An hour with a lady.. (Copied one)

It took me a lot of time to decide whether or not to write about this incident in my life. As a guy who has been born and brought up in a relatively conservative and God-fearing family, my values are mostly that of a "middle-class" man. Sex is still taboo for this class. However, the fact that I have written openly about it is a verity, and I have no regrets because I don"t feel any guilt for writing what I think is right.

It happened a few weeks ago when I was in Goa. Goa is today, among the world"s foremost tourist destinations. People of all colours and creeds are found here. Their purpose for coming here-to "enjoy"! Prostitution too, is very much a part of this. I wasn"t aware of this fact until I was at Margao beach.

I was alone, walking parallel to the waves. Walking steadily, I was recalling all the momentous incidents in my life. The first woman I fell in love with, the person who gave me so much without any expectations; my parents, away from whom I was to start a new life; and also, my friends and admirers who have been a source of not just perpetual happiness but also inspiration.

After walking a few paces, I decided to sit on one of the benches. Suddenly, I noticed a young lady, somewhere in her mid-20s, sitting at a distance from me. She was beautiful and charming; but there was something unrealistic about her. I could not for the life of me, figure out why a lady would be on the beach in the evening, all made up-a lot of make-up on.

As I always do, I gave her a smile which she reciprocated. I felt like talking to her. Being a person who has made so many friends, I truly don"t believe in the concept of "strangers". A person is stranger to you as long as you don"t know him or her. And once you know that person he or she is no longer a stranger. That"s my philosophy.

Surprisingly, she herself came over and offered a handshake saying, "Hi! I"m Natasha." And I replied, "Hi, nice to see you, Natasha. I"m Mahesh." "Can I sit next to you"? she asked, a bit artificially. "Sure, please do!" I assented.

For a while we didn"t talk. I am not very comfortable with women. Yes, I have interacted with them, but not so well. I am not a "ladies man". I am good-looking, but still I haven"t been lucky with women.

"So what"s your plan tonight"? she asked. "Well. I"m not sure. my lady", I said. "Would you like to take me with you"? she asked. I was dumbfounded! "Is she a prostitute"? I asked myself. I didn"t have to wait long for the answer. "I will take just 500 bucks", she said. "Oh, damn"! I thought, "this isn"t happening. Or is it"?

I felt like running but I stayed put-for no reason. Most of the things I do in life haven"t had any "reasons". I asked her why she was in this profession. She wasn"t honest when she answered, "I love it"!

She spoke good English, but her accent was artificial. "Well my friend, I am not interested in sleeping with you," I said adding "I haven"t been with a prostitute in my life. You are the first one. So I would like to know something about you."

She was a bit hesitant. And she told me stories I didn"t want to believe. Mostly because they were the kind you find in movies. I told her very frankly, "Look lady, I am not able to believe you because your eyes aren"t honest. I am a man who appreciates people in all hues and colours. I have a knack with people and can tell in a few minutes whether or not, they are lying to me. You are lying."

She smiled a while, scratched her head with her index finger, and looked away for a while. Perhaps she was not prepared to share her story with me. "What are you anyways" she asked. I laughed, before I countered, "What do you think I am"? She was completely unprepared for this kind of a situation. "I don"t know. You are an enigma to me", she said, adding "but yes, you do look like a good-hearted person".

"Thank you so much. But how can you say that"? I enquired, rather enthusiastically. "That"s because if you were someone who was too orthodox, you would have run away from me and if you were a sex maniac, you would not have wasted any time in getting me into bed. You are a strange person, but you look good. I hope you aren"t a psycho", she said.

I couldn"t resist it and erupted in laughter. "Sorry, but I haven"t met any psychiatrist who could confirm or deny it" I conveyed.

I went on to have a great conversation with her. She was a very experienced woman; perhaps older than I had initially thought her to be. But all that matters is that she was a great companion. Finally, after listening to several anecdotes from me, she felt more comfortable. Her artificiality began to fade. She was a different, but more honest-looking person to me now.

"What is your background, Natasha"? I asked, again. "Well, Natasha is my business name. I was called Mujassim and come from Bengal. Our home is close to Bangladesh. It"s replete with poverty. People don"t have enough money to buy a loaf of bread a day. So I came here to earn a living."

"Who is in your family"? I enquired.

"Just my husband, his parents, and two younger siblings", was her reply.

"Did you say "husband""? I queried.

"Yes, that"s right".

"What does he do? Does he know you do this?"

"Well, actually he was a farmer. A few years ago, he had a major accident which left him partially handicapped. He was the only bread earner of the family; his parents are ill all the time and younger siblings are still studying. and yes, he does know what I do here." She looked down as she said this.

"Can"t you do something else"?

"Like what"? she asked.

"You speak good English, perhaps you could get placement in a call centre in Bangalore or some place", I suggested.

"Well, someone did tell me about that, but that is not sufficient. My husband"s siblings are studying and we want them to get a good education. Also, I learnt English very recently. There is a person who runs such classes and charges a nominal fee," she said.

Suddenly, I was in introspection mode.
"What are you thinking of"?

"Well Mujassim, I was just wondering why a person like you would get into this? It"s such a filthy affair. And that too hailing from a community where women are ever veiled, I find your story so saddening," I told her.

"But what would you say of those women who even after marrying and having kids go after other men? What about those who, despite hailing from distinguished families continue to sleep with men whom they are never going to marry? Why only us?" she retorted, this time strongly.

"If you go back in history, even the Islamic civilization had sex trade. Because it was the only mechanism by which "virtuous women" could be protected from rape and other sexual abuse. We still do that job," she said.

"We might take some money. so what? It"s our business. We are doing it for the sake of a livelihood. If someone could offer me a few lakhs of rupees, enough to sustain my family, I would happily go back. I don"t like doing this-to be VERY HONEST! But I am helpless. I may lose my conscience, sir, but my family survives. And what faith am I to follow on an empty stomach?"

Her words were truly thought-provoking. We continued our conversation for a while, before parting ways. I offered her 500 bucks, but she declined to accept. "It"s for your time. So, have it", I told her when she refused the money. "No, sir, that"s fine. You are a nice man. For years I didn"t find a person who could talk to an attractive lady like a good friend. I feel much better after talking to you. Please don"t mock my sentiments by giving me money," she said, further adding, "You have a fatherly image".

She brought a few tears to my eyes. I saw no flaw in her, she was absolutely fine. She was in the wrong job, but her intentions weren"t wrong. I just prayed to God to give her a righteous job. I hope her sacrifice will not be forgotten by those who are benefiting from it her in-laws.

Prostitutes are looked at with shame and indignity by our society. True, they sell their body in exchange for money but what about those women, and, of course, men, who get into sexual relationships with every other person? Aren"t they worse than those prostitutes? I"m sure they are!

Prostitution in Goa..

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. People who execute such activities are called Prostitutes. Goa has become a main target for prostitution in the recent years. The history of prostitution in Goa dates back to the late 16th and 17th centuries when Goa was a Portuguese colony. There was a community of Japanese slaves, who were usually young Japanese women and girls brought or captured as sexual slaves by Portuguese traders and their South Asian crewmembers from Japan.
REASONS FOR WOMEN GETTING INTO PROSTITUTION

• A woman is molested in the past and this is become acceptable in her life.
• Receiving less love and attention from families.
• Woman who earns poor income feel that prostitution is an easier and quicker way to get money for a better standard of living.
• Some women among the backward masses are forced into prostitution by peer groups, families, husbands and kidnapping is also a cause.
• For a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction.
• Failure in marriage and abandoned family life.
• Having acquaintances with a pimp or brothel, or women living as guest houses, hostels easily get carried away in this trade.
• No proper sex education
• The rise in number of child prostitution is because girls are given false promises of marriage, jobs and are sold to other states. Also as children want to adopt newer ways of luxurious life and their pocket money doesn’t permit them to do so. They choose prostitution as a means.

Prostitution in Goa began came to rise due to the prostitution racket in Baina, Vasco. The women here were mainly from Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala and many more states of India. The place was divided into slums or “gallis” known as Andhra galli, Karnataka galli, Kerala galli and so on. After tearing down of Baina’s red light area in 2004 prostitutes were promised rehabilitation but the Government failed to keep up to their promise. It is like “old wine in a new bottle”. The business is the same but the girls are now better educated and pimps are using latest technology to operate and attract high paying clients. From then, prostitutes spread all over the state of Goa. They are almost in all the cities in the North and South of Goa carrying out the trade on a full swing in Lodges, Hotels, Massage Parlours, Cyber Cafe’s, Call Centres, Fishing Trawlers, Shacks, Highways, Slums, Residential Areas, Interior Hidden Places, Clubs, Beaches, Hostels, Paying Guest Homes and many more places. Taxi drivers, Motorcycle Pilots, Waiters, Chai boys, Beach Hawkers are contact points.
WHY GOA AS A TARGET FOR PROSTITUTION?

• Increasing number of events and festivals.
• Tourism on the rise
• Easy to bribe cops.
• No strict laws and regulations
• Politicians support for votes
• Increase in need for migrant labour as means for employment.

TYPES OF PROSTITUTION PHENOMENON IN GOA

• Brothel based prostitution: Baina & Margao
• Street based prostitution: Vasco, Margao, Colva, Panjim, Calangute, Anjuna
• Hotel based prostitution: All over Goa
• Vehicle based prostitution: North & South Goa- Tourist belt and crowded market areas

Traffickers are the people involved to get sex workers in Goa and the trafficked people are the victims.

• Brothel keepers previously operating in Baina
• Few pilots (Two wheeler taxi) and taxi owners
• Few hotels and lodges in the tourist areas and on the highways – Karwar, Mollem & Sawantwadi.

Mostly in Goa the target of action is not the traffickers but the trafficked victims. Most of the offences booked are against trafficked victims and not against the traffickers. Trafficked victims are arrested but no customer, pimp, transport agent, lodge owner; hotel owner, taxi owner, etc are arrested, though the law is very clear that those who commercialize prostitution and those who benefit from the earning from prostitution are committing an offence.
SOUTH GOA PROSTITUTION REGISTERED CASES
The police have registered a few cases. But a majority escaped from the hands of the police. Prostitution in South Goa is mainly in Margao, Vasco, Canacona, Curchorem, Curtorim, Colva, Benaulim, Sanguem, Ponda and the coastal belt. There are many prostitutes loitering around in search for bait. The police identify them through the obscene hand gestures, vulgar body acts and facial expressions made by them. The prostitute women caught were mostly from districts of Rajmandhi and Vishakapatanam in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and sadly a few from Goa as well. They mainly are from the age group of 35-50. But child and teen prostitutes are preferred due to their virginity and less risk of transmition of AIDS and Sexually transmitted diseases. The customers are men from other states who migrate to Goa as migrant labourers and other backward men. They are from the age group of 20-60. Goans are also involved in as customers but mainly act as traffickers or brothels for earning by means of sex trade. Goan women get into prostitution mainly due to poor standard of living.
The female prostitutes including Goans earning higher incomes are usually found in massage parlours, beach side shacks, cyber cafe’s, beauty parlours, hotels in Goa. They use cars as means of obtaining customers and shelter in luxury hotels for their business. These are less caught by the police. Tourist prostitutes are also found in the same category and are found mostly on beach areas, shacks, hotels situated on the coastal belt.
Some of the examples of traffickers in the coastal belt:

• Brothel in Benaulim carrying out sex trade and customers are mostly locals of South Goa. Almost 7-8 dogs are kept outside as means of protection.
• Almost all the shacks and shops on the Colva Beach are major traffickers and agents for sex trade. Even the taxi drivers and motorcycle pilots are involved in this racket. 49’ers is a major prostitution spot in Colva.

2008: 8 cases

1. Navelim case happened in a closed house in Fradilem
2. Old market- 3 cases
3. Gandhi market- 4 cases

19 people were arrested in this year among the registered cases of which 6 were male customers and 13 were females involved in the case.
2009: 10 cases

1. Hotel Goa Land, near the flyover, Margao- 3cases
2. Hotel Tandoor, Margao- 2 cases
3. Near flyover over Bridge, Margao
4. Near Hari Mandir, Margao
5. Karishma Hotel, Margao- 2 cases

18 accused were arrested in this year among the registered cases of which 6 were male customers and 12 were females involved. 4 females were rescued by the police and sent to the NGO named Positive People.
2010: 11 cases

1. Shezer Hotel, Khareband, Margao- 6 cases
2. Hotel Goa Land, Near flyover, Margao- 4 cases
3. Hotel Karishma, Margao

2011: 3 cases till date

1. Shezer Hotel, Khareband, Margao

LAW

Section 3- The Suppression of Prostitution Act
Section 4- “Prostitution” means sexual intercourse, or any other act, or the commission of any other act in order to gratify the sexual desire of another person in a promiscuous manner in return for earning or any other benefit, irrespective of whether the person who accepts the act and the person who commits the act are of the same sex or not.
Section 5- Any person who, for the purpose of prostitution, solicits, induces, introduces herself or himself to, follows or importunes a person in a street, public place or any other place, which is committed openly and shamelessly or causes nuisance to the public, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand.
Section 6- Any person who associates with another person in a prostitution establishment for the purpose of prostitution of oneself or another person shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding one thousand or to both. If the offence under paragraph one is committed on account of compulsion or under an influence which cannot be avoided or resisted, the offender is not guilty.
Section 7- Any person who advertises or agrees to advertise, induces or introduces by means of documents or printed matters, or by any means makes known to the public in a manner apparently indicative of importunity or solicitation for the prostitution of oneself or another person shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of six months to two years or to a fine of ten thousand to forty thousand or to both.
Section 8- Any person who, in order to gratify the sexual desire of oneself or another person, has sexual intercourse with or acts otherwise against a person over fifteen but not over eighteen years of age in a prostitution establishment, with or without his or her consent, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of one to three years and to a fine of twenty thousand to sixty thousand. If the offence under paragraph one is committed against a child not over fifteen years of age, the offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of two to six years and to a fine of forty thousand to one hundred twenty thousand. If the act under paragraph one is committed against one’s own spouse, and not to gratify the sexual desire of another person, the offender is not guilty.
POLICE ACTION
The Goa Police doesn’t take any strict action against prostitution in Goa. Incase of the women/victim they are just warned and asked to pay some fines. And if they are found on continuous basis, they are sent to the NGO i.e. Positive people for rehabilitation. In case of male customers they are arrested. A chargesheet is filed against them and they are kept in the lock up. And if they are found on continuous basis they are put in the Aguada Jail. And if he is found with a minor, the punishment exceeds even upto life imprisonment.
If any brothel or hotel still continues even after warnings they are closed down and their license is cancelled. 2 hotels in Margao are closed down.
They conduct frequent raids mostly in Gandhi Market area and near the flyover.
PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING RAIDS
The police have spies known as Peer Educators who act as prostitutes for them. They are given responsibility of certain areas. If they find any  suspicious behaviour or if they come across any prostitution case happening they inform the police. These spies even give details such as location or brothel in which the business is carried out. These prostitutes then come to the victims along with the police in civil clothes to the areas and raids are conducted. Initially, the lower level in the Police department had n o authority to conduct raids. But now they are allowed to do so.
NGO IN ACTION
Positive People is an NGO which presently functions in collaboration with the Margao Police. It started operations in the year 1992 as a media to pass on awareness about HIV AIDS and conduct counselling to the public. Since 2005, the Goa State Aids Control Society has given them the responsibility to conduct awareness programmes among the prostitutes and counsel them to lead a better life. They are expected to take care of certain areas in South Goa.
They mainly provide awareness about HIV AIDS and STD’s to the prostitutes and supply condoms as a means for protection. They do this in a manner of field trips, i.e. they visit all the areas take them for ELISA test to Hospicio Hospital and educated them. They get help from the police and Peer Educators to find the victims. If required, they get the victim to the NGO to counsel them. They cannot stop prostitution as it is an individual choice. But they help to make it safer preventing the risk of Aids. Presently they have 21 Aids patients.
Taluka wise distribution of HIV cases detected in Goa since the Baina incident are as follows:

Taluka	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Tiswadi	166	161	111	113	122	104	68
Bardez	150	127	133	149	133	140	117
Pernem	20	12	33	24	16	14	10
Bicholim	26	29	35	35	25	30	17
Satari	7	17	9	12	12	19	16
Ponda	48	62	55	48	55	41	34
Salcete	195	198	175	183	172	154	106
Mormugao	182	192	183	148	154	149	153
Sanguem	12	36	15	26	12	30	23
Quepem	23	23	14	39	21	22	23
Canacona	17	20	22	29	23	11	27
Non Goans	110	152	155	223	209	187	175
Total	956	1029	940	1029	954	901	769

Some victims choose to lead a better life but as they are already known as prostitutes they are pin pointed wherever they go. So, they get back to their business. Some victims choose a better life and approach them for help. They are now working elsewhere and are quite happy about it.
The main areas focussed by the NGO

• Canacona- Palolem Beach, Chaudi Market, Market Area, Bus Stand
• Curchorem- Garden Area, Bus Stand, Market Area
• Quepem- Tilamol
• Margao- Gandhi Market, Flyover, KTC, Municipal Garden, Colva Circle, New Market, Railway Station.

Activities carried out by Positive People:

• They have regular meetings known as Support Group Meetings in which victims express their problems and are helped by the NGO.
• They have DIC (Drop In Centre) wherein the NGO organises a programme for them at the NGO wherein they have various competitions like Dance, singing, mehendi, celebrate birthdays etc..
• Organising HealthCamps
• Celebrating World AIDS day & Women’s day

SOME OF THE POLITICIANS INVOLVEMENT IN PROSTITUTION
Dayanand Narvekar 
As far back as in 1989, a young woman claimed that Dayanand Narvekar had attempted to molest her in his chamber in the Adil Shah Palace when he was speaker. Though a police case was filed and Dayanand Narvekar was forced to resign his position as speaker of the then Legislative Assembly, the case never was charge-sheeted. Narvekar did not have as much luck with the charge of molesting and looting cricket fans during the one day match held in the Fatorda stadium in 2001. The case is still pending in the courts and Narvekar was dropped from the cabinet on the claim that since the case had been charge-sheeted, his continuance as finance minister in the cabinet of Digamber Kamat would not be ethical.
Babush Monserrate
Education Minister Babush Monserrate is said to be running a call girl racket from a building opposite Dhempe College of Arts and Science in Miramar, using a cybercafé as a contact point. The rumours were that the call girl racket was being operated by Babush Monserrate and that several other politicians had been patronising the prostitution den. Presumably, because very important people or their sons were involved and the political compulsions of running a coalition government, the police were instructed not to follow up the case. There have always been rumours about the voracious sexual appetite in Taleigao. There were persistent rumours that the flats in the Kamat complex opposite the Dhempe college which were supposed to be the scene of the Miramar sex scandal, were owned by Babush Monserrate. The Hallmark franchise shop is owned by Babush Monserrate, where several women were pointed to be Babush’s passions of the moment and his son Rohit was also involved.