PROJECT AASARA
#Winner of 2006 Intrnational Civil Rights Award & IACP/ Motorola Webber Seavey award of International Association of Chief of Police,USA
Internal trafficking of women, men and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, bonded labor and indentured servitude is widespread in the country. Numerous studies show that the vast majority of females in the Indian commercial sex industry were originally trafficked and were then forced into the sex trade.
Andhra Pradesh is the 5th largest state of India with a literacy rate of 61%. It is one of the pioneering states to introduce economic reforms and adopt policies of economic liberalization. The trafficking, sale and prostitution of girl children have become major problems. Women and girls are also trafficked from these areas to Mumbai, Kolkota, Goa, Chennai, Orissa and other districts of the state for prostitution, Marriage and cheap Labour.
The temple town Yadagirigutta in Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh with its holy surroundings is a place of prominent pilgrimage where thousands of people visit with pious feelings to offer their prayers and receive blessings of God. It was very painful to note that this pious atmosphere is spoiled and feelings of pilgrims are vitiated due to organized prostitution practiced by the people of Dommara community. Almost insulated from the outside world at social levels, they seem to perceive the world as a place where the women are meant to sell their bodies to make a living and men, to earn money by procuring clients for the women in their families. Dommara prostitutes, also called as 'Venkatasanis' are spread over the tribal region of the Telengana Districts (Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar and Nalgonda) in Andhra Pradesh.
Normally, a Dommara woman has an average of 4-5 children regardless of her marital status. The girls attaining puberty cannot evade the evil eyes of the customers who visit their mothers, and thus soon fall prey to their evil intentions. The closest role model for a female child is her mother who is either a sex worker or a brothel keeper. The girl children in the community are traditionally forced into prostitution once they attain puberty by their own parents. In a family of girl children, the eldest daughter is fully made aware that the survival of her family and thereby their community totally depends on her becoming a prostitute and hence is not permitted to marry. Although, the younger daughters are allowed to marry, but in almost all the cases, the husbands encourage their wives to enter into prostitution where she earns between Rs. 50 to Rs. 500 per customer. The male children are used as pimps, procurers or laborers in the flesh market. Most of the men in the community have no work and therefore spend most of their day idle. They also sometimes act as brokers and pimps and also facilitate trafficking. Thus, the entire community is economically organized around a system of prostitution, which traditionally has the social and cultural sanction of the community.
Traditional policing before launching this initiative was arrest of sex workers along with pimps & organizers of human trafficking without providing them any alternative source of livelihood or creating any awareness about health & hygiene. Which was violating the civil rights of sex workers and their wards and in the process Law enforcement authority was also getting bad name due to highhanded behavior without any empathy or humane approach.
· Priorities and purposes
The Dommara tribe looks at sex as its only means of livelihood. As it generally happens, a conservative mindset along with the other commercial considerations of a few might be stopping the community from considering other options. Ignorance and the lack of other opportunities probably make the change seem even tougher.
On 21-04-2005, Nalgonda Police launched a special drive against traffickers at Yadagirigutta (v), which resulted in the arrest of 15 pimps & organizers under sections 3,4,5,7 and 35 prostitutes under section 8 of Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act & section 294 of Indian Penal Code. The prostitutes were counseled intensively to motivate them to come out of the flesh trade. They requested for providing alternative source of livelihoods in order to be able to survive, as they did not have any other source of income & they are trapped in a vicious circle. They were therefore promised for rehabilitation along with their wards.
Nalgonda Police has identified about 77 Children of prostitutes staying at Yadagirigutta. Out of these children, 21 were not going to any school and would have most likely fallen into the trappings of the profession of their elders.
Health & hygiene of sex workers and their wards, education to children of sex workers to prevent second generation trafficking, alternative source of livelihood for those trapped in vicious circle, self empowerment, reintegration into mainstream of societies were priorities fixed in this project.
· Strategies adopted
Mission Statement: -
Providing Police Leadership for prevention of organized human trafficking through Government Partnership with the Community and Public Service Organizations
Core Operational Values:-
· Attack the Crime, Causes of Crime and the Criminal Mindsets and not the
People.
· Be Compassionate, Courteous & Patient,
· Act without Fear or Favor or Prejudice to the Rights of Others
· Be Professional, Calm and Restrained in the Face of Violence
· Strive to Reduce the Fears of Public
· Respond to well founded criticism
· Be Willing to Change
Vision: - Making Nalgonda district a safe, secure and progressive community, free of
Organized human trafficking.
Strategic Approaches: -
Programme Aasara (shelter) is launched by Nalgonda District Police in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India with the mission of preventing organized human trafficking and upholding and protecting human rights of those trafficked or are under the threat of being trafficked. Underlying principle and therefore the strategy adopted in the programme is that of attacking the crime & not the criminals and that is why the project has two major components, viz. enforcement and rehabilitation. Under the programme, the District Police has undertaken the noble cause of rescue as also the socioeconomic reintegration and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking. The programme is focusing on prevention of second generation trafficking by providing education to their children, uplifting lives of prostitutes by restoring their status in the society, generating social awareness, providing shelters and exploring and providing alternative sources of livelihoods. Issues regarding health and hygiene are also being addressed.
· Innovative methods used
In response to the needs of rescued prostitutes and others involved in the business of prostitution as also to ensure that they do not get sucked into the said business again, programme AASARA (a Hindi word, meaning shelter), was launched on 19-05-2005 at Yadagirigutta. Since trafficking is an age-old menace in Dommara community involving several sensitive issues, the problem is being tackled with human touch.
Partners in aasara programme
Government organizations (Departments): 1. Police 2. Revenue 3. District Rural Development Agency & the World Bank supported Velgu project 4. Women and Child Welfare 5. Education 6. Health 7. Panchayati Raj (Village Local Self Govts) 8. Public Representatives such as Members of Legislative Assemblies, Members of Parliament 9. State Bank of Hyderabad 10. Backward Communities Corporation
Non – governmental organizations: 1. Child and Police (CAP) /SARIQUE project 2. Red Cross, Nalgonda unit 3. Prajwala-Women Organization, Hyderabad 4. Some individuals and others
Activities under programme aasara
1. Enforcement & prevention
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
All the immoral trafficking organizers & women in the prostitution business are being identified in entire Nalgonda District. Organizers who are frequently indulging in immoral trafficking are being booked under Andhra Pradesh Organized Crime Act. History sheets are being prepared and opened against them. Potential areas, which supply majority of girls and women to this business being lured by immoral traffickers, are being identified and the efforts of the programme will be focused on these areas towards prevention of immoral trafficking. After the inception of the programme, in a span of 8 months, 70 cases have been booked in the district, under sections 3,4,5,7 & 8 of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, resulting in the arrest of 250 organizers, procurers, pimps, traffickers and rescued sex workers by the police. History sheets of organizers have also been prepared and opened for surveillance. Raids were also conducted on Spring land and Green View Resorts located in the project area and 240 persons were arrested for carrying out immoral activities at these resorts (public places).
Following are the results of the efforts made towards enforcement and prevention:
Enforcement of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (from19/04/2005 to 10/03/2006)Out of 70 cases booked under section 3,4,& 7 of act against 250 organizers, procurers & pimps 68 are pending trial in a Court of Law where as 2 cases ended in acquittal. Out of 240 cases booked under section 294 of Indian Penal code for Obscene or Immoral activities at public place 211 cases ended in conviction & 29 cases are under pending trials.
Following persons have been identified as prostitution organizers.
1. Kamsani Yadagiri S/o Gangaiah, 32 years,
2. Kamsani Shankar S/o Yellaiah, 42 years.
3. Kamsani Dasaradha S/o Gandaiah, 30 years
4. Kamsani Kumari W/o Gandaiah, 37 years
5. Kamsani Yasodha W/o Nagabushanam, 40 years,
6. Kamsani Suseela W/o Satyanarayana, 40 years,
7. Kamsani Anda1u W/0 Ravi, 27 years
8. Kamsani Saroja W/o Ramchender, 45 years,
9. Kamsani Sudhershan S/o Ramachander, 42 years all are Dommari by caste and R/o Yadagirigutta.
Organizers who are living on the earnings through the business of prostitution are being booked under AP organized crime act if they are found involved in two or more offences. As per the provisions under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, Magistrates have served notices to trafficking organizers for attachment of their properties which is earned through immoral trafficking business.
2 Rehabilitation and reintegration
The empowerment of women is the process by which women gain power and control over decisions and resources that determine the quality of their lives. It recognizes women not as victims or beneficiaries, but as key actors for development.
“There is now overwhelming evidence that women’s empowerment through schooling, employment opportunities, etc., has the most far-reaching effects on the lives of all – men, women and children.”-- Amartya Sen
Victims of human trafficking face major problems in being reintegrated into their parent communities when they are freed from the situations into which they were trafficked. Social stigma and mental and emotional scars need to be overcome during the process of reintegration. Victimized women, in most of the cases, are treated by law enforcement authorities as criminals, either for prostitution or illegal migration, and thus face additional problems in getting employment or in being initiated into other forms of reintegration. In such circumstances, assisting the victims to resettle and enable them to start a new life is a daunting challenge. These communities do not own agricultural land for cultivation. As a result, they have to depend on agricultural labor for earning. Working as coolies/laborers fetches them only about Rs. 20/- to Rs.30/- per day, whereas a sex worker earns about Rs. 250/- on an average per day.
Different organizations were therefore approached and requested to help us in the endeavor. We were immensely happy to see that many organizations–both Government and non Government-came forward to complement our efforts.
The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and World Bank sponsored Velgu project facilitated organizing four Self Help Groups consisting of 26 women members from Dommara community. The District Collector also launched a training programme organized under Indira Kranti Pathakam scheme and the District Rural Development Agency. The members were given training for two months to make agarbattis (incense sticks), plates and bowls of dry leaves, baskets and were also imparted training to learn tailoring at Yadgirigutta in order to provide them with the alternative sources of livelihood. District collector made Rs. 3.5 lakhs available as microfinance to these groups to start their activities. The process is now on to help they explore the market for their products to make the economic activities of the said Self Help Groups sustainable.
The State Bank of Hyderabad also provided a grant of Rs. 1.5 lakhs for the women groups to purchase machinery to manufacture various products.
District administration has also sanctioned 40 houses for the people of Dommara community to complement our efforts to reduce the prostitution.
Two girls namely Kamsani Uma and Kamsani Manjula have been appointed as Home Guards with Police Department otherwise they could have been dragged into hereditary profession of prostitution.
One young girl student, namely, Kamsani Rekha D/o Gandaiah, 17 yrs., is studying in the intermediate at Bhongir town with Police as mentor. She wants to become first lady Doctor from her community & to serve them.
Under “Vimukthi” programme that was organized by the Police Department, two girls were rescued from the clutches of the organizers of the brothel houses. They have been rehabilitated in Hyderabad.
The Mandal Revenue Officer, Yadagirigutta has issued 50 cards to the families of the Dommara community under Antyodaya (AAY) Scheme on request of the Police Department.
One month training was imparted to 12 youth from Dommara community, who are the children of sex workers. These young men have now been employed as security guards for the security of Yadgirigutta temple. But for this intervention, these men would have been indulging in organizing trafficking activities acting as pimps, procurers etc.
As a part of rehabilitation and providing alternative sources of livelihood to sex workers, training was imparted to candidates at Yadagirigutta (v) under Child and Police (CAP) / SARIQUE project, with 100% employment guarantee. Training was imparted in different vocational fields like white goods servicing, Information Technology, customer relations & marketing and automobile. About 70 persons have got jobs in Hyderabad & surrounding areas with salaries, ranging from Rs.1500-4500.They have undergone training in following trades.
01. AM = Automobile Mechanic (2/3 Wheeler)
02. M SW = Multi skilled Worker (Electrician)
03. HCNA = Home care Nursing Assistance (Nursing)
04. CRS = Customer Relations & Sales (Marketing)
3. Social awareness:
The police also conducted awareness camps in collaboration with the other Government and Voluntary Organizations. As an example, personality development camps involving behavioral training were organized with the help of Red Cross and other voluntary organizations. A Police picket is posted near the houses of Dommaras in Ganesh Nagar locality of Yadagirigutta (v) and persisted with, in order to provide protection to Dommara ladies from pimps and teasers. One day excursion tour of sex workers & children at risk was organized to Hyderabad in which they have been given exposure to outside world. Further their interaction with rehabilitated sex workers was organized at Prajwala Rehabilitation centre in Hyderabad.
4. Shelter:
The objective of the interventions towards providing shelters to the families involved in the prostitution is to provide them land at a particular place to all such families, constructing houses for them and to provide some pieces of land for their livelihood around their newly constructed houses. Horticulture with buy back system tied up with the temple authorities is being considered viable alternative. Land piece admeasuring 21 acres in Pedda kandkur village has been identified for the purpose. Proposals are submitted to government and alienation of land is under progress.
5. Education:
The various aspects of the lives of sex workers children include living conditions and surrounding environment, health conditions, school experiences and psychological conditions. Areas of prostitution are not only places where men go to buy sex. They are also places where all generations live together, where children play , work, study and grow up. The problems of sex worker’s children need to be studied and understood, so that these children can be given the care and attention needed for them to enjoy the human rights which they are entitled to. The efforts are being made to list out children of these groups and provide free education to them by making them join schools so that at least next generation comes out of this menace. They have been enrolled in a Bridge School, established under the programme Aasara, at Yadagirigutta, which is up to 3rd standard. As per their performance they are being enrolled in a regular school. Backward Class Corporation has also made provisions to admit 21 school children into their hostel once the children are through with the bridge school. One library is also being opened in Bridge school premises. Second generation trafficking is prevented through this initiative. There is also a plan of opening dropping center for siblings of sex workers.
6. Health
Health is no longer considered only the absence of disease or infirmity. Today it is described a state of well being of body, mind and soul. The circumstances of these children, where they have no where else to go except their mother’s place of business or the streets, are not conducive to their mental or physical good health. The health of children born to mothers, suffering from sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy or are HIV positive, is even more vulnerable. Most of the children suffer from infectious diseases and few of them can escape venereal diseases, due to sexual abuse. Despite the desire to look after them, mothers find it difficult to take them to hospitals when required. Regular health camps are being conducted at Yadgirigutta & other part of Nalgonda District for health check up of trafficked victims with the help of medical and health departments and private organizations like Red Cross and Indian Medical Association
· Period / duration of the Project Initiation / Implementation
This project is initiated on 21st April 2005 and implementation is commenced on 19th May 2005.
· Outcomes/Changes resulting from the Project / Initiative
By implementing AASARA Project the Nalgonda district Police have achieved department’s image has gone up in public eye. As per the study conducted, the prostitution has been reduced by about 80 % in the temple town Yadagirigutta, by providing opportunities of dignified life to the prostitutes. Second generation trafficking is also being targeted by starting a bridge school for the children of sex workers. Children of sex workers are now regularly attending school. Awareness about AIDS has been generated amongst the sex worker community due to awareness programmes & the health camps. Out of 70 sex workers, rescued under the project so far, 15 have got employed with the corporate sector while others have got self-employed in small-scale production. The families are now coming forward to eschew this crime and join the mainstream of society. Twelve male members who were earlier working as pimps, procurers & organizers in trafficking are trained as security guards by Police and they are employed at Yadgirigutta temple by a private security agency. We could convince the people that sex workers are also capable of leading a normal life under favorable conditions.
The change in attitudes of general people in society is surprising. The public even began to help group members. Now people treat the sex workers like human beings. They are no longer hostile towards them.
Crime rate has been controlled because of control of antisocial behavior through community policing. Scuffles in the streets have come down considerably. Now the town is calm in that respect.
Success Story of one Miss Uma
“My name is Uma. I was born on 6th of June 1985. My father’s name is Mr.Raju. He is a daily laborer. My mother is a housewife. I have three sisters and two brothers. I studied till SSC in Z.P.H.S at Yadagiri Gutta. I passed SSC with 61% marks, but couldn’t join Junior College because of financial problems, although I was very much interested to continue my further studies. As the eldest daughter I became bread earner of my family. Suddenly my father met with an accident and was not able to walk. As I belong to Dommara Community, which is in prostitution business since ages, the community leader wanted me also to enter into prostitution, taking advantage of my circumstances. One day, I reluctantly entered the prostitution business, that day I will never forget. There was no other alternative for me. Fortunately I heard about CAP – SARI/Q program organized by Nalgonda Police & immediately I joined this program. There in 90 days of training I learned about punctuality, communication skills and importance of time management, which gave me a lot of confidence. After joining this program, I completely left the prostitution field. Right now, I am working in Andhra Pradesh Police Department as a “Home Guard” and am earning a salary of Rs.2300/- per month. CAP – SARI/Q under Aasara programme has given new birth to me with a life with dignity & self respect protecting my rights.”
There are many victims like Rani who have been benefited through the Aasara programme and leading a life of self-respect and dignity.
· Exceptional achievements (In substantiation of each of the chosen / ticked outcomes listed above, provide a descriptive note of not more than 150 words).
This best practice attracted appreciation of the Honorable Director General of Police or chief of Police of Andhra Pradesh state of India Shri. Swaranjit Sen. The Police chief/DGP applauded project Aasara, that is undertaken in the temple town Yadagirigutta and ordered that the project should be implemented in all the Districts & Commission rates in the Andhra Pradesh State vide his C.No. Rc.No. 3033/Compts.4/2005, Dt: 29/08/2005. This novel initiative for a noble cause has generated employment for sex workers & dependent on them by empowering them as well as facilitating them. Andhra Pradesh Police monthly journal “Surakasha” has covered Nalgonda District Community Policing programme Aasara in great detail, in its August, 2005 issue. National & state media that is the watchdog of society has appreciated police initiative. Doordarshan National channel DD1has telecasted a 5 minutes documentary on Project aasara under ‘Kiran programme’ highlighting Community policing initiatives & Good Governance by Nalgonda Police. Further October24, 2005 issue of SAVVY magazine has published a special feature on the Project Aasara available on web at
http://www.savvy.co.in/display_Standard.asp? Section=savvyspecials&subsection=exclusive&xml=October2005_exclusive_standard39
· Role / nature of involvement of the nominee in the Initiative / Project
“Actions are sometimes performed in a masterly and most cunning way, while the direction of the actions is deranged and dependent on various morbid impressions-it’s like a dream.” That is what Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote in Crime and Punishment. Consider not action but the spirit of action. Merit lies in the intention, not the deed. Nominee’s noble initiative is very close to the Russian novelist’s point of view. Under a banner of Project aasara nominee launched a mission to dissuade Dommara from following the community tradition of prostitution. Nominee’s theory is attack the crime, not the criminals. On 19th April, 2005 a raid was conducted on brothels run by Dommaras and during counseling by nominee to them, they expressed to change their profession on the assurance of dignified source of livelihood. Immediately nominee swung into an action and with two prong strategy of law enforcement for prevention of trafficking and instituting rehabilitation giving dignified life and alternative source of livelihood a Project aasara was launched on 21st May, 2005 at Yadgirigutta. Nominee coordinated with senior officers from other government departments like Revenue, DRDA, BC Corporation, Health, Women & Child Development, Education etc. and non Govt. Organizations like Indian Red Cross, State Bank of Hyderabad for rehabilitation of sex workers with humanitarian approach.
Further nominee signed a M.O.U. with Child and Police/SARIQUE project for imparting 100% employment guaranteed vocational training. A bridge school is started by District Collector & Indian Red Cross Nalgonda branch with the initiative of nominee. On the suggestion of nominee DRDA has trained four groups of 29 sex workers in self-employment. Under nominees leadership an excursion tour of Dommaras was organized to visit Trafficking victim rehabilitation center run by Prajwala organization in Hyderabad city. Which has given them new vision of outside world & generated self-confidence. Due to constant motivation of subordinate officers & men and opening new arenas for self-empowerment of Dommaras by nominee, Project Aasara got 80% success in prevention of human trafficking from temple town of Yadgirigutta.
Sustainability
Aasara means shelter and that was what we attempted to provide to victims of trafficking so that they could live a descent life with dignity without selling their bodies and not to have harassment from pimps and others. Fighting hard battles is in progress. A failure or two should not be seen as reasons for not continuing these efforts. Due to descent means of livelihood and are being accepted in society they will not get relapsed at the place where even thinking of any other profession besides prostitution was considered as sin. Today their smiling faces radiate with hope and expectations of better future. Attack on crime but not the criminals is the theory behind project AASRA and this project with Nalgonda District police as a mentor will go a long way in prevention of organized human trafficking.
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THE HINDU
22/07/2006
Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad
Two police projects shortlisted for award
K. Srinivas Reddy
Aasara, counselling centres win accolades
________________________________________
• Award aimed at recognising quality achievements in law enforcement
• Two other Indian police initiatives also find a place in the list
• Award for the best initiative will be announced at the IACP meet in October
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HYDERABAD: Two initiatives launched by the police in Andhra Pradesh have won recognition from an international agency, when they were shortlisted as semi-finalists for the 2006 IACP/Motorola Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement.
The award named after Webber S. Seavey, the first president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Vancouver, is aimed at recognising quality achievements in law enforcement, promoting awareness and understanding of quality.
The State police initiatives - Project Aasara, an anti-trafficking programme launched by the Nalgonda police and the Family Counselling Centres programme, launched by the State police have been shortlisted as the semi-finalists.
There are 25 such police initiatives short-listed as the semi-finalists.
Project Aasara, launched by the Nalgonda SP Mahesh M. Bhagwath, aims to checking trafficking in women and rehabilitation of women rescued from the clutches of brothels.
The Family Counselling Centres initiative launched all over the State is aimed at resolving domestic disputes.
Apart from the two projects, two other Indian police initiatives also find a place in the list.
Project Parivartan launched by the Delhi police and the Networked/Online Police Complaint Registration and Monitoring System of the Nagpur police have also been included in the list.
Ten finalists are to be chosen from the 25 semi-finalists and then three winning projects will be chosen from the finalists.
The award for the best initiative would be announced at the IACP conference in Boston in October.
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/22/stories/2006072207400500.htm
