My visit to Kamathipura

Recently I did a story about how Kamathipura has lots its charm and how it’s just left for a few handful low paid commercial sex workers and few other pimps whiling away their time in those empty streets which were ones full of life in spite of being one of the city’s most infamous areas. Fortunately I had never found a need to venture there but this time one of my seniors wanted me to do a story on how life has come to a standstill and over shadowed by a dreadful disease AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This is what I felt when I came back. Kamathipura ones had its own charm.

Nancy a commercial sex-worker told me about how the charm of festivals has faded and life as a whole has come to a standstill.

Nancy originally from Manipur came to Mumbai 15 years ago with dreams of making a living and helping her family in her village. She started working as a helper in a south Mumbai beauty salon. “But the demands in my house kept on increasing and I could not cope with the pace of this fast moving city. The greed of earning more eventually pulled into the business to prostitution. I was well aware of what I was getting into and I have no regrets of where I am now.”

Talking about the festivals in the city’s largest red-light area Nancy said “As the popularity of festivals increased in the city various mandals also started mushrooming here. I have been living here since past ten years and have been actively involved in such social activities since then. In the beginning these festivals attracted a huge crowd and also helped us in our business. We had huge pandals, bright lights and attractive decorations. We also organised attractive fun-fairs to attract local residents. This not only pulled crowd from the local area but at one time these mela’s were so popular that people came to Mumbai just to see these fairs from remote area.” Often Kamathipura had tourist from all parts from India, in spite of being one of the most infamous parts of the city according to Nancy every man had visited this place once in his lifetime. But the reasons for these visits differed, some were attracted by the glam and lights while some came to just have fun. But only a few came with an intension to help. “However this small city in itself had managed to attract all kinds of visitors” says Nancy.

“But as people became aware of AIDS and Sexually transmitted diseases thanks to the NGO’s working here people eventually stopped coming here. Our business also was largely affected and similarly the basic economic state of the resident commercial sex-workers was poor. Hence we did not have enough money to spend on festivals as a result the charm of the festival faded off” says Nancy.

Dr. Shivanand Naik working for a ‘key clinic’ a part of a NGO known as PSI (Population Services International) in grant road said “since my clinic is near the red-light area I have many patients from Kamathipura especially during festive season. They is an increase in the number of patients as more and more people are getting aware of AIDS and STD’s but the pace or speed at which the disease is spreading has slowed down. I have an equal of ratio between male and female patients in my clinic. Another observation I have made is that sex is very easily available in colleges and offices and hence the inflow of people coming to these sex-workers has reduced. Before I had many college going young boys who came to me for STD related problem but now this has reduced. ”