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Location: Close to Grant road
Kamathipura derives its name from ‘Kamathis’, a group of workers from Andhra Pradesh who came to Mumbai in 1795 and rendered the flat areas habitable by the construction of Hornby Vellard and Belassis Road (two important causeways that allowed the merging of seven islands into today’s Mumbai). Several years later, one such liveable area is home to one of the world’s largest red light districts.
Apart from having walked the streets of Bangkok where girls on fliers are sold unwaveringly, I had never seen such a district before. With preconceived images of shining disco balls decorating the area and girls walking all around with glamorous expressions on their faces, I went to Kamathipura. However, Mumbai’s red light area, several narrow lanes running parallel to each other, had such a ‘usual’ air about it, that I felt lost in its normalcy.
In the late evening hour I did see the prostitutes, wearing bright red lipstick and gaudy jewellery, standing at the corners. I looked up to see the balconies from where I had heard that men take their pick, but no one stood there at this time of day. The parts of the buildings known to be brothels were covered on the outside with loose plastic. The rest, functioned as a normal residential space. Children were playing on the streets below, men at the paan-shop were discussing religion and Godliness, old men were sitting on resting hand carts, and women were buying vegetables for their evening meal. I also saw a Jain temple, a mosque and a church there. Kamathipura, was another crowded and poverty stricken inner city area, one where prostitution was any other profession.
The stories from Kamathipura are many. An architect friend who did a project within these by lanes speaks of night schools and shelters which have been set up for the children of these women while they are at work. In order to protect their children from the influences of this trade, they prefer to own homes in far away suburbs, for many a son becomes a pimp in turn. Walking past policemen stationed here, it is obvious that the same law which deems the activity illegal, very much partakes of its profits. I did have a camera in hand and while I tried to sneak in some pictures only for I felt ashamed at making a specimen out of these women, one of them naturally posed for me and gave me such a bright smile, that for once it did not have the same effect a smile should. There is always a certain attitude about the way prostitutes walk, talk or even stand, one that seems to place them forward, a parallel to the very definition of the word ‘prostitution’. While it is difficult to write about my feelings from that day’s experience – close to 200,000 such women in Mumbai, feeding off to one of man’s most basic instincts – they remain soaked in sadness that is linked to a choice made out of a lack of others. And hence, while prostitution is a part of most or every society, it will never be one of seamless integration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_India
Please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKzDtYJR2b4&feature=player_embedded
maha said:
Hey Amira, I really liked your post – not just because I have never visited this area, despite being a mumbaikar, so I saw it through your writing – but also because your description is exactly as i thought Kamathipura would be.
To me, the point you made about the normalcy of the place is not just valid but is the root. The truth is that prostitution exists. I live in Europe now and here, in many countries it is legal. While a prostitute may never be accepted in ‘normal’ society, she has nevertheless, many basic rights including that of clean living conditions, a minimum wage and legal protection.
And really, even in ancient India, with the devdasi system, it was an allowed part of society. In fact, they dedicated themselves to the arts and were highly regarded. Sex was practiced but they were accomplished women in their own right.
Prostitution as defined in the typically Western way, has stripped this profession of everything higher and brought it down to just sex. They have lost the ability to make themselves respectable and by making it illegal, we have just made life so much more difficult for them. Why cant we legalise them. Then use the temple to teach the arts and make them into contributing, accomplished members of society?
Surely their inclusion in society and betterment will only uplift society as a whole – for who can live happily knowing that one segment of the world is being brutalised for what they do? And what they do is an inevitable part of the world
Amira said:
Dear Manoj,
I echo your thoughts and sentiments. I believe that prostitution should be legalized. One can always argue that this may perhaps encourage more women to get into it, but the lack of legalization has not prevented the same and also, in effect, has prevented them from getting access to several basic rights.
The sooner we shy away from the stigmatized idea of prostitution, the better it will be. This is not to say that one encourages prostitution, but only that we should not be blind to the fact that several policemen and other people, make good money because it is all under-wraps.
Legalize it, encourage the women involved with other livelihood options and in the meantime, make sure they are given their basic dues. It’s hard to believe that any woman in the world would chose this profession out of choice.
When you come down to Bombay, if you fancy visiting the area and any other place in Mumbai, let me know.
Best,
Amira.
Rehman KIhan said:
Dear Amira,
I agree with your thoughts.I am new in mumbai i want to visits this place with you.
786rehmankhanindia@gmail.com just reply me on this mailId.
Regards,
Rehman
farhan malik said:
hii
I want to visit this place
khan said:
instead of visiting these places government should look towards them and help them to leave such profession and do some good respectful work.
no prostitute is doing these profession willingly……
Sanju said:
Prostitution should be banned whatsoever it is the main source of earning to ones eye but this thing is bad and could transmit sexual diseases. And those women should not get rights to enter temples without the permission of the society because temples are not made for the sinners like prostitutus…
Deepak mehta said:
Sex Mashaj