RED RIBBON DAY...............
During the Mughal empire rule, just beyond the Mughal Sarai-the resting place for caravan travellers[which now houses the SMC offices], there came up an area known as the variyavi bazaar. This area was inhabited by women who ran one of the oldest professions in history, that of courtesans. One of them was a beautiful mistress of the nagarseth, called Suraj; many historians believe that Surat was initially named Suraj after her.
Down the ages, this place thrived on local customers. Over the years, women from different parts of the country and Nepal were brought in here. This area was actually the only officially known red light area of Gujarat. In 1967, a social worker named Leelaben Parekh surveyed this godforsaken place only to find that the maximum idols and photographs of God that she had ever seen in town were actually here! Incense sticks regularly spread aroma within the claustrophobic corridors where no beggar went by hungry and children were educated in the best schooling options available in the area. Leelaben sent her reports to Ahmedabad after which the state government and NGOs regularly set up awareness programmes for this section of women to help them with their health problems.
In the year 2003, the commercial sex workers were driven out of this area by the landlords of variyavi bazaar and an era of the chakla bazaar came to an end. Since rehabilitation for these women was not arranged for, the only aspect of their profession that changed was the geography .To top that, now their section was no more an 'organised 'one nor an official one, so, educating them about health awareness was out of the question.
Our city thrives on the migrant population who work as hired help for Surti Lalas be it in the trade of Textile at Pandesara, Diamonds at Varaccha, Labourers at Hazira.A large scale of this segment is involved in proliferation of premarital promiscuity, multiple sexual partnership with commercial sex workers and high homosexuality .Needless to say it more often than not makes them vulnerable to getting infected with STD.These migrants unknowingly spread the infection to their families as well.
While most countries and cities have film stars, models or religious leaders helping in the cause of health awareness, there are still a few words in Tapi town that often are either taboo or carry a sort of social stigma. One of them is AIDS, acquired immuno deficiency syndrome. Like science teachers in our school days, who would ask us to self study the chapters on the human reproductive system since they were too embarrassed to teach or talk about the same, many Surtis often refrain from discussing about this life threatening fact of life that our generation and the future ones need to be aware of . Surtis often feel that this issue does not concern them.
Health education for our labour clan is as equally important as educating our children. Various NGOs and government programmes run education on AIDS awareness for school children and a certain segment of the migrants, but, most of the workers resort to treatment of illness from various quacks around town which often puts their lives at risk.
While we practice utmost caution for our lives, often the ones who toil for us, fall easy prey due to lack of knowledge. It is one thing to be aware; another to show that you care, because as we all know, in the case of AIDS, prevention is the only option since there is no cure.
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What will the U.S. visa granted to our called-Modi-fied visa!