Third-world/Developing countries suffer the most from exploitation, and the sex trade in India is just one of the many forms. Pick up any daily newspaper, and you can get an account of atleast one form of abuse related to sex, if not of sex-trade/prostitution rackets. What’s sickening is that there are underhanded power tactics behind most of such abuse, so its not easy to bring them to the fore.

The Sunday Times of India, Bangalore, carried some articles last weekend on rape cases in India. The focus was on how rape incidents of foreigners were being brought to court and the accused punished within days, when those within India (particularly in villages) were languishing in the court for decades. Four popular cases were highlighted in the paper and all ended with the perpetrators being freed and the victims left to suffer (2 were maimed for life/1 was killed/1 was isolated).

Women and girls are usually at the receiving end of sexual abuse, but male children are also not spared (Something similar is shown in the movie Page 3). At times, I just think we’re a sexually-frustrated nation, to be dealing with such cases on a day-to-day basis. They demean the very purpose of humanity.

The only ray of light in all the muck, is the tireless work being done by those who really wish to contribute and bring about a change. Maybe, one day, our future generations will grow in an India where children are loved, respected and cared of, and where child-sex-trade is non-existent. And where women and children can hold their heads high and walk without fear…

Spreading awareness about issues like this is critical, as is contributing, and I applaud you and your friend, for atleast taking out the time to reflect and to speak about it!