Nagpur: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Urban President Jwia Dhote, the daughter of the former member of the Parliament Late Jambuwantrao Dhote, has advanced to fight for the causes of women’s sex workers living in the three-century Light-Light area in Ganga Jamuna.
Dhote, who is also President of Vidarbha Anyay Nivaran Samitan, explained why he took the fight on behalf of sex workers after the city police decided to close the red-light area.
Quote …
Q.
What motivates you to take agitation to protest the closure of the red light area of Ganga Jamuna? A.
There is no scarcity of support for the people’s white collar and upscale but no one likes to talk about many oppressed and shortcomings that do not choose prostitution for fun but because of some unavoidable situations.
In our country, prostitution is not ratified but the part of the Indian Criminal Code (IPC) 372 and 373 does not categorize it as a ‘crime’ too.
Sex workers are Indian citizens, they pay taxes and use their franchises to choose the government.
The Supreme Court has also directed the government to provide dry rations and monetary benefits for sex workers but the police robbed their livelihoods.
Q.
Illegal activities are thought to occur in the red light area.
A.
I am opposed to encouraging underage children into prostitution, illegal activities such as bootleging, gambling and other criminal activities.
This is the police duty to stop illegal activities but they cannot bind all areas and starvation of poor families who live inside.
About 80% of prostitutes are on drugs and they cannot be pushed to death.
P.
Do you think the police took this drastic decision to close the area? A.
My friends in the media have told me that the builder lobby supported by BJP was behind moving.
They are eyeing this land in the middle of the city.
Also, the police suddenly began to approach the area it was possible to divert people from the crime rate in the city, especially the increase in the number of murders.
If Ganga Jamuna is closed, then sex workers will dissolve throughout the city.
This might worsen the problem.
P.
The police also acted as a facilitator and tried to help rehabilitate sex workers.
A.
Rehabilitation is not a police subject and outside their jurisdiction.
They only penetrated the domain basically from the minister of collectors and Guardian.
Is the local body or government, everyone experiences budget constraints.
Educated and skilled young people are unemployed and you talk about rehabilitating sex workers who have a budget? P.
You and your party colleague Abha Pande is now in the opposite camps on this problem? A.
The politicians, activists and local residents must know and understand that the Jamuna Ganga comes first and then the surrounding area is arranged later.
Politicians who do not have doubts in approaching sex workers for voting are now against them.
Rajya Sabha’s member Vandana Chavan from my party has appreciated my work, but my NCP colleague was nervous with BJP leaders.
‘If the Jamuna Ganga is turned off, sex workers will dissolve throughout the city’
