NEW DELHI: A doctor in Subhash Nagar who refuses to be identified, claims that some time back, five ‘women from Tilak Vihar, (the place became infamous after several victims of the 1984 riots settled there and turned to prostitution) were found to be HIV positive, However, a regular client from Subhash Nagar forced these women to leave the area. Where they have gone is still a mystery. Says the doctor. With the woman virtually, at loose there is no telling how far the disease is likely to have spread, he added.
The story of Tilak Vihar is a pointer to the Government’s failures to rehabilitate victims of the riots. A majority of the young widows in the Tilak Vihar area, who have no male member in their family to support them, have reportedly resorted to selling their bodies to make ends meet. Incidentally, Tilak Vihar is very different from its counterpart, G.B, Road. “Iris almost like vising any middleclass locality. It is only when you slay ‘ob Ul evening that things become obvious, A woman may approach you to get you a girl of your choice,” says Jagtara, a resident of Vishnu Garden who himself acts as. 2 go-between.
It was in the aftermath of the 1984 communal riots that a colony was established here primarily to rehabilitate the riot victims. Affected Sikh families from Trilok Puri, Mangol rae ae Puri, Nand Nagri and of Delhi were, are in the collective of some Sikh organizations which mounted pressure on the then Rajiv regime to provide permanent accommodation for the not victims.
Interestingly, no political leader of social worker is aware of the present happen in, is who were closely rehabilitation process are unaware of any illegal practice. However, an informal conversation with the youth in the nearby areas like Tilak Nagar, Subhash Nagar, Raghbir Nagar and Uttam Nagar reveals the extent of this practice.
Gurcharan Narula, who has been as the area to get customers for willing women, says he rarely encounters interference, In fact, he believes that the police themselves have been coming there under cover of darkness, “Get them a good girl and it’s enough,” he says in chaste Punjabi. Same women who hesitate to invite customers to the area are believed to be entertaining their customers in Janata Colony and Vidhawa. Coley a Raghubir Nagar.
Beside the “124/72 art nee is place is popularly called), there is another haunt near Raghubir Nagar where, not very long ago, clients could manage a girl just forRs20.“Now, some of those women have taken shelter in Tilak Vihar, but their shady deals still continue,” says 3 72yearold resident of Raghubir Nagar.
On being asked why most of the women patients opt for his clinic and not the medical centers which are close to Tilak Vihar, he explains that such women want to avoid getting identified by visiting doctors staying close to the area and that the doctors, took are unwilling to treat such women for fear of adverse repercussions.
Delhi’s Finance Minister Professor Jagdish Nukhi admits that there are such going son. “Most of the people in Tilak Vihar are living a hellish existence which forces some of them to resort to such illegal practices,” he says.
President of the Sikh Forum Major General (retd) J.S. Arora suspects police involvement in the matter, “My feeling is that police officials of the area are handing love with certain ‘antisocial’ elements in encouraging this cbnoxious trade,” he says.
“No minister or political leader has ever paid a visit to the area in recent times to hear the grievance of the victims. Only former Prime Minister V.P, Singh visited this area once. But that was of1no importance as no action followed,” he says, He alleges that, the residents of Tilak Vihar are being harassed to ray hefty amounts or else vacate the noises given to them, “Where can the widows got the money?” he questions.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1996
