my native place in the a little way from the house. dog and a mongoose at home. Sundarbans. I want to It will be full of lotus leaves Birds will nest in the trees. A and flowers. Ducks will build a house there and river will flow at a short dis- A2W2 Main Office live with my parents and swim in it. Beside the pond, tance from the house. Fisher- Himadri Building grandparents. There will there will be coconut tress men will catch fish. There 22, Ballygunge Park Road be large trees with fruits. I laden with fruits and date will be trees along its banks. Kolkata—700019 will plant saplings in the palms. And I will have a few banana trees behind the by Shehnaz, 13 Phone: +91 33 32511503 garden in front of my E-mail: [email protected] house. Flowers will house. There will also be a www.ApneAap.org PAGE 2 RED LIGHT DESPATCH INTERVIEW “I FEEL VERY SCARED WHEN DRUNKS COME.” :BEENU (PROSTITUTED WOMAN ) by Tinku Khanna FORBESGUNJ, OCT. 2: Q: How long Q: What kinds of men come here? you lose weight. I am not HIV- have you been here? A: Almost three A: No one tells the truth about himself, so positive. and a half years. I don’t know. So many different kinds of Q: What physical ailments are men. Many drink alcohol before coming Q: Where were you before this? A: you suffering from? A: My back here. Some want to have kinky sex. They Bhangar, in South 24 Paraganas, with my and limbs ache – especially before behave horribly if you refuse, they hit you parents, two brothers and two sisters. My New Moon and Full Moon nights. and bite you. Those who drink too much father was a framer. I went to school till Previously, I used to suffer from high before coming here, misbehave. Some- the third standard. I didn’t like studies. I fever from time to time. I went to the times they come here drunk and create a used to play around. My folks wanted me doctor at the TB hospital in Bhangar. I ruckus. to study – everyone in my house is literate. was told I was fine. I was given an And then I was married away… ointment and tablets. I took them. I also have diarrhoea. We don’t have Q: How did you come here after many addictions. We just drink alco- that? A: I was 13 when I was married and hol. Sometimes I drink alcohol, some- had a child the same year. After keeping times I smoke. My health is fine. house for three years, my husband threw me out. I returned to my parents’ place, Q: What are your dreams? A: I with my kid. But my parents pestered me feel frustrated. Previously I used to get to go back to him. Leaving my kid with my this feeling very often that there’s no mother, I went to Sonarpur because I use going on living. Now I don’t get it wanted to work as a domestic servant. The tools of the sex trade. so much. Once, I took poison. The There a girl befriended me, made me un- last time I tried to put my head on the conscious with drinks and drugs and railway tracks, but then I thought who Q: Can you refuse a client if you are brought me here. When I gained con- would take care of my family if I died? very tired? The client is in a sciousness and the effect of the drugs wore I am not very hot tempered. But ear- drunken state? The client wants you off, I realized I had nowhere to go. My lier, I used to feel angry very often. to do something you are not willing parents did not want me, my husband did Now it has subsided. I sit quietly in my to do? A: NO. I will starve or the owner not want me- I had no education and no room till I cool down. I have seen a will beat me. skills. I had a son to look after. few girls here slash their wrists. Then I Q: Are you afraid of being mur- cut myself twice and saw the blood Q: Are you able to support him? A: dered or seriously injured by your ooze. But then I thought there was No. I started working the day after I came client?A: I feel very scared when drunks little to gain from cutting myself. Ear- here. But for the first six or seven months, come. lier I used to feel very afraid – of light- the girl who brought me here took all the ning, strangers. Sometimes – I wake money. About seven or eight men would Q: Have you ever been raped? A: up thinking who wants to stay on buy my body per day. Now it has come No, how can a prostitute be raped? here? But what will I do then? I want down to about two. The rate is Rs 50 per Q: Can you refuse a client if he to educate my son, so I have to earn ejaculation, and Rs 200 if the client stays money this way. I cannot resume stud- for the night. I used to earn a minimum of doesn’t use a condom? A: No. Few ies; I cannot concentrate for a long Rs 200 and maximum of Rs 500.Now I people agree to use a condom. And if they time. But it would be nice if I could earn about Rs 100 a day. Of this the don’t, I cannot force them. learn some handicraft. brothel madam keeps half and I have to pay Q: Have you had any diseases? A: about Rs 10 for food and then I spend Rs Once I had white discharge. You get it Q: Do you have any questions? A: 15-Rs 20 on medicines, tobacco or alcohol. when your body gets heated. You should Why have you come here? I save about Rs 600 a month, out of which I have cold drinks to cool you down. I’ve Note: Within this issue, the names in all per- have to buy clothes and makeup. I can send heard of AIDS but I don’t know what it is. sonal stories and interviews have been changed only Rs 200 a month home for my son. I know that your health deteriorates and to protect the identity of the individual. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 ARE WOMEN IN RED-LIGHT AREAS GUINEA PIGS FOR MUMBAI COPS PHARMAS? ARRESTED IN KOLKATA From The Asia Times with input from Janaki Dubey From The Telegraph with input from Sraboni Sarkar KOLKATA, OCT.
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