JOIN USDocumentary depicts how over 7,000 sex workers in Mumbai went penniless during lockdown
Mumbai's commercial sex workers were left helpless during the lockdown. A recent documentary -- “Mumbai 400008: A story of betrayal, pain and desperation” -- by journalist and documentary filmmaker Santoshee Mishra, depicts how over 7,000 sex workers from Kamathipura, Falkland Road, Faras Road went penniless during the Covid-19-induced lockdown and struggled to exist.
Sold by a father, brother, husband or boyfriend they have to get accustomed to a life of flesh trade in Kamathipura -- one of the oldest and biggest red-light areas in Asia -- to earn their daily bread.
“The trade of prostitution totally depends on physical intimacy," Mishra said adding that under the strict rules, any kind of contact or touch was prohibited in the city.
Sex workers, most often, do not have a choice. The percentage of women falling into prostitution is more because of human trafficking than self-reasons.
The documentary brings out never-ending betrayal, pain and desperation, sex workers go through till the end of their lives. It also showcases lacunae in the system as thousands of sex workers could not get any food-packets also.
Burdened with room rents, medical expenses, electricity bills, cooking gas or kerosene along with children’s school fees and no income, thousands of sex workers did not receive any food-packets also, Mishra claimed.
"The nights of Mumbai city have never ever faced shut down. The first of ever lockdown in Kamathipura forced commercial sex workers to even beg for food... When the food packets were distributed, the patrolling police had beaten up sex workers,” Mishra said.
Last year, the Supreme Court had ordered all states and Union Territories to provide dry ration to all sex workers without insisting on a ration card or any other identity proof.
Check out latest videos from DH:
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks