Stage set for Sex Industry to Flourish during Common Wealth Games, New Delhi

Logo for Common Wealth Games -2010

 Article first published as Stage set for Sex Tourism to Flourish during Common Wealth Games, New Delhi on Technorati.

It has become an open secret that various international sporting events are best opportunities for sex industry run by mafias across the world. Since the fall of so called ‘socialist’ USSR and its disintegration, Russian mafia acquired prominence in world mafia. It is no wonder that the sex industry, one of the core businesses of the mafia kingdoms is also dominated by the Russian mafia.

Since 1990s when USSR collapsed, their economies have suffered death blows. Armed coups, rebellions of nationalities, mass movements and mass sufferings have become the order of the day. No country of erstwhile Soviet Union is yet stabilized and hence the destabilization of people’s lives. Hunger, unemployment, poverty all such evils pushed them to succumb to flesh trade, human trafficking under unruly mafia gangs. ‘Indian Association of Tour Operators’ has disclosed in July that sex workers mostly may come from countries like Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Chechnya and Kyrgyzstan besides others to cash in CWG. It doesn’t mean that western advanced countries do not offer such services. Actually they are costly in this trade.

The Indian government has announced ‘code of ethics’ to curb sex tourism during Common Wealth Games. It has even sought the assistance of PATA, UNODC and NGOs like ‘Save the Children’ long back in July. ‘Apne Aap Women Worldwide’ has made an open appeal to the president of India “not to let the sex
industry turn the CWG into a pimping opportunity,” in August second week. It is really pathetic though coincidence that right at the time of CWG event, Indian state, the ruling Congress Party, the parliament and the opposition in the parliament are led by the high profiled women.

Ministry of Tourism is more worried about disturbance of social fabric of the country than the flesh trade and sex tourism. Apart from 100 above brothels in New Delhi it is suspected that girls may be brought from West Bengal and southern states of India. Because tribal girls from these states are most vulnerable due to their poverty, for easy grab.

Sex tourism is carried mostly under the garb of escort services. It is reported that already hundreds if not thousands of agents of escort services have occupied their respective positions in the national capital. These agents are said to carry girls with them from tens to hundreds. They will be dumped by the time of opening of games festival under the veil of tourists. Everything appears normal but govt. cannot stop tourists from attending commonwealth games. Police cannot arrest tourists only under suspicion. Law enforcers cannot raid star hotels or even moderate cost hotels when the games festival is on full swing. So everything goes normal.

What government certainly can do is supplying free condoms at all venues of games and rest houses so as to avoid AIDS infection. Even China could do nothing but supply condoms during Olympics. Several hundreds of thousands of condoms are said to be consumed during Beijing Olympics.

‘Mail Today’ reported that escort services are busy with commissions and calculations. Flesh traders are dreaming dollars already with escorting girls or women resting around them. Escort services will be available round the clock for two weeks of CWG. British women are said to be expensive among foreigners. An Indian broker is quoted as saying “the net is spread far and wide. High-class escorts from London cost about 7 lakh while those from Spanish-speaking countries charge around 6 lakh. Turkish escorts are relatively cheaper at about 2 lakh.” According to a Russian women broker, women from erstwhile USSR charge between Rs. 1 and 2 lakhs. About 40 to 50 percent goes to brokers and operators the rest remains with the women according to the report.