By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 20: Sex workers in Shillong have been raising the demand for decriminalisation of their work in the state and for a prolonged time their clamouring has been falling on deaf ears.
So far, a detailed discussion on this issue was only taken up once at the government’s level during a session of the Meghalaya Assembly and apparently there is not any for-or-against argument on this from the political fronts too.
The women’s wing of the United Democratic Party (UDP) seems betwixt and between — neither to come out openly in support nor be against the sex workers in their demand.
The UDP women’s wing president, Pretty Kharpyngrope, on Monday said that it is difficult for a political party to come out openly in their support or to be against them since it is not ‘viable’.
The response comes on the sidelines of the party women’s wing meeting on Monday, which discussed issues including Inner Line Permit (ILP), border issue, inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule, railway line and age relaxation, et al.
During the briefing, Kharpyngrope was asked questions with regard to pertinent issues like the sex workers’ issues, which are not discussed.
Responding to the questions, she said that individually, they are involved in many issues but at the level of a political party, it is difficult for them to come out and speak for or against them.
“Yes, individually we have got our own groups where we are working together,” mentioned Kharpyngrope.
Earlier this year, the Meghalaya Assembly witnessed a question hour on whether Khyndai Lad had become a pick-up point for sex workers.
The question was raised by North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum on the floor of the house, who had demanded of the government to look into the issue.
However, the Minister in charge of Home (Police), Lahkmen Rymbui, denied the claims that Khyndai Lad was a pick-up point for sex workers, while adding that it was instead a pickup point for passengers.
