SONAGACHI “TREE OF GOLD’’

Since its inception, sex work has been a contentious issue, particularly in a nation like India where morality and ethics are the only accepted standards of behaviour.

Even now when the Government Of India has begun taking initiatives to guarantee the rights of women practising prostitution, the society views it as an abusive profession that primarily targets women. However, India is one of the top three countries in the world with about 6,57,800 prostitutes according to a report by UNAIDS 2016-18 with around 4.9% of them being HIV-positive indicating the poor health status of Female Sex Workers (FSWs).

This article dives deeply into the lives of the sex workers surviving in Kolkata's Sonagachi - Asia’s largest Red Light district. While addressing the social stigmas associated with sex work it highlights the legal norms in favor of the sex workers. It also suggests how to detach society from the prevailing social taboos related to it and raise awareness regarding the issue to lessen the exploitation of women in prostitution.

TALES OF THE LEGENDS

Sonagachi means 'Tree of Gold' in Bangla. As the legend goes -in early days of Calcutta, the region was home to Sanaullah, a legendary dacoit who lived there with his mother. It is reported that the bereaved mother heard a voice from their hut upon his death, urging her not to mourn. "I've turned into a Gazi", and thus the Sona Gazi legend began. In honour of her son, the mother constructed a mosque, but it eventually fell into ruin. Sonagachhi is the vernacular translation of Sona Gazi.

PROSTITUTION AND SONAGACHI

Calcutta witnessed the emergence of prostitution due to the domination of the English East India Company. With the arrival of capitalism and the British East India Company, India's cultural and economic environment saw a significant transformation, but prostitution stayed alive. This transformation was closely associated with the development of the city as the capital of British India. Men were forced to live apart from their families for employment, but as British troops arrived in the town, they began to feel the need for pleasure. When it became popular for the newly arrived soldiers to indulge in immoral behaviour, brothels were opened to satisfy the lusts of white men from England and of babus of Calcutta. It is well documented that British officials forced young, well-off, and vulnerable widows into the Sonagachi flesh trade.

12,419 sex workers were housed in 4,449 shelters in Calcutta, according to a survey report from 1853. Sonagachi's reputation was so widespread that even French brothels were aware of it. It was one of the most well-known sex centres. Gauri Shankar Lane is a mundane, winding street that is tucked away between Central Avenue and Shobhabazar. Sonagachhi, the second-largest sex village in Asia, is located here. Following independence, the area's boundaries progressively widened until the entire community was designated as a "red light district."

LIFE IN SONAGACHI

According to reports, Sonagachi is home to about 13,000 prostitutes who operate in brothels. Though not wholly depressing, the yellow hue on the walls conveys more melancholy than optimism. In contrast to the prostitutes shown in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films, women shabbily apply makeup, sometimes accompanied by a carefree attitude. It is entirely common for women to experience unfamiliar and perhaps weird males in their lives daily. Contrary to popular belief, it feels more like a corporate butcher shop where flesh was just another commodity sold to make ends meet than it did like a cover for organised crime. Women no longer attract business after 40. The fortunate ones who have savings, migrate out to begin again, while some stay behind and become resentful. While some women arrive by escaping their families, and some are sold by family members, most of the girls are victims of human trafficking. Still, in the end, they all grow acclimated to living in brothels and becoming concerned just about "survival".

Their customers tend to think that they have bought them by paying for their services with no emotions for them. They treat their body like a canvas where only they get to paint without caring about the women. The women of Sonagachi are a family. A few patrons attempt to use violence to coerce the ladies into performing tasks they don't even want to. But all the women in Sonagachi are united and support one another. If a patron mistreats any of the women, the group as a whole gets together to give him a royal thrashing. This helps them deal with aggressive clients and also sets limits for behaviour that makes them uncomfortable.

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These initiatives have not only reduced the number of violent cases but have also enabled women to turn away drunk customers. Despite all the progress made, women still face many challenges on a daily basis. Although the number of rapes has decreased, new cases are reported every few days. They often mistreat children who are left behind by their families and cannot be adopted back. It's odd that we think of sex workers as evil when, at their core, their behaviour is driven by survival—bare minimum for any human being to ask for.

When it comes to sex workers the society goes to great lengths to disgrace them. People consider them a stigma in the society, someone who satisfies lust and fantasies in return for money. One major obstacle that keeps women in the sex industry from exercising their rights is stigmatisation. Women employed in the sex industry have been denied access to safe environments, adequate healthcare, quality education, and—most importantly—the freedom to practise their business of using sex to make money.

They are often denied basic human rights such as inaccessibility to good healthcare. They are the frequent targets of abuse, violence and exploitation by law enforcement and public servants; their kids endure harassment at work and in schools. But they have a completely different opinion about themselves i.e. “It is because of Sonagachi only that the girls are safe”. Neither do the women here regard themselves as victims, nor do they wish to be perceived as such. They view the sex industry and sex in general as a source of income. Something both humane and humorous.

THE SONAGACHI PROJECT

Out of the 13,000 sex workers in Sonagachi, 5.17 percent are HIV positive and uncertain about their future. HIV-positive rates among sex workers have increased from 2.7% in 1992 to over 6% currently according to the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), a platform for sex workers working on projects and managing a sex workers' cooperative to empower them. However, it is still lower than in other Indian red-light districts. The group claims that approximately 11% of Sonagachi's prostitutes are still not covered by safe sex laws. Older sex workers can lose clients if they ask for protection, and as a result, they give in to their situation. Even heavily intoxicated women refuse to comprehend the HIV crisis. Consistent condom use has an economic impact: Sonagachi sex workers who use condoms consistently report cash losses of over 70% when compared to less consistent users. Mrs. Das, one of the sex workers of Sonagachi said "Sometimes I have to lose a customer, but I don't want to get HIV." "I just return the money." Therefore, a key component of condom use for underprivileged populations like women, youth, ethnic minorities, and the undereducated is individual empowerment.

The Sonagachi Project was started in 1992 as an STD/HIV intervention for sex workers in Kolkata, India. To address common variables that enable efficient, evidence-based HIV/STD prevention, the project evolved to adopt techniques common to women's empowerment initiatives worldwide (i.e., community mobilisation, rights-based framing, advocacy, and micro-finance). Today, the Sonagachi model is a widely adopted, evidence-based empowerment initiative. It has achieved remarkable success so far in

increasing the use of condoms, reducing the prevalence of STDs, and preventing the transmission of HIV among them. The Sonagachi Project became a catalyst in the formation of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) which has supported a lot in empowering the sex workers. It has been successful to a large extent in gaining the 3 Rs - Respect, Recognition, and Reliance on the knowledge of the sex workers of Sonagachi. In addition, DMSC provides newcomers to Sonagachi with temporary lodging and assistance, removing them from the streets. To find out if these ladies are children and if they have been trafficked, two weeks of intense treatment are provided. Minors are returned to their families after being turned over to the state government. Women who are willing to work in several fields are trained in a variety of professions and assigned to jobs. Those who choose to continue in the sex trade are advised of their rights and trained on how to protect themselves from STDs. However, it is still an everyday fight for the sex workers in Sonagachi against HIV, they still need to convince their customers to use condoms, failing which they lose their trade.

CONCLUSION

Women come to Sonagachi not because they want to, but to work and support their families. What if they have to sell their body to make money? They just want a better and different life for their loved ones. Is that too much to ask for? They are just attempting to fulfil their aspirations and maintain hope even in the most difficult circumstances, despite facing severe criticism and condemnation, just like everyone else. It is high time now to consider Sex Work as work in society.

We live in a society of victimisation where it is found more comfortable to be victims rather than taking a stand. However, the Sonagachi sex workers aren’t the same. They are the revolutionaries. They consider themselves independent and fight daily to improve their condition.

It is their active involvement in the Sonagachi Project that is responsible for its huge success. However, to empower these sex workers and give them a respectful life, a lot more has to be done.

By Aadya Agarwal

Third year undergraduate student pursuing B.A.(H) Economics from Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College , Delhi University. I have a keen interest in discussing politics and a strong sense of social awareness.