A Testimony of Sorts- Raising the Bar
Studying in
a city like Mumbai after being in Chennai for seven years is unsettling, to say
the least. The people are different, their mindset is different and most of
all, their behavior with respect to time is different. Mumbai, like Kolkata and
Bengaluru, has a number of ‘Red Light Areas’. The general attitude towards
Commercial Sex Workers and these Red Light areas is probably the only place
where Mumbaikars are backward. The younger generation, however hasn’t quite
decided where they stand as debates and discussions happen on a regular basis.
I must admit that on some occasions we even joke about these Areas, and the
events that occur there. When AICUF organized this event, ‘Raising the Bar’ as
a part of Ujali, I was intrigued- no; everyone was intrigued. The seminar room
was crowded to the point where people abandoned chairs and sat on the ground.
The women
from San Mitra trust introduced themselves, spoke to us about their work and
told us their stories. I will not deny it- I was in tears. The truth was little
short of astounding, as I never imagined someone who studied in Shantiniketan
to end up as a Commercial Sex Worker. When the bar dancing industry was shut
down by the government, rehabilitation of any sort wasn’t provided and so these
unemployed women took to prostitution by the hundreds. We found it shameful
that the very government that we elect to help us live our lives better is
responsible for making their life hell. The torture, abuse and exclusion from
society horrified us. The silence in the room was palpable. However, these
women determinedly showed us their positivity in life. One of the resource
persons has started studying ever since she left the business. She is now
completing the M.Com, has finished computer classes in Tally and has learned
tailoring. Another resource person has learnt Hindi as a language and has taken
the help of the State Bank of India to employ themselves. Together with a few
others, they try to get women who’re working as Commercial Sex Workers.
The session
reminded me of an orchestra- how the deep bass tones slowly built up into a
loud and fulfilling climax. It was as if these strong young ladies were the
conductors, guiding our flow of emotions and taking us on a journey into their
lives. They told us their story, not to make us pity them, but to give us a
dose of courage- something that each and every one of us needs in today’s
world. They helped me change my mentality and attitude towards Commercial Sex
Workers, who have no choice but to sell their bodies to support their family
living elsewhere. The degree to which they’ve changed their lives around was so
humbling that I felt unaccomplished in life from that moment onward. A sad
truth that they shared with us was that we, the general society, can’t do much
to help these women. They don’t trust us as much as they trust a former
colleague, and so they’ve taken it up on themselves to help those who are still
into prostitution.
-Karan Dsilva
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