Rambagan- Transforming to a new self...

Sex-workers, red light areas and similar things invoke a different kind of thought process in most of us. People are critical about the lifestyles that sex workers follow. But seldom do we delve further. We make up our own answers to the question,’Why?’. The presumptions need to change.

CINI has been consistently working over the past two decades, in Rambagan ( an well-known red light area), to give its inhabitants a new way of life. It is located near the junction of Beadon Street and CR Avenue in ward-26 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Previously the children were left on their own while the mothers were busy in their trade. With only one room called home, most of them had no option but to wait outside while their mothers carried on with their work. The infants were given alcohol, so they could sleep and not disturb the mother. The bigger kids were made to bring wine and food items for the clients. Their young age was subjected to such kinds of humiliation. It  exposed the children to various kinds of abuses.

With CINI’s efforts and interventions, the children started to have a taste of commonly known  normal life. They started going to schools. They were playing in the afternoons and attending CINI run coaching centres in the evening. Perceptions started to change. From a time, when brothels celebrated when a daughter was born, as she was to be the next breadwinner, to the time, when education seemed to be the priority. The sons and daughters were now no more being trained to become pimps and sex-workers. They now aspire to become teachers, players, and a lot more.

Few problems still remain. One of them are the flying sex-workers. They come in the morning and leave by late evening. Since they do not stay here, there is no sense of belongingness. Most of these ladies claim that they do not come out of the rooms. But then there have been instances where they were seen to be alluring young boys. They are yet to become a part of the transformation process.

Another gnawing problem for the inhabitants are that they still ashamed to reveal their addresses. Their relatives don’t want to come and stay overnight. Friends don’t come. The stigma of being a red-light area citizen is marring their way of lives.

There might be difficulties to cope up with, but there are also a lot of positives. In the last twenty years, no daughter has taken up the mother’s trade. On the contrary, some are pursuing their post- graduation courses. The most positive way of life in Rambagan is the way they stay together. Religion or caste do not divide them. They all live together!

Negative assumptions or images cannot be changed overnight. It will require a lot of time and effort from one and all. But till then, they are content and happy with the positive transformation in their lives, which has been brought in by CINI.