Should Prostitution be Legalised?

[yudhvirmor]

Here is a new article published in India Today...Prostituition has taken a turn...don't know for better or for worse but it sure has given opportunity for corrupt officials, politicians, a new venue to make money.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/80283/Cover%20Story/The+new+white+flesh+trade.html

As far as Ram Rahim Dera Saccha Sauda even though his work is commendable for now, we must approach it with caution. Lets wait and see what comes next. It seems to me he is taking a very methodical approach to influence the masses. I hope he sticks to his social goals but I will wait and watch this Dera, and dig a little deeper to see if it is all altruism or ulterior motive. I wouldn't be surprised if some how Pakistani Intelligence is involved into this....

Its a typical answer to most of indian issues.... Pakistan kaa hath hai.. yaa koi bahari takaton ki sajis hai...

Most of Punjab is divided because of the Deras.. However, I agree with Karan that its commendable step.

Whether govt legalise it, There must be steps to improve the lives of these poor and exploited women. Law has to be amended to protect them from exploitation by police, pimps and customers.

 

[sanjaymalik]

Its a typical answer to most of indian issues.... Pakistan kaa hath hai.. yaa koi bahari takaton ki sajis hai...

Most of Punjab is divided because of the Deras.. However, I agree with Karan that its commendable step.

Whether govt legalise it, There must be steps to improve the lives of these poor and exploited women. Law has to be amended to protect them from exploitation by police, pimps and customers.

Mor Bhai this is really true.this is typical Indian Govt style answer like ISI/pakistan ka hath hai. Totally agree with you.

 

[karan]

dupe..............

 

[karan]

Its a typical answer to most of indian issues.... Pakistan kaa hath hai.. yaa koi bahari takaton ki sajis hai...

Most of Punjab is divided because of the Deras.. However, I agree with Karan that its commendable step.

Whether govt legalise it, There must be steps to improve the lives of these poor and exploited women. Law has to be amended to protect them from exploitation by police, pimps and customers.

You really have to find and read the dossier on 'Operation Topaz'. I have never been surprised at the presence of Apologists in India.
Rest of the discussion about pakistan is saved for some other thread. Now back to the thread.
It is a big difference at small scale to bring dignity back to some women.

 

[singhvp]

Should the prostitution be legalised

Prostitution is a social malaise which need to be rooted out rather than getting social/legal recognition. I qoute a famous Urdu couplet "Duniyan ki har besharmi gurbat (poverty) ki god (lap) mein palti hai, chaklon(brothel) hi mein jakar rukti hai phakon (poverty) se jo raj niklati hai".
As you all must be aware, this profession has been evolving in different forms through different phases of human civilization. The genesis of this problem is primarily deprivation, educational backwardness and social neglect and disparity. (However, exceptions are always there and one may find some well-educated, high profile girls also in this profession known as call girls in common parlance. These may also be called as glorified prostitutes). But majority of girls are forced into sex-trade either by abject poverty or social black-mail or social ostracization. Therefore, these reasons need to be addressed to eradicate this social malaise rather than institutionalising it. There is no denying the fact that in many developed countries this profession has legal sanctity as it has been mush-rooming as a full-fledged industry and a huge source of revenue. . (Places like Amsterdam have become major hubs of sex and drug tourism ). But any legal sanctity to prostitution in India will have only negative ramifications. Ours is a relatively conservative society with orthodox social values entirely different from the western world. The conditions are not yet ripe for such a major reform and the middle class social milieu is not ready to accept it. Let the thin veil remain there to cover this evil. (Kuch baatein parde mein hi achchi lagti hain).
Time will come and this evil will wither away automatically.

 

[anilsinghd]

Shailendra ji,

Whereas prostitution starts as no-choice and ends with no-choices for majority of the women and children.

am not so sure here.

it must be something like this :
dZ (change in number of prostitutes after legalisation) = adX (change due to new entrants) - bdY (change due to out goers).

You only touched the out goers based on choice , I am not sure if new entrants component is empty if things are legalised. The rampant business of young girls / college students entering this field for some fast and extra money might take a toll and bloom further ( as now the girls/ladies would not fear being caught and tortured by police /media on their acts), No?

 

[anilsinghd]

Aren't these unfortunate women akin to social workers providing some "solace" to the "troubled" men in the society?
.

Found your post a bit funny , not to start men v ladies all over again , but you can also consider the same thing as CHARITY from men, no? You can give fancy adjectives like compassionate , empathy etc etc.

 

[annch]

My post was meant to be funny.........
CHARITY from men??? The services that they get in return for their "charity" is what- Tax rebate?

Found your post a bit funny , not to start men v ladies all over again , but you can also consider the same thing as CHARITY from men, no? You can give fancy adjectives like compassionate , empathy etc etc.

 

[annch]

Guruji, you are right. My arguement on this thread is not whether legalization would impact the numbers, it is that legalization should improve the plight of women and the children born to them.

Yes, there will be women who might make the "choice", my comment was for "majority" of women and children.

am not so sure here.

it must be something like this :
dZ (change in number of prostitutes after legalisation) = adX (change due to new entrants) - bdY (change due to out goers).

You only touched the out goers based on choice , I am not sure if new entrants component is empty if things are legalised. The rampant business of young girls / college students entering this field for some fast and extra money might take a toll and bloom further ( as now the girls/ladies would not fear being caught and tortured by police /media on their acts), No?

 

[anilsinghd]

CHARITY from men??? The services that they get in return for their "charity" is what- Tax rebate?

Lets complicate this one. Its CHARITY with lots of compassion and empathy but also not breaking the self-esteem of the charity-taker(thus giving her a false notion of actually taking services in return). Makes more sense?

 

[annch]

Yeah, probable when prostitution is legalised.....

Lets complicate this one. Its CHARITY with lots of compassion and empathy but also not breaking the self-esteem of the charity-taker(thus giving her a false notion of actually taking services in return). Makes more sense?

 

[anilsinghd]

My arguement on this thread is not whether legalization would impact the numbers, it is that legalization should improve the plight of women and the children born to them.

For the most of the two hours that I spent reading up the posts on the thread, I was thinking if you can take the abvoe mentioned decision in isolation? Think you got to make a stand first on whether you favour or not the "prostitution" as a concept. If the answer is NO , you need to actually do an analysis of the change that would be introduced as a part of legalisation. You probably do not want to find yourself in a situation where you actually have turned lives of few destitutes to good BUT you have introduced considerable societal imbalance.
Just to make up an hypothetical example: Suppose the number of ladies entering into this (as a profession (part-time) for easy money) increase a lot. How would that correlate to divorce rate? (I am not sure if there is any correlation but what if it actually does have some positive correlation?). How would that correlate to suicides (of those same females as a result of their frustrations accumualted over time for an act they did by chocie!)?

 

[annch]

Now you are stretching it a bit too far, hypothetically.
Suppose a lady enters into this profession for easy money, with her husband being aware of it. Suppose the lady/her husband do not feel any frustration. Suppose with the easy money she earns, her children go to top schools and colleges and become doctors and engineers. And, voila! you see an upliftment of society.

For the most of the two hours that I spent reading up the posts on the thread, I was thinking if you can take the abvoe mentioned decision in isolation? Think you got to make a stand first on whether you favour or not the "prostitution" as a concept. If the answer is NO , you need to actually do an analysis of the change that would be introduced as a part of legalisation. You probably do not want to find yourself in a situation where you actually have turned lives of few destitutes to good BUT you have introduced considerable societal imbalance.
Just to make up an hypothetical example: Suppose the number of ladies entering into this (as a profession (part-time) for easy money) increase a lot. How would that correlate to divorce rate? (I am not sure if there is any correlation but what if it actually does have some positive correlation?). How would that correlate to suicides (of those same females as a result of their frustrations accumualted over time for an act they did by chocie!)?

 

[kapdal]

am not so sure here.

it must be something like this :
dZ (change in number of prostitutes after legalisation) = adX (change due to new entrants) - bdY (change due to out goers).

You only touched the out goers based on choice , I am not sure if new entrants component is empty if things are legalised. The rampant business of young girls / college students entering this field for some fast and extra money might take a toll and bloom further ( as now the girls/ladies would not fear being caught and tortured by police /media on their acts), No?

Anil, not sure if you have gone through all the posts. But the "change due to new entrants" part of your equation has been discussed in detail.

First and foremost, legalising has to be understood in context. It doesn't mean that the govt. would now open colleges for teaching prostitution and subsidies would be given to the industry. Why should females feel incentivized to become prostitutes just because it is legal? That is like saying that there are several females who would be happy to become prostitutes, but don't do it because of the law. If that is where our society is- then it is already in deep sh*t out of which there is no escape route. I don't think that is the case. Legalisation doesn't make the industry honorable in front of the society. And prostitutes by choice, anyways, are not deterred by the law in most cases. In the same way as people don't stop taking dowry just because there is a law against it.

Legalisation here is akin to regulation. Saying that OK, let's accept it happens in this area, but it should happen ONLY in this area and not in a residential area (All culture-vultures should be happy from this). That NO ONE below a certain age can be forced into it, etc. etc. Plus, once you accept the reality that it exists, you can take various social upliftment steps, including but not limited to- health (prevent spread of AIDS and STDs), education (to prostitutes' kids thus giving them career alternatives), etc. Plus, you take some burden off an over-worked police force, who feel compelled to harass prostitutes sufficiently enough to have a regular income stream from them. I mean, comeon!! Should THIS be the priority of a police force, while terrorism, murders, rapes, burgleries, etc. are on the up swing? And finally, you provide some basic human rights to some humans (chest-beating dogmatic people may ignore this final point; but can still consider the rest).

And then, run a counterfactual as well. What if you NOT legalise? Do you stop/restrict prostitution? Nopes. Everyone takes a big yawn (we couldn't care less, it doesn't affect us) and status quo continues.

 

[anilsinghd]

Replies in between.

Anil, not sure if you have gone through all the posts. But the "change due to new entrants" part of your equation has been discussed in detail.

I am sure I did , might not be 100% attentive to every word but i did.


First and foremost, legalising has to be understood in context. It doesn't mean that the govt. would now open colleges for teaching prostitution and subsidies would be given to the industry.

Understood. You think I am that naive?

Why should females feel incentivized to become prostitutes just because it is legal? That is like saying that there are several females who would be happy to become prostitutes, but don't do it because of the law. If that is where our society is- then it is already in deep sh*t out of which there is no escape route. I don't think that is the case.

Okie , so you got me by neck in trying to think of the other side. I am/was not saying incentivized or that females are eager etc. What I say that it will take out the fear factor, no? The risk/reward(am confused to use this word , don't kill me please if you think it's out of context!) relationship will be skewed , no? And that is also true for males. Knowing they cannot be put to jail or caught by police etc , think the animal instincts will take over , no? Agreed with you and you know I am a fan of axiom of choice , but just the case of whether you want to give that choice to people at all or not? Again I am not proposing this set is/will be huge/big , just thought to bring that up for everyone to notice.

Legalisation doesn't make the industry honorable in front of the society. And prostitutes by choice, anyways, are not deterred by the law in most cases. In the same way as people don't stop taking dowry just because there is a law against it.

Agreed completely.

Legalisation here is akin to regulation. Saying that OK, let's accept it happens in this area, but it should happen ONLY in this area and not in a residential area (All culture-vultures should be happy from this). That NO ONE below a certain age can be forced into it, etc. etc. Plus, once you accept the reality that it exists, you can take various social upliftment steps, including but not limited to- health (prevent spread of AIDS and STDs), education (to prostitutes' kids thus giving them career alternatives), etc. Plus, you take some burden off an over-worked police force, who feel compelled to harass prostitutes sufficiently enough to have a regular income stream from them.

You think the police would stop harassing the prostitutes , would they accept the fact that there's no income coming from that area? My take is that they will still do it and with priority.

I mean, comeon!! Should THIS be the priority of a police force, while terrorism, murders, rapes, burgleries, etc. are on the up swing? And finally, you provide some basic human rights to some humans (chest-beating dogmatic people may ignore this final point; but can still consider the rest).


You can still do that , no? anybody who is willing to be out of it , should be out anyways! Children are children after all, legalisation or NOT, no?

And then, run a counterfactual as well. What if you NOT legalise? Do you stop/restrict prostitution? Nopes. Everyone takes a big yawn (we couldn't care less, it doesn't affect us) and status quo continues.

After presenting that other side and being slightly confused on what would fare well , I would still stand by my Axiom of Choice philosophy , so if you ask me to vote , i would say Yes please , go ahead and legalise/regulate.


Hope that helps.