Mumbai: Activist groups say two weeks given by the Center in calling for objections and suggestions for the design of Bill, 2021 prevention, care and rehabilitation), it is very inadequate for meaningful or effective consultation with meaningful or effective groups , It violates its own pre-consultation legislative policy in 2014 which requires every draft bill placed in the public domain for at least 30 days, said Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) in Kolkata.
The bill was included for ‘introduction, consideration and passing’ in the legislative business list to be taken by Lok Sabha.
DMSC which claims to be the largest community-based organization of sex workers in India including transgender and the man also said it was “surprised” to see that Ajuly 14 was shown on the list of bills to be taken by Rajya Sabha in the Monsoon session, which began on July 19 .
Given the complexity involved, DMSC with the help of collective lawyers and other organizations said the government took more than two years to compile new bills but gave the public every time to suggest changes or provide feedback from a marginalized community to 38 pages documents.
They call a call to Comments “Eyewash ”.
In the press record on Thursday, the organization of 17 countries has signed a petition to the ministry of women and the development of children to allow more time for the right feedback from stakeholders.
It was said that the organization was afraid that the bill criminalized prostitution without preparing a road map for the right rehabilitation to the victims who were traded small and did not want to.
The bill is likely to criminalize sex workers and free choices as profession, said Durbar added that often women themselves are allies in anti-trafficking and their roles and participation in human trafficking steps deemed necessary by the Supreme Court in Budhadev Karmaskar V.
The problem with the bill is that it has mixed editions that are applied from forced and sex work in verse 23 and 25.
‘prostitution’ and ‘pornography’ have been added to the definition of ‘exploitation’ and ‘sexual exploitation’ and is considered ‘trade in people said President of Dubar Bishakha Laskar and Secretary Kajal Bose added, “The victim’s approval has been made irrelevant.
This will mean that sex workers can be seen as ‘victims’ of trade and put in the rehabilitation house or they will be arrested as ‘human traders’, if they provide Support for their colleagues.
“Some other” problems ‘shown by women’s activists is that clauses 35 of the draft Bill make it mandatory to report a person who has or’ able to be traded or exploited to the police.
The DMSC release said, “Because of the trade which is defined in a broad and unclear way and sex workers can be considered as ‘Trade victims’, this will mean that the targeted intervention (TIS) that carries out HIV prevention among sex workers will be bound to the police.
If not, they can be punished with a 3-month imprisonment or a fine of RS 25,000 or both.
This will violate the beliefs obtained hard between TIS and sex workers, and destroy the National AIDS control program.
“It added,” When we identified a woman who was traded, we asked him what he wanted to do.
If he wants to approach the police, we help him do it.
But if he doesn’t want, we can’t force him.
The police are not always responsive to the needs of women.
Sometimes, they are in the league higher – after profit from human trafficking.
With mandatory reporting, we will risk the safety of the victims and the integrity of the program in the field.
” The problem that women’s activists say it needs to be debated is the suggested “scale of punishment ‘that has been increased for human traders to include” death penalty and life sentence.’ ‘DMSC said, “This oppose human rights.
The death penalty is not the answer to human trafficking.’ ‘
Time for public feedback is inadequate in the draft trade bill, say activists
