Welcome Guest, 21 November 2009
merinews Web
 
 
 
  Should prostitution be legalised in India?
Share this debate
 
The rights of sex workers have always been a contentious debate all over the world. There is no specific law to regulate prostitution or ban it altogether. The bill to amend the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act was moved in 2006 by the ministry of women and child development headed by Renuka Chowdhury. Now the government of India has proposed a new law, under which (i) soliciting will no longer be a crime, (ii) there will be no eviction of sex workers, (iii) clients of sex workers could land in jail and face penalty of upto Rs 50,000, (iv) living off earnings of sex workers is illegal, (v) anybody who rents place to sex workers will be arrested and will be penalised for Rs 10,000. The proposed bill will be taken up in the next session of the Parliament. Meanwhile, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has criticised the amendment saying that the Centre's plan to penalise the sex workers' clients as a move to curb the prostitution would in no way help, but would only push it underground. The current law penalises the sex workers as an offender (and not her clients) who is a victim herself. In our country, nearly 80 per cent of prostitutes are in such profession mainly due to poverty, tricked by someone close to them, trafficking, etc. There has been a great emphasis on decriminalising prostitution. In a country where 'sex' is highly stigmatised, should prostitution be legalised?
 
 
  Citizen Journalists? reportings on this issue
 
 
Post your opinion New user? Register now
 
 Verify Image:
 Verify Code:
 Name:
 Email:
   Agree  Disagree
 Reviews:
     
 
Agree- 18 Disagree-10
   
should not be legalised because it puts mostly women at the highest risk.
isenyu harriet : Nov 05, 2009
yes it should be legalized , because it not new for , sex work is from the ancient time. If we legalized sex work then at least government and non government can do advocacy and government make some provision for sex workers. So it should definitely be legalized .
pranaw : Jun 21, 2009
i am not in support of this proposed legislation nor the existing one. Why is a sex worker punished for?? Tat is a profession like any other professions probably her only means to earn her livelihood. No women goes to the flesh trade on her own we should consider the situation for which she is into it rather than punishing a sex worker that will not solve the problem.
hasnuhena arif : Apr 17, 2009
Women who offer sexual services for a fee we label them as prostitutes . But , about those women who practice prostitution under the veil of their decent jobs . What about those women who entertain people by exhibiting their privates parts and indulge in Mass Prostitution.
Santokh Singh Saggu : Apr 16, 2009
i think it will be a good move if prostitution is legalised in india as it will lessen the no. of rapes, sexually transmitted diseases in the country. we all know where these in activities goes in our city like in delhi gb road, in mumbai bhindibazaar etc. if it will be legalised then the development of these areas will be possible as gb road in delhi is wholesale market but the situation there is ertic
vipul : Apr 15, 2009
as it a means to earn for many and a recreational activy for all servicemen who are far from their home. it can reduce thr sex scandal and help in minimising ther rape case as well
sandeep : Feb 03, 2009
what sholud widows and single living men should do. is corect that leting them to go over on rapes.....esepecially over cousin sisters, daugter in-laws grand daughter,,,the persons who r not agreing of licence ...plz answer my que. n gve vote.......
gani : Dec 10, 2008
I agree that prostitution be legalised. perhaps prostitution is the oldest trade in this civilised world. When it has been there since long ago, why can't we be bold enough even today, to say yes to prostitution officially. The time has come to be honest atleast to ourselves. If we do not legalise prostitution it will make the situation more worse. If it becomes official one can keep controll and monitor its activities.
Rajib Luchan Gogoi : Dec 02, 2008
s,, i agreee for legalisation of prostitution, in country especially like the developing country india.. i mean it is not the qulification for the big country...c as our country is having a great culture,,, s its fact but rapes and crimes are not our customs this should be clearified. today unfortunely we came to c the rape aginst a sister, or daugter in law.. or a grand father over his grand daughter... how our culture will acsept these kind of aspects...
ganesh : Nov 23, 2008
yessssssssssss
arun : Oct 15, 2008
Yes Prostitution and Gay Communities should be legalised and allowed to live and coexist in our nation. This open us a new dimension and will cause a paradigm shift in our lives we live, Rape and other women related crimes will drastically reduce. Second AIDS and other sexual related diseases can be counter checked and stopped at the entry level. We Indians are so much bogged down to our traditional culture without even realising that our future generations have forgotten our culture and have adopted westernisation and broad and opne minded thinking. Traditional Culture is nowadays like a monumental relic to be kept in the museums of today. Every individual Indian lives by his counscience and inner soul. Who also know what is good and bad and how to live one's life in this fast changing world. By legalising all such once consider evil elements you are actually eliminated the evil it contains and spreads from within. EU has experienced a variety of such problematic path where today they are focussing on new laws to protect animals and pets. Where as we are still debating about prostitution which is rooted centuries old in our history to preserve our culture..
Jason Bourne : Sep 29, 2008
Yes Prostitution should be legalised in india. but with a some rules and regulations. There are so many advantages. These are: 1) It may be big stop for HIV. As every one knows HIV spreads with a un safe sex. 2) The Rate of Rape cases could be reduced. 3) This Act is big support for those girls who want to earn money and sex both As Sex is not only need of man the same is also applicable to woman also. 4) If the Govt issues licence for it and make a seperate area of it. then It will be seperation of totaly diff environment. 5) People those are disagree with me with a reason of Indian Culture. I want to memorize few things like It is part of Indian culture like Ajanta, Alora caves and the old prostitution hubs like SonaGhajhi, GB road etc...... These are established by old Kings and always been a part of indian Culture. These are so old and well seperated with our civilized community. Thanks
Kundan : Sep 21, 2008
prostitution is a major desease in our society like cancer .prostitution is increasing AIDS secopnd by second.this is nbot acultural part of our nation ,so that it should be declaired legal.
guman : Aug 14, 2008
ANAND : Aug 14, 2008
lEGALISATION WILL HELP CREATING A CHECK POINT WHEREIN AIDS OR ANY OTHER DISEASE CAN MONITORES AND CONTROLLED. AND THIS WOULD ALSO HELP IN CURBING MENACE OF KIDNAPPED GIRLS PUSHED INTO PROSTITUTION. IT IS A SHAME ON SOCIETY BUT AS LONG AS THE M/F GENDERS EXIST PROSTITUTION WOULD EXIST. ITS FOR THE GOOD OF THE SOCIETY THAT PROSTITUTION SHOULD BE LEGALISED IN INDIA.
JK : Aug 12, 2008
If legalising is going to GUARANTEE the prostitutes a great standard of living mainly from health view point, there is nothing wrong on it. Otherwise, every effort should be made to make them disease from from all aspects.
K Singh : Aug 11, 2008
yes
nicolas : Aug 07, 2008
prostitution is something that has always been thr...since the existence of civilisation. it cannot be done away with completely in any case so i think it shud be legalised, yes thrz always a chnace that some percentage of ppl get forced into prostituion and are not voluntary takers for it. this is a catch that mus be sought after too, else for someone who thinks it yiels them better money than what they cud otherwise , the decision shud be left on them only. theres nothing illegal in pursuing a profession that earbns u bread and u aint harming anyone outa it.
priyanka : Aug 06, 2008
not bout our culture but experiments of legalising it in oder countries lyk NZ, AUS, NED have shown sex workers are more tortured after legalisation. as competetion grows, women are made to do things that they don't like and refuse now. experience shows that even after legal status, illegal or unregistered street prostitution keep on mishrooming up. rather SWEDISH model of punishing heavily even those who make sex with prostiutes forced have done better.
Visharad Saxena : Jun 28, 2009
legalising the "prostitution" would affect our rich heritage culture .....social life will be destroyed....it can't be said that "prostitution" is because of poverty .... it is not alone source of income .....govt is working on various employment programe in india & legalising sex will affect the status of women in society.....postion in society detroited.........JUST There is need to educate the masses about our rich heritage culture...values
Bhupinder : Mar 06, 2009
In India where sex ratio of girl is very low, if prostitution gets legel then a big problem may arise. NO parent would want to have a girl. because before giving brith of girl child they will difinetly think that "what happen if girl get out of control after 18. Because illegal sex is still stigma in the indian society.
Madhurendra kumar : Feb 14, 2009
Of course not, the government should concentrate on creating alternate employment for sex workers. This will make everyone happy in the end. A ban on prostitution does not change their plight, instead, the problem should be treated as a whole and the sex workers should be rehabilitated and provided with new employment opportunities. I know this is difficult given the numbers but we can start now. And saying that its ok for prostitution to exist because rape and incest are prevalent is to turn a blind eye to the whole issue. We've got to start somewhere to eradicate these sickening 'diseases' of the society. This has got nothing to do with Indian culture or Western culture. Whichever culture, American or that of Ajanta-Ellora, the thought of 'sex for money' is SICK!
Sapna : Dec 07, 2008
no of course not,i f u legalize where our culture goes?already india is fast becoming an americanot techonologically though but our cultre is getting getting destroyed just like americans who have no cultre & are destroying pure cultures of india ,china .japan's culture they have already destroyed ,are u not proud of indian cultre/why do we have to ape the west everytime!
neel : Aug 29, 2008
Legalizing prostitution will erode the moral and cultural fabric of India for which India is renowned all over the world. Also, legalizing prostitution will make more people stay unmarried, as they can get sex for money!
P. Mohan Chandran : Aug 13, 2008
Prostitution is a shame for any society..but its unfortunate we can't eliminate this completely. we should not justify these just because we want pleasure. we have to change our mindset..
saswath : Aug 11, 2008
As it will increase the rate of AIDS
Meenakshi Wali : Aug 11, 2008
Prostitution should not legalised. It will spread so many deaseas .
sailendra : Aug 11, 2008
I don't thing it will bring about any change in the plight of the sex workers.Instead of legalising prostitution,the government should work towards providing a better life to the workers.
archita : Aug 09, 2008
 
 
  Other debates
1. Should Dhoni bat up the order in the ongoing series against Australia?
2. Do you think that Team India will be able to win the series against Sri Lanka?
3. Do you think India should take a more aggressive stance against China ?
4. Do you think President Barack Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize 2009?
5. Do you think the Bollywood stars will soon takeover and dominate the small screen?
6. Should India adopt for ASEAN FTA?
7. Has Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost his midas touch ?
8. In view of the security concerns, do you think the identity of Rukhsana should have been kept a secret?
9. Do you think the government should invoke ESMA and ask the pilots to resume work?
10. Do you think Team India can bring home the Champions Trophy?
11. Do you think Rajnikanths and Kamal Hassans are better than Bachchans and Khans?
12. Would a take over by RSS, pull BJP out of the crisis?
13. Is it right for the BJP to punish Jaswant Singh so harshly despite his long association with the party?
14. Do you think government should have handled the Swine Flu pandemic in a better manner?
15. Do you think India should reject the Indo-Pakistan joint statement and dump it?
16. Do you think Omar Abdullah made the right decision by resigning?
17. Would 'transboundary water' sharing improve water crisis conditions?
18. Do you think absolute ban on ragging spoils the fun of senior-fuchcha relationship?
19. Do you think Kambli's allegations against Sachin are a mere publicity stunt?
20. Do you think that a nautanki queen like Rakhi Sawant, should be given such big chance on a national TV to perform Swayamvar?
21. Will this budget bail India out of economic slowdown?
22. Is it wrong for union railway ministers to be biased to their home states?
23. Do you think Roger Federer will win the Wimbledon title once again?
24. Is Shiney Ahuja innocent and being framed up?
25. Is Dhoni responsible for India's exit from T20 world cup?
26. Will Dhoni-Sehwag controversy affect Team India's performance?
27. Will Pakistan be able to defeat minnows Netherlands in T20 world cup match?
28. Are environmental treaties really adding to the cause ?
29. Will India retain T20 world cup?
30. Are attacks on Indian students Racial?
31. Do girls outshine boys in board examinations?
32. Do you think that the DMK has let down the UPA before the swearing in ceremony?
33. Should Congress forgive Lalu Prasad Yadav?
34. Should we return to the old days of joint family system?
35. Should Buchanan be sacked and Ganguly be made the captain of KKR?
36. Is the press really free?
37. Should the electorate be allowed to exercise their right to reject option?
38. How safe are the IPL 2009 cricket matches in India?
39. Are actors good politicians?
40. Should the BJP and Congress come together?
41. Is Varun Gandhi being punished harshly by the UP government?
42. Is Pakistan a failed state?
43. What will Obama’s outsourcing policy for India trigger, depression during recession?
44. Slumdog portrays India's grim reality
45. Will LK Advani be the next prime minister of India?
46. India shamed by attack on women in Mangalore
47. Satyam fiasco has tarnished India's corporate image beyond repair
48. Rapist should be given death sentence
49. Live-in relationships are here to stay
50. Banish irresponsible politicians from body polity
51. Mumbai terror calls for a complete overhaul of the system
52. Mumbai attack was intelligence failure
53. Michael Jackson's change of faith is change of heart
54. Obama presidency is good for India
55. Should Raj be allowed to fan hate politics for his gain?
56. Should Bajrang Dal be banned?
57. Is India pursuing correct strategies to combat terrorism?
58. Is it worth spending billions of dollar on Large Hadron Collider project while millions of people are dying due to hunger and poverty?
59. Do you think that the exclusion of Sourav Ganguly from the Irani Cup squad was fair?
60. Are teachers getting their due?
61. Should India have stringent anti-terrorism law?
62. Why can't India match China in medal tally?
63. Mayawati: The next PM?
64. Do you think that the media is being fair on Aarushi murder trial?
65. Do the world communities need to take suicide terrorism more seriously?
66. Should the archaic anti-gay law be abolished?
67. Do you think that the creation of a separate state would justify the Gurkha issue?
68. What has caused the global food crisis 2008: Biofuels or overpopulation?
69. Do you think the Congress would be voted back to power in the next Lok Sabha elections?
70. Do you think Dr Rajesh Talwar killed Aarushi (on whom he doted) and Hemraj?
71. Is Karnataka heading towards a hung assembly?
72. In the wake of the recent Jaipur blasts, do you think the Indian government is taking a soft stance on terrorism?
73. What should be the legal age for drinking alcohol: 25, 21 or 18?
74. IPL: Is it glitz and glamour sans the glory of cricket?
75. Do you think that Indian democracy is being taken over by Gandhi legacy?
76. Will the raise in the scholarship corpus at IIM-A see an increase in the uptake of poor students?
77. In the wake of Tibetan crisis should Dalai Lama quit?
78. Should India follow suite and hang Mohammad Afzal?
79. Will Goa be able to retain its past paradisiacal glory despite recent developments?
80. Is it appropriate for Sachin to be always under pressure to perform?
81. Will the IPL cricket bid outcome relegate other sports into oblivion?
82. Post elections, will democracy be effectively restored in Pakistan?
83. Should Naxalites be included in the restoration of peace in Orissa?
84. Should Raj Thackeray be held solely responsible for creating chaos in Maharashtra?
85. Should Sania Mirza bow to popular will and play at the Bangalore Open?
86. Is Nano a small car with big dream?
87. Should ICC suspend the umpires for their wrong decisions?
88. Did Narendra Modi make the right moves?
89. Indian government should give refuge to Taslima
90. Did Rizwanur commit suicide?
91. Diwali vs pollution: Would you burst firecrackers regardless?
92. Can we prevent terror attacks?
93. Is it possible to give equal treatment / support to all games?
94. Do you think there should be stricter laws for ragging and crime against students?
95. Do you think that stage performance is more important rather then 'good singing'
96. Is India all set to capture the space satellite market?
97. Are Hyderabad serial blasts the failure of the Intelligence and the security agencies?
98. Will the UPA government fall in the wake of the recent Indo-US nuke deal controversy?
99. Should the Supreme Court grant bail to Sanjay Dutt?
100. How practical is Renuka Chowdhury’s statement on “Women must not trust their men”?
101. Mumbai blast sentencing: Is justice delayed justice denied?
102. Do you think that talent hunt through sms voting is right?
103. Are UK terror attacks a warning sign for Gordon Brown?
104. Should Pratibha Patil be the next President of India?
105. Who is the emperor today, Rajni or Big B?
106. Do you think orkut should be banned?
107. Should the government impose a ban on sting operations?
108. Do you think interactive chat sites fuel crime?
109. Are the developing countries responsible for global warming?
110. Will Mayawati prove to be a good CM of Uttar Pradesh?
111. Do you think the 9.2 per cent economic growth of the country benefits the common man?
112. Should Indian public get the right to choose its President?
113. Is Narayana Murthy better suited to be President compared to Big B?
114. TV journalists are debasing journalism
115. Was Woolmer’s death ordered by Dawood?
116. Should BCCI ban cricketers from engaging in endorsements?
117. The Indian cricket team is balanced.
118. Time to stop politicians in their money track
119. Money matters more to cricketers than cricket
120. Big B was a better Crorepati host than Shahrukh
121. No Mumbai, no Mahrashtra, Thackrey’s prime concern is poll
122. Shilpa will gladly carry on in the racial 'kitchen'
123. Nithari chiller: Only partial truth has come to light
124. Saddam's trial is a mockery of justice
125. Wal-Mart hijacks the livelihood of small and medium retailers.
126. It is fair to remake Bollywood classics like Don, Umrao Jaan, Sholay and Guide as per modern tastes.
127. SA drubbing – Chappell must go
128. It is the government, not the Supreme Court, to blame for the sealing mess.
129. Mohammad Afzal Guru should be hanged
130. Is Vande Mataram struggling to retain its existence?
131. India should recommend the dissolution of NAM.
 
 
 What is merinews
  Participatory Platform for Citizen Journalist to share News.
  Only Indian website to be on the 'Official Honoree' list of Webby Awards in 2007.
 
 Register with merinews
 
 
 
  Home I World I India I Sports I Business I Technology I Entertainment I Lifestyle I Potpourri I Reviews I Press Releases I Interviews I Merinews Photos I Merinews Special I Clog I Humour
About us   I   Advertise with us   I   Privacy Policy   I   Disclaimer   I   Feedback   I   Terms of Service   I   Contact Us   I   Webmaster   I   Toolbar   I   Resources   I   Widget   I   FAQ   I   RSS   I   Add to Google Toolbar