Sex Workers Congregate at 'Unity Fair'

KOLKATA: Over 5000 sex workers from around the world have congregated here to ensure their rights in the global agenda for the new millennium at the 'unity fair'.

The four-day 'Millennium Milon Mela' (unity fair) began here on Saturday with the Cambodian delegation announcing observation of may three as 'International sex workers rights day'.

The 'mela', inaugurated by sheriff and eminent Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra, at the Salt Lake stadium, has brought to the metropolis sex workers from as far away as Norway and Australia, besides Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Sex workers from India and Bangladesh were vocal about the initiatives they had taken to control trafficking in women and in preventing HIV/AIDS.

"A large number of sex workers have died of the fatal affliction in the struggle for their rights, but they did not die in vain," National Network of Sex Workers in India, secretary, Mala Singh said.

Women from Bangladesh, who marched in a procession to the stadium, spoke on their organised movement since 1999 after arbitrary eviction of hundreds of sex workers from Tanbazaar area.

Declaring their firm support to the cause of sex workers' struggle for their rights were the city's glitterati -- film star Madhabi Chakraborty, artists Prakash Kumar, Shanu Lahiri, Shiv Narayan Roy and Sundeep Roy.

The Bangladesh delegates said through the process of organising women, they had learnt of the evils of AIDS/HIV and the role of condoms in checking it, ultimately becoming HIV educators and communicating essential information to their clients and the community.

"It is dramatic how trafficking has decreased immensely in West Bengal and how the boards have become important focal points for sex workers, who had not previously organised themselves," Singh said.

All delegates were unanimous that their participation was crucial for any effective anti-trafficking measures to be successful and also for HIV/AIDS prevention. (The Times of India)