Wednesday, December 16, 2009

BBC News - Indian sect members vow to marry sex workers

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    DSS volunteers
    • More than 1,000 followers of a multi-religious sect in northern India have pledged to marry female sex workers who want to escape exploitation.

      Young Hindu, Muslim and Sikh men have been queuing up at the Dera Sacha Sauda (Abode of the Real Deal) in the town of Sirsa as "wedding volunteers".

      They say they are doing so to stop the women from being exploited in brothels.

      They also claim that their move is part of a campaign to stop the spread of the HIV/Aids virus.

    • Business graduate Ashish Sachdeva, 22, is in the garments trade in the town of Sirsa. He believes that marrying a sex worker could be his chance to repay his debt to humanity and society.

      "I am very well settled and it will be the greatest honour for me to respond to Guru-ji's call."

      Nearly 100 young sex workers have contacted the DSS - from Calcutta's Shonagachi red light district to brothels in Delhi and Mumbai.

      "This will have to be a slow and delicately handled process," Dr Insan said.


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