Ritwika Mitra By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a bid to map the prevalence of caste-based commercial sexual exploitation of minors, NGO Jan Sahas has launched a survey to identify communities where children have historically faced such exploitation. Stigmatised for the caste-based exploitation, the communities seek alternative livelihood opportunities. The NGO found several such cases during the recent Dignity March, wherein thousands of women marched for 10,000 kilometres across 21 states and three Union Territories to protest against the sexual violence they have faced.

Earlier, the NGO had conducted a survey across 21 districts in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The current survey aims to collect data on the pan-India level through field research and engagement with the communities engaged in caste-based sex work.

The survey aims to identify districts across states where the practice is prevalent, and the communities engaged in it, and develop a set of recommendations depending on the findings. The focus states for the field research are Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

“Currently, there is no dialogue on this issue and no organised data or information around this caste-based practice. Children from several communities, including denotified and nomadic, are pushed into this exploitation. These are cases of invisible rape. It is important to bring these categories of unrecognised rape and serial rape into the discourse on sexual violence,” said Ashif Shaikh, founder, Jan Sahas.

Major problems faced by the minors

Denial of freedom to girls who do not want to engage in intergenerational sex work

Modern-day slavery prevalent, with girls being sold off on an hourly basis

Missing girls—Girls from the communities being trafficked

Poor literacy rate, with girls not enrolled in school and often pulled out of school

Minors are stigmatised when they try to withdraw themselves from this practice and look for other livelihood opportunities, and they are forced to go back to sex work