‘Govts come and go, parties change — our lives remain stagnant’: Sex workers at Delhi’s GB Road

What bash they deliberation astir the February 5 polls? One of the women says elections don’t mean overmuch to them. “Governments travel and go… governmental parties change… Our lives stay stagnant… Everybody knows we exist. We’ve been present since British times. But for them… we’re ever invisible.”

She says determination are astir 1,200 votes of enactment workers. “Nobody has travel to run here. They (people campaigning) walk by astir each day, but they don’t privation to halt here. They don’t privation to spot the mode we are living.”

Inside 1 of the buildings, 2 women are engaged prepping luncheon — 1 of them is shelling peas portion the different is chopping ail and onions. A 3rd pistillate is washing her clothes. They are successful their aboriginal 40s.

When asked what they expect from the government, 1 of them says, “My daughters, aged 26 and 22, are reaching an property wherein I request to get them married. I can’t support connected doing this but what is the rehabilitation process? Has the authorities ever thought if they privation to springiness america a amended life?” The woman, who hails from Dadar successful Mumbai, was brought to GB Road by her hubby who sold her and left.

Outside the lane from kotha fig 52 to 59 sits Farah, who came from West Bengal. She has 2 sons and a daughter. While her girl lives successful the colony on with her grandmother, the sons enactment astatine a paying impermanent accommodation adjacent to Kalkaji.

She says, “We get h2o and energy proviso owing to the government, but everyone needs a beingness aft this… everyone knows what happens here, it’s nary secret, past wherefore not recognise us?”

Most workers The Indian Express spoke to said they ballot for AAP, others said they travel the footsteps of their families and ballot for BJP and Congress.

Nirmala, who hails from Nepal and has been moving for implicit 15 years, says she was joined to a antheral successful Rajasthan and has 4 children. “Politicians walk by but ne'er travel up oregon inquire america our problems…,” she fumes.

Sitting MLA, AAP’s Shoaib Iqbal, who has won the spot six times opening successful 1993, admits to The Indian Express that he’s ne'er gone determination “but we bash nonstop our volunteers to archer them which fastener to property and vote.” His son, Aaley Iqbal, is contesting this year.

Shoaib adds that his interest was besides however the absorption would overgarment him if helium went determination oregon took pictures and utilized them against him. “I privation to and volition decidedly bash thing for their rehabilitation.”

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd