Asia’s Largest Red Light Area

People at large, in India, consider sex workers as a menace in society. They are known with names which are used as curse words.

The question arises which is  only swept under carpet is that these places a frequented by many even though they are condemned in public.

We cannot deny the fact that their existence is mainly becasue flesh trade is prevalent, legal and we should start accept this facet of life look down upon them.

Whether sex workers should stop doing their trade or not,  is debatable.
Today we noting on some eye opening pictures of Sonagachi,West Bengal which is touted as Asia’s largest red light area.

1…  The brothels in Sonagachi are home to more than 10,000 prostitutes who are no longer human with souls what they have is their body for their existence. Some are here because poverty and hunger forced them and some fall into trap by people who are in flesh trade.

2… Just like these clogged narrow alleys, their mindsets too have been clogged down. Their home and garments shine multiple garish colors but only to make their darker than black lives little colorful.

3…  We  know that their lives are miserable but hardly masses come forward to help them. But thanks to NGOs who are doing their remarkable work to make them safe and progressive.

4…Don’t they deserve love? Yes, they deserve. Period. If you shun the filter that society projects you will realize that they are just like us. If you think love is nothing for them, then you are wrong. What actually they need is  love which they hardly get here. 

5… It is true that the people who deal in this business rake in lots of money but sex workers are paid that big amount as middle men often grab the largest share. That’s why one can see the sight where sex workers are holed up in cabin like room with only basic , very basic amenities.

6… Most of the workers are dying each day, literally too in this asia’s largest red light area, as many do not use condoms. As per researches, many have STDs including AIDS. We hope that soon people, especially Indians understand the importance of precautions like condoms. 

7… Those who do not know about these places often become aware about them through popular culture. These places proffer as interesting subject for film makers or any artist. Many documentaries and short films, featuring on their lives are captured to portray on celluloid.

8…  And one such docu is called Born into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids. This movie was also bestowed with Oscar for best documentary feature in the year 2005. The movie depicted the lives of children born to prostitutes in Sonagachi.

What do you think about Asia’s Largest Red Light Area ? Any thoughts ? Let us know in the comments below.

The post These Photos Of Asia’s Largest Red Light Area Sonagachi Are Gut Wrenching appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

This story is for those who have tons of excuses for not being able to do what they wanted to do or what they wanted to become!

I am sure this is going to bring a clear sense of understanding and some inspiration to get up and start walking.

“I’ve grown up in a red light area, surrounded by the flesh trade all my life.

At 12, I’ve been asked for my ‘rate’ and cried myself to sleep because I didn’t understand it.

But you want to know what’s worse?

It’s that the men who came to ask would all be from the ‘upper class’ as you call it with shiny cars and the perception that they could ‘buy’ anything. But the women there, are my family…they’ve taken care of me when my mother would have to go work at a factory nearby and treated with me so much love and kindness, but I still grew up with a very low self esteem because of my dark colour.

I don’t know why you have to be fair to be beautiful…and because I’m dark I’ve always been called ugly. Once my 12th standard ended, I decided to make a change. I told the people at my Municipal school that I wanted to study, learn English and make something of myself.

That’s when I went to an organization called Kranti.

I spent the next year, travelling across India conducting workshops on sex education, and that’s when I realized that not everyone judges me for my background and kind of got my self esteem back.

I’ve always been a day dreamer, so I randomly just said it out loud one day that I want to go America (at that point I didn’t even know if it was a continent, a city or a country) and through Kranti’s efforts I got a full scholarship at Bard College to study Liberal Arts. We crowd sourced the rest of the money for my accomodation and day to day expenses and my life has just turned around…I’ve been to semester at Sea, I speak fluent English and have amazing entrepreneurial ideas to make a difference to my home…to Kamathipura.

Yes, open your mind about my home. Accept that people have choices and know that so many women there are in it by choice…because it’s their source of livelihood. As Indians, we need to judge less and accept things that are not always in our comfort zone, because my background is not my weakness…

I’m me, and no location can define who I am.”

Don’t we all shackle ourselves in the false limitations of our circumstances and situations?

Don’t we know that we can be what we want to be, only if we start taking few steps forward?

Don’t we just keep doing nothing and blame the situations and outer factors for our own failures?

Well, this story makes me believe all that and much more!!

The post I Am From Red Light Area Kamathipura! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.