Paribartan (change) may have come to the State, but sex workers of central city’s Sonagachi, who are among the country’s largest red-light districts, think that it will make no difference to their lives. To them, the political change of guard in the State is irrelevant.
“We have been approaching the candidates of major political parties in the State over the last decade. But none of them has taken up our demands in their manifesto or campaign,” Bharati Dey, secretary of the Durbar Mahila Samannyay Committee, told The Hindu here on Thursday. They are an NGO working in this area
Their key demands are that sex workers be given the status of workers so that they can get government benefits available to workers of unorganised sectors, government recognition for their self regulatory board and revoking the Immoral Traffic ( Prevention) Act, 1956, which results in police harassment.
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Over the decade, disaffection and disenchantment with major political parties have welled up among sex workers to such an extent that now they are considering the option of boycotting the General Elections.
“We have to give voting a second thought since none of the political parties has mentioned our demands in their manifestos,” said Ms. Dey.
The sex workers feel political leaders are concerned about them only when elections are round the corner.
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Sonagachi has more than 25,000 voters, as pointed out by Ms. Dey . It can be crucial for any candidate in the Kolkata (North) Lok Sabha constituency. Before 2011, they voted for the CPI (M), but in the last Assembly elections most of them voted for the Trinamool Congress.
The sex workers feel that parties just exploit them as vote-bank.
“The moment the elections are over they are not bothered about us anymore. Every time we tried to meet them after the polls, their secretaries tells us that they do not have the time to listen to our demands,” said Sohini Goswami (name changed), who has been in the business for the last 12 years.
“Though we sought an appointment with the Chief Minister she has never met us,” said Ms. Dey.