Editorial: Prostitution Can Be Legal, Not its Commercialization

…the present controversy is regarding its practical aspect. One school of thought believes that a legalized, organized flesh trade could be easier to monitor, so effective to check trafficking of women and children. The other argues that it will goad brothels to buy more young girls and many more new brothels will come up…

Hearing a PIL moved by NGO Bachpan Bachao, the Supreme Court rightly observed that if government cannot curb prostitution, why doesn’t it legalise it, which, the court goes on to add, will rein in women and child trafficking. A class of activists has disputed apex court’s prediction. Well, let it be reminded that prostitution is legal in India, only its commercialization falls under illegal act, that is to say, a woman can use her body for a commercial purpose in private, but she cannot solicit business or seduce clients in public. Obviously, India is already past discussing the popularly conceived cultural notion attached to it. As a civil society, our concerns have to be about trafficking of women and children, and human rights of sex workers. That’s where the trouble begins. The legalization of prostitution is something that does away with the difference between a call girl and a harlot at a brothel. The former is acceptable under present legal system, but not latter. We generally don’t tend to suppose a call girl being forced into the flesh trade but think brothels buy women and children for their business. At a moral level, if a girl wants to step into the flesh trade, she can, just as she can into other professions.

The present controversy is regarding its practical aspect. One school of thought believes that a legalized, organized flesh trade could be easier to monitor, so effective to check trafficking of women and children. The other argues that it will goad brothels to buy more young girls for their increased number of customers who will then have no fear of being caught by the police, and many more new brothels will come up fastly, as can be predicted on the lines of trends that were seen in the countries where prostitution was legalised. On balance, both arguments have merit. But, given the way Indian system works – corrupt police and investigating agencies, prevalent bribery tradition such as mahina – and huge money in prostitution, it will be easier for brothels to blind their watchdogs. This strong possibility undoes the very practical purpose for which legalization of the flesh trade is being argued.

For prostitution to be a profession chosen by someone rather than of those being tricked in it, and for ensuring human rights of sex workers, what’s needed is a strong will on part of government to act tough to do away with its institutionalization, enforcing the law that is already there. Check on women and child trafficking, existence of willing sex workers, and restraint on public show of flesh trade can go hand in hand only when brothels and pimping rings are shut down. In a civilized society, prostitution needs to be an individual profession, not institutional.
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