“Secular” India and “Islamic” Pakistan try to suppress prostitution but ignore the plight of thousands of people involved in this highly risky but widely practised profession. Some NGOs have done commendable work, such as a recent drive in Karachi to promote health awareness among sex workers.
Lahore, Karachi, Calcutta, Bombay and Lucknow were among the traditional urban centers in undivided India that had special streets earmarked for music, dance and “adult activities”. That is until a few decades ago when traditional entertainment by “tawaifs”/courtesans degenerated into routine prostitution.
(For an interesting historical account of this subject and vintage photos – such as circa 1900 photo above – please click here…)
The BBC reports: “Pakistan’s first workshop on health awareness among sex workers has contributed to a new spirit of openness in the profession. The 3-day event was recently held in Karachi by Gender & Reproductive Health Forum (GRHF) – a local social welfare organization – in collaboration with the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA).
“The last two decades, given the increasing Islamisation of Pakistani society, have further reinforced stereotypes about such women. But the profession has only grown.
“Karachi alone has at least 100,000 female sex workers, according to data gathered by local welfare organizations. Lahore has 75,000 sex workers while the military garrison town of Rawalpindi has at least 25,000.
Last year, a news report pointed out that prostitution in Pakistan, once relegated to dark alleys and small red-light districts, is fast seeping into many neighbourhoods of the Muslim state’s urban centers.
An investigative report by the Asia Times, titled Sex in Depth: In Pakistan, stated: “The Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi sex scenes are totally changing and it is becoming easier and easier to get a girl for sex.
“Most hotels provide you with girls on request. Even otherwise, it is easy to find girls prowling the streets after 6 pm, and foreigners could find young women hanging out near Western franchises like McDonalds and KFC.
“As in many societies, access to technology, Internet and mobile phones has facilitated the sex trade in Pakistan. The women are available for in-house services for as little as Rs 400 (US$6) to take-away prices ranging Rs 1,000 to 2,000.
“These prices are mostly for locals, foreigners can indulge in higher prices. Foreigners in Pakistan have no trouble finding companionship and may receive rates similar to locals in downtrodden districts.
“More upscale areas like Lahore’s Diamond Market cater to well-heeled locals and foreigners. At these places prettier, younger girls push their services for Rs 5,000 to 10,000 for an all-night visit, and the most exceptional can command Rs 20,000 to 40,000 for short time.”
Early this year, the Global Post carried a moving pictorial feature about Pakistan’s “infamous” artist Iqbal Hussain, who grew up in the Heera Mandi, Lahore’s red light district.
“Much of Hussain’s work sits in a permanent exhibit at Lahore Art Gallery. Other pieces auctioned by Sotheby’s have reportedly fetched prices of $10,000 or more.” More here…
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.