Mumbai: While the lockdown is gradually being lifted and life appears to be slowly getting back to normal, this is far from true for commercial sex workers. The pandemic turned their lives upside down and uncertainty looms over the prospect of brothels opening for business. Many of them are already saddled with debts incurred for survival during the lockdown and now, they are looking for help from the government.
"Since the third week of March, we have hardly earned anything. Being without work means borrowing from others and we have done enough of this in the last two months. If we were not allowed to work or brothels are not allowed to open, then where should we go? What should we do? We don't know another way to earn a livelihood. Either allow us to work or give us some other work," said Sapna, 27.
As a part of its 'Mission Begin Again' to restart the economy, the state government has partially lifted the lockdown by allowing shops and markets to open. However, sex trade operations remain closed. Until Saturday, none were open in Kamathipura, Falkland Road or Navi Mumbai.
Priti Patkar, co-founder and director of Prerana, a non-governmental organisation that works in the redlight districts of Mumbai, said, "In the sex trade, maintaining physical distance is simply impossible. This puts both, the customer and the sex worker, in danger of contracting disease if either of them happens to be a carrier."
Migrant workers formed a considerable chunk of patrons of the commercial sex trade. This group comes to the city in search of jobs, leaving families behind. Now, lakhs of these labourers have left the city, further reducing the customer base sex workers could count on.
Mustafa, operator of such a service at Falkland Road said, "To run such illegal businesses, one needs to keep bribing the authorities. But how much can we pay now when there are hardly any customers?" "As the government is yet to allow salons and beauty parlours to open because of social distancing constraints, it is likely that if we open for business, the authorities will heavily come down on us, fearing the spread of the coronavirus," he explained.
After the migrants were allowed to leave the city, around 100 sex workers from the 'redlight' areas of Kamathipura and Falkland Road too have left for their home states.
Kamla (name changed), a sex worker from the area with two kids, usually goes to her village in West Bengal. But this year, she couldn't. "Whenever I would visit my village, I would have gifts and give them some money as well. Even though people there hate me for my profession, I still get some acceptance, as I bring money. However, this year, due to the lockdown I have nothing left. Whatever I had, I have spent and with the corona scare, will they accept me?" Kamla wondered.
"After HIV and AIDS, Covid-19 might be the biggest killer of sex workers and it's time the government took responsibility for this neglected section of society," said Patkar.
