Indian sex workers demand legal status

Sex workers from across India demanded that they be allowed to work legally, like actors and musicians, after ending a week-long meeting today.

Nearly 50,000 male and female prostitutes participated in the conference in the eastern city of Calcutta.

The forum was organised by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a group of sex workers from West Bengal state, of which Calcutta is the capital.

Selling sex is illegal in India, though the prohibition is rarely enforced. There are about 70 prostitution districts in West Bengal, including 14 in Calcutta.

“The right to sexual pleasure should be recognised as a fundamental right, and that was the slogan in the meeting,” said Smrajit Jana, a spokesman for the group.

“It is common knowledge that sex workers entertain their customers, and that their work is a form of intimate entertaining and communication involving some very subtle and complex combinations of gestures, language, play and relaxation,” said one participant, Bharati Dey.

The state government did not agree.

“I’m aware of this (problems faced by prostitutes), and very much empathise with their cause. But we have to go to the root cause which forces them to choose this path,” said Kanti Ganguly, a government minister.

He said the government has no plans to legalise prostitution.

However, the sex workers remained upbeat.

“We believe the policy makers are going to accept sex workers as entertainment workers today or tomorrow,” Jana said.