Poverty creation - Maharashtra ishtyle

Re: # 95

Are you on some kinda drugs ``civilized nation`` dweller. Read this article below.


CHILD PROSTITUTION IN INDIA

Child prostitution is the ultimate denial of the rights of the child.``
(Dr Jon E Rhode, UNICEF representative in India).

India`s 944 580 000 inhabitants live in an area of 3 287 590 km², with an expectation that the
population will reach 1 billion in May. Almost a quarter of this total are under 18 years of age.
25% of the population live in urban areas and this is estimated to be growing annually at just
over 1%. Over population and lack of education in nutrition and health contribute to the deaths
of around 11 000 children each day. In 1951, 164 million Indians were living in poverty
compared to 312 million in 1993-94.
There are estimated to be over 900 000 sex workers in India. 30% are believed to be children.
Recent reports estimate that the number of children involved in prostitution is increasing at 8
to10% per annum.
About 15% of the prostitutes in Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Madras, Calcutta, Hyderabad and
Bangalore are children. It is estimated that 30%of the prostitutes in these six cities are under 20
years of age. Nearly half of them became commercial sex workers when they were minors.
Conservative estimates state that around 300 000 children in India are suffering commercial
sexual abuse, which includes working in pornography.
In one study of 456 sex workers in Mumbai who had been `rescued` by police in February 1996, a
fifth were under 18 years and two-thirds were under 20. The main obstacle in the cracking down
on child prostitution for the police is the issue of rehabilitation and where to place and reintegrate
all the children that they rescue.
ROOTS:
The problem of child prostitution in India is more complicated than in other Third World
countries where it is directly related to sex tourism. In India, sexual exploitation of children has
its roots in traditional practices, beliefs and gender discrimination.
According to some research, child prostitution is socially acceptable in some sections of Indian
society through the practice of Devdasi. Young girls are given to the `gods` and they become a
religious prostitute. There are believed to be around 3 300 devdasis in Belguam area alone.
Devdasi is banned by the Prohibition of Dedication Act of 1982. Parents or guardians dedicating
their girls are liable to five years in jail and a Rs5 000 (approximately £71) fine.
AGE:
According to a madam in Kamatipura, the average age of girls supplied to the brothels in the last
two years has decreased from 14 and 16 years to 10 and 14 years. A girl between 10 and 12 years
fetches the highest price.
AIDS:
The fear of HIV/AIDS has increased the demand for virgins and children. Clients mistakenly
believe that children have fewer chances of contracting the disease. Similarly there is the myth
that a man can rid himself of sexually transmitted diseases if he sleeps with a virgin.
Recent Indian Government statistics put the number of people infected with HIV at 3.5million,
indicating approximately three out of every 100 Indians are now infected with the virus which
leads to AIDS. Almost 9 out of 10 of those people are below 45 years old.
TRAFFICKING:
About 7,000 sex workers cross over from Nepal into India every year. 66% of the girls are from
families where the annual income is about Rs5 000. They may be sold by their parents, deceived
with promises of marriage or a lucrative job or kidnapped and sold to brothel owners. Between
40 - 50% are believed to be under 18, the age of consent in India, some are as young as 9 or 10
years old.
RURAL ISSUE:
Child sex workers are not confined to big cities. A survey in Bihar revealed that roadside
brothels for truck drivers in the Aurangabad and Sasaram districts offered sex workers aged
between 6 and 18 years.
CASE EXAMPLES
• Meena was married off at 12. Soon after she was taken to Delhi by her husband, where
she found out that he was a pimp. In the last three years, she has serviced up to six clients
a night. The major part of her earnings goes to pay rent on the little room, the rest goes to
her husband.
• Rita was sold at 9 years old. She washed and cooked for a madam in Delhi for a few
months until a client wanted a virgin. Two years later, she barely talks to anyone and
spends most of her spare time painting flowers.
• Maya, 10, was taken to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by her aunt who was paid Rs 3 000.
When she refused to have sex with a client, she was locked in a room for two days,
scared with snakes and beaten unconscious. When she came around she was raped by the
client. Four years on, Maya lives in the red-light area of Mumbai. Her two year old
spends the night in a crèche run by a social service organisation. When he was only a few
months old, she used to drug him and put him under her working cot.
JUBILEE ACTION RESPONSE
Jubilee Action is supporting two houses on the outskirts of Mumbai which are providing
permanent homes for orphaned and abandoned children of prostitutes working in its red light
district. The staff has rescued some of the 50 girls, others have been brought by their parents in
order to protect their children from the streets` influence.
Having received little education on the streets, the girls are integrated into the local school
system and extra tuition is available at the home if required.
Case Study
Asha was left to fend for herself on the streets of Bombay after her mother, a prostitute in the red
light district, died. Her father wanted to sell her to a brothel owner but Jubilee House staff
rescued her. Asha is now studying hard, has passed her typing exam and is happy and safe from
the dangers of the streets.
If you would like further information on Jubilee Action please e-mail
info@jubileeaction.demon.co.uk
Jubilee Action is a registered charity no 1013587

Re: # 94

There are `dhobi ghats` in rich and old civilized nations.Such as mine.Old habits do die hard.P**s off.

Rep # 93

There are no dhobi ghats in any ``Rich and Civilized`` nation in the world. I got to preach on.

Re: # 101

cayenne,

I never said India was a banana republic. India is an ancient society with a rich history. I am just trying to send a message that ``Don`t try to misinform people``. I have worked in India during late nineties for an NGO. I know ground realities much better than you are trying to portray. I can`t give you references from my own studies because that would be very unprofessional and against my contract. FYI, I am a US citizen

Re: # 98

Let`s do a comparison, shall we?

PAKISTAN
Area
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pk.html

INDIA
Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html

Pakland is 1/4th the size of my country, and this &*^% has the.....!@#$%

Re: # 97

I was trying to draw your attention to the ``civilized`` practice of Devdasi. nothing else. I am very happy in Pakistan.FYI, I have lived/studied both in US and Sweden.

#96 by haideri on May 13, 2005 11:26am PT
Re: # 95

India`s 944 580 000 inhabitants live in an area of 3 287 590 km²

In 1951, 164 million Indians were living in poverty
compared to 312 million in 1993-94.

.....The first statement is correct.The second statement is old news.The US has proportionately as many AIDS cases.You would run to live there wouldn`t you, if you aren`t already there.The poverty ratio is 26% right now.Give us another decade, we`ll bring it down even further.Also, child prostitution and other evils exist in all countries, including yours.How about polygamists and others in the US too?.P**S OFF.Disgruntled , jealous puki.Now you`re resorting ot digging up stale dirt on India.

haideri,
Just like you are happy with Pakistan, we are happy with India.

By the way, the practise of devadasi though bad is many times better than honour killing.

Re: # 105

Jang,

I don`t know the intricate details. This is something which I came to know duing my sojourn in India.

#104.. mr Haideri, considering you are familiar with the trade, you would know the answer. my impression was that the devdasi system contributes very small or negligible % of workers at this point due to various reasons like large influx of workers from nepal and bangla desh and other parts of india, decline in devdasi patronage from traditional landlords and temples in the source villages, which have caused breakdown and migration of devdasi families.

i understand that even lata mangeshkar has devdasi roots?

Re: # 107

MaheshG2,

I don`t need any sanity certification from you. I am sure people on this site understand sarcasm. Also, India is neither ``rich`` nor ``civilized`` with current standards.

Mr. Haideri seems to have gone nuts.

He thinks India is rich and civilized because it has the practice of Devdasi in its society.

No sir. India is rich and civilized inspite of it. Such practices are heinous.

Pakistan needs to be civilized pronto. God knows what kind of society Pakistan is that it looks up to the Devdasi system.

Haideri, I was just pulling your leg.

Peace.

Ref jang #88

[those expressway pics are amazing.. no hyundai-santros (or any other cars, except for the lonely TRAX milk-wagon) that indian roads are claimed to be full of. whats wrong with this picture?]

Bus and truck owners don`t want to pay the toll so you rarely see a bus or a truck on the Bombay-Pune Expressway. Most car owners have the perverted idea that spending anywhere from 5 - 9 hours on the old rutted roads is cheaper than paying the toll and getting to Pune in less than 3 hours. So the roads are clear for those willing to pay a few bucks of toll and you can zip along at 80+ mph. I guess the Santros are so fast that their image doesn`t register on the film!

Well, maybe I should have taken my camera along this morning to show you a picture of a Ferrari (license plate number TN07AK55) on the East Coast Road from Chennai to Pondicherry. On weekends, you see the Ferrari racing a Porsche and a Jaguar.

A Jaguar!! Does that mean the Headshrinker is in India now?

Ref haideri #89

[Avenger, you can dream on. It is not a fenced highway and your Gao matas can cross it left and right. Pay attention to the pics I posted the highway is fenced.]

No need to fence along most of Bombay-Pune highway. It goes through desolate hilly land with not a human settlement in sight between Panvel and the outskirts of Pune except for the town of Lonavla. I have been on the road several times and never saw any animal, not even a leopard from the hills!

Just FYI.

#110
``Bus and truck owners don`t want to pay the toll so you rarely see a bus or a truck on the Bombay-Pune Expressway``

Admittedly it has taken a few years to take off, but when I was there last winter the tollway was used very heavily. It seems that the railways are planning to reduce services as people now prefer take buses on the Bombay Pune route, all of which now use the tollway. Can you imagine that, the Deccan Queen goes half-empty!

With improving roads and cheaper airline tickets the railways are going to increasingly lose their near-monopoly on long distance trave