By Sebastian Rodrigues,
Goa University, Goa.
Sarai-CSDS research on city life for 2004-2005
Here are some more notes on my field visit to Baina, Vasco, Goa on 13th July
2005 with Lillian DCosta of Goa Documentation Education Solidarity
Collective (GOA DESC). Part of the notes I posted on 23rd July 2005. We met
Arun Pandey of ARZ (Annay Rahit Zindagi) and interviewed him. Few more of
the points he tried to get across to us are as follow:-
1. After the demolition of 14th June Baina locality is more fragmented than
before. People have been affected psychologically as well. Outsiders to the
locality particularly the Non-Governmental organisations, Journalists,
Documentary filmmakers and researchers are looked upon with suspicion after
the demolition experience. It was not possible for me to interview the
residents and I did not have kind of contacts that would facilitate this.
2. Marginalization of the residents is compounded due to the fact that
besides being at the margins of the City of Vasco, they are also migrants,
Dalits and Women. The men in the locality are also surrounded by women and
do not posses contacts in the powerful sections outside the locality.
Power in this case includes contacts with media, researchers, progressive
political actors, critical sections of middle classes, organisations of
worth and value in their perspective etc. Connections are being worked out
only now.
3. Most of those giving statements in the press are doing so without
visiting Baina. The journalist from Vasco writing in the Press did take
regressively biased stand in their perspectives. Only when the Journalists
from Goas Capital Panjim particularly Alister Miranda and Preetu Nair
visited Baina on the occasion of the first anniversary of demolitions that
the Press in Goa began to show its critical teeth to some extend.
4. The role of the co-operatives over here in Baina is very dubious and is
applied towards furthering of subjugation of Women in Sex trade. What
happened after demolitions was the eye opener. When the women wanted to
withdraw cash that has been deposited in their name, co-operatives refused
to grant the withdrawal and put the condition that they should come
accompanied by the brothel keeper. The couple of co-operatives here have a
history of tying girls financially into the sex trade. There are links of
these co-operatives with the Politicians; in this case to Sheikh Hassan
Haroon of the congress (I). This is not surprising considering the overall
nature of co-operative movement in Goa that is in sharp contrast in
Maharastra. While in Maharastra it is the strength of co-operatives that
would give rise to political leadership, while in Goa it is the Politicians
after coming into power set up co-operatives basically to work out various
advantages other than the production. In Baina it is the case where in the
Brothel owner necessarily opens the Bank account of the newly recruited
woman in the co-operative of the politicians and in times of police raids
show up the passbooks to exhibit their spirit of social concerns by
encouraging women in sex trade to have their savings for the future. But in
essence these co-operatives are non-co-operative towards the women in sex
trade when they seek it. In fact the co-operatives are the forms of slavery
as well.
5. ARZ has been involved in rescue of minor girls that come into Baina Sex
trade. The biggest obstacle in this regard has been the refusal of Police
to register the cases. According to Arun Pandey of ARZ there is well oiled
police politician nexus. Politicians include State Ministers and the local
representatives. The blank instruction to the police seems to be that dont
register the cases of minor girls rescue. In other words, there are
concerted efforts to induce minor girls into the sex trade. But the wider
question Pandey asks at this point as to why girls come into the sex trade
and what makes them continue? The efforts are evidenced from the fact that
though the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are willing to take
back the girls in their States, Goa government is technically blocking the
proceedings. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh government have asked for the
formal letter to this effect from the collector, Goa State never wrote to
them. This means state on the one carried on the demolitions on the hand
refuses to facilitate the process to end child prostitution in Goa.
6. Rehabilitation package were announced by the state administration in
January 2005. But then the commercial sex workers in Baina do not read the
Official Gazette in which it was published. In fact in the name of package
this more of State promises to carry on future demolitions in Baina.
Details critique of this will be attempted elsewhere.
7. The conduct of the Police here has been the worse than the pathetic in
terms of gentlemanly treatment of the citizens who pays for their duty of
law and order. As Pandey puts it Here people are treated as animals.
Police beat up anybody. People are terrorized. Sate has been hostile
towards us In cases of where in ARZ encouraged to file Police case against
the police officers, the harassment has been intense. Some form includes
calling the person at 9.00am and asking to wait at the police station till
9.00pm. In other cases police would inform the complainant that she has to
be present at the police station on Sunday. This is because the ARZ remains
closed on Sundays and hence people here will have no opportunity get legal
counselling before visiting police station. The effort in other words is to
increase the vulnerability of the already vulnerable section of people.
Further in case of robbery anywhere the boys from Baina are picked up for
identification parade. After listening to all this Lillian DCosta is moved
into commenting because they are voiceless make them criminals In Aruns
understanding people in Baina are so scarred to stand against the system.
When it comes to human rights we are helpless. Till outside people come
situation will not change.
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