Nagpur: The sealing of Ganga-Jamuna area of Nagpur, which is also known as the red-light area of the city has put survival of over 2,000 sex workers.
The area was sealed in August after the police received complaints of ‘illegal activities’ taking place there.
The Free Media showed you the plight of sex workers, but the story just doesn’t end there.
This specific story has three different angles to it—the police, the sex workers, and the residents of the area.
The residents of the Ganga-Jamuna area claimed that they have been suffering since a long time due to the sex workers living in the area.
The residents also claimed that many of the sex workers aren’t from the city and have come from outside the state to earn ‘easy money.’
“We cannot even stand outside our own houses or go out to buy anything because people coming here think we are sex workers and start asking our rates.
They even sometimes abuse us verbally if we don’t respond at all,” said 20-year-old Khushi (name changed).
Pushpa, another resident of the Ganga-Jamuna area shared to the Free Media that she was ‘sent back home after her in-laws found out she was a resident of the area.
“I was pregnant and my in-laws kicked me out of the house because they discovered I live in Ganga-Jamuna area.
Even at this age when I stand outside my house, someone will come, ask me my rate and go away,” she added.
Residents living there for decades revealed that they have been complaining about the issues there for a long time but police haven’t been taking necessary actions.
Apart from this, they also claim that there is trafficking of minors in the area which makes the place unsafe for children too.
“They kidnap girls from other states and sell them here for a lakh.
If they say other than this they don’t have any livelihood, it’s wrong, they have loads of money and houses and can easily start another life,” Vimal said.
He further added that they are just used to easy money now and don’t wish to work.
“There are so many NGOs ready to rehabilitate them but they do not want to go out and work hard,” he said.
High court and Supreme court lawyer, Vinod Kashmikar said that they have filed a petition in the top court and will take an action soon.
“We cannot live like this anymore and won’t other generations suffer like this. If anyone goes to complain against them, they start threatening us,” Kashmikar said.
Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar told The Free Media that as per the law the sex workers are not allowed to practice within 200 meters of any religious place or educational institute.
Interestingly, the school is not even 100 meters away from the area and a temple and Dargah are inside the premises.
Kashmikar said that the area was used for arts and cultural activities back then and not for sex work or illegal activities.
“The sex work has started from a few years back and due to this many residents have left the pace and relocated.
The sex workers are not even from the city, majority of them are from Gwalior, Assam, or Rajasthan,” he said.
(Names of the residents have been changed by The Free Media to protect their identities.)
