VZCZCXRO8729
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0090/01 0931107
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031107Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2321
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2844

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000090 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
G/TIP FOR MARK TAYLOR; SCA/INS FOR SABA GHORI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI KTIP KWMN KHIV IN
SUBJECT: PAYING FOR SEX IN THE "CITY OF JOY 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 394 
 
KOLKATA 00000090  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Kolkata's red-light district, one of the 
largest in Asia, provides a real-life case study of the 
intersection of the policy debates on the legalization of 
prostitution, trafficking in persons, and human health.  Working 
in a nebulous legal environment where sex workers, but not their 
clients, may be arrested for public solicitations of sex, the 
relatively liberal city of Kolkata has tacitly acknowledged the 
existence of "red-light" districts and focused its law 
enforcement activities on the involvement of minors in the sex 
industry and trafficking in persons.  In West Bengal a sex 
worker association advocates for legal protection and increased 
social recognition on behalf of its predominantly female 
membership.  Government health agencies and donors have used 
this organization as an implementing partner for HIV prevention 
programs.  Kolkata's experience suggests that governments and 
agencies interested in effectively combating trafficking and 
preventing the spread of disease would benefit from considering 
sex worker associations as legitimate stakeholders and solution 
providers in the process.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) This cable is part of the Mission's "Women in India" 
reporting series (Reftel) and draws on field visits and 
conversations with government health and police officials, 
journalists, and NGOs in Kolkata. 
 
Sonagachi - Kolkata's Largest Red-Light District 
 
¶3. (U) Sonagachi (Bengali for `Golden Tree') is the largest 
red-light district in Kolkata and one of the largest in Asia. 
The district's images and stories were captured in the 
Oscar-nominated film "Born into Brothels" about the children of 
Kolkata sex workers.  Approximately 12,000 active sex workers 
and a supporting maze of pimps, madams, brothel-owners and 
middlemen work in the dilapidated buildings spread over four 
square kilometers in this North Kolkata middle-class 
neighborhood.  More than 300 years old, the neighborhood 
currently caters to middle-class men who pay anywhere from USD 2 
to 40 for an "encounter."  According to police and NGO contacts, 
the industry has recently begun moving away from established 
brothels, such as those in Sonagachi, to public solicitations 
for travel to, and performance in, establishments located 
outside of the city. 
 
Prostitution's Legality 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Indian penal code is intentionally vague on the 
"legality" of prostitution.  The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) 
Act of 1986 permits consensual, voluntary, private arrangements 
between adults for sexual acts; however, the Act prohibits 
brothel-type arrangements and public solicitation.  Current 
debate is centered on whether or not the act of soliciting sex 
for cash, for the provider or solicitor, should be a punishable 
offense.  According to city and state criminal investigators, 
the red-light districts are "tolerated" so long as there is no 
minor involvement, trafficking, or violent crime.  According to 
contacts, business owners operating in or near red light areas, 
as well as local residents, have a vested interest in keeping 
the district "clean" from violent crime so as not to invite 
government raids in the area that would interfere with 
legitimate business (there are shops and snack stands in the 
area) or "legal" prostitution. 
 
Prostitution's Cultural and Historical Roots in Kolkata 
 
¶5. (U) Most residents recognize prostitution as a part of the 
complex fabric of life in Kolkata.  While the foreign influences 
in this cosmopolitan city explain in part the development of 
several of the red-light districts in the former British 
capital, the roots run much deeper.  For instance, the clay 
idols used during the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, which has 
particular importance in West Bengal, are formed with materials 
from various sources, including clay taken from the doorways of 
prostitutes.  Historically, courtesans were accorded a special 
place in the past courts of former Hindu and Muslim rulers.  In 
a religious context, the tradition of "deva dasis" (servants of 
the divine) has its roots in the Vedic past of India.  Young 
girls were "consecrated" to the divine idol in a temple and made 
to dance and sing there in order to please the divinity. 
According to historians, the tradition degraded over time and 
many young girls ended up being exploited by Hindu priests and 
wealthy temple patrons. 
 
Sex Workers' Association 
 
¶6. (U) Since the organization's founding in 1995, Durbar Mahla 
Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), has advocated for legal and social 
 
KOLKATA 00000090  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
recognition of sex workers in the state of West Bengal.  While 
legally organized as a union, it operates more as an association 
(no collective bargaining) to promote the interests of the 
70,000 male, female and transgender workers.  While it has made 
little progress in its quest to legalize prostitution, it 
reports having made inroads in furthering the social acceptance 
of sex workers. 
 
¶7. (SBU) NGO contacts disagree on the value of DMSC's work and 
possible collaboration with the organization, mainly due to 
ideological differences on whether to legalize prostitution. 
Contacts from a prominent women's rights organization, Apne Aap 
Worldwide, ardently oppose all forms of prostitution and 
criticize DMSC for its unapologetic vested interests in 
improving the industry.  Contacts from the Christian 
organization International Justice Mission told PolOff that 
while they appreciate DMSC's work in Sonagachi, they prefer not 
to work with them because of differences in core values.  In 
contrast, in March, a wide range of personalities, including the 
Kolkata mayor, attended DMSC's annual Sex Worker's Day 
activities.  DMSC has also worked with the West Bengal State 
AIDS Control Society to improve hygiene in brothels and 
encourage the use of condoms.  They successfully partnered with 
the society to encourage association members to utilize the HIV 
testing and counseling centers in Sonagachi and other red-light 
areas. 
 
Comment 
 
¶8. (SBU) In West Bengal, sex workers are viewed by most people 
as a natural part of society and legitimate stakeholders in the 
debates surrounding trafficking and HIV prevention.  DMSC has 
clearly raised the profile of sex workers in the city and while 
the debate on whether prostitution should be legalized 
continues, it is worth considering how organizations such as 
DMSC can assist in efforts to combat child prostitution, 
trafficking and the spread of HIV/AIDS. 
PAYNE