Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Is Prostitution Wrong?

Is it wrong to take up Prostitution voluntarily?
-This question is NOT about the men who solicit prostitutes
- A woman takes up prostitution by choice, why should the society have any problem with it?

Maybe I'm the exact opposite of people in the MNS and Ram Sene, I think if an adult is old enough to vote and decide the fate of the country, the adult is old enough to decide his/her own fate and how he/she lives his life.

If the person makes a wrong choice as an adult, maybe we as a society failed to infuse the right values into the younger mind when ideas and convictions were forming.

It is wrong to force someone into prostitution! It is wrong to rob another person's life or property! Why should it be wrong to sell your own body or take your own life?

18 comments:

Dilip Muralidaran said...

The larger picture is abusing women. Legalizing prostitution is the only way abduction, gang rape, traficking etc., against women and children can be avoided. Also health checks can be made mandatory and sex could be much more safer. Every country that legalizes prostitution does this and they have the lowest account of violence for sex against women in the prostitution ring.

Prostitutes can have rights and they can sue if they are ill treated, unlike now where this is impossible. One should look at germany and nevada and learn how this is implemented. The day, prostitution is legalized, that day wud be a day to remember indeed.

Rums said...

Reminds me of our old debates in the yahoo groups. Your view point has sure changed since then. Back then, you didn't realise what feminism was :P ... in any case, a lot of NGO intervention is good, in my opinion. I remember a particular client (female condoms) propagating their target audience as prostitutes. Prostitution is the easiest way to making money, to feed their kids, to try and provide them a life - sadly, those kids get the wrong values. India should legalise prostitution only if they're able to structure superior rights for children, like in the US.

Prahalathan said...

@ Rums

I doubt my views have changed... I express my opinions better now I guess.

I still dislike and detest purposeless feminism for the sake of it...

benwl said...

Prostitution is the world's oldest profession.

Do you know why prostitution exist?

Because some men are lusty and need sex although they have family.

I am men too sometimes I too need sex, especially when I am single.

Prostitutes, as I experienced too are humans, they need love and care just like the rest of us.

But I know in India the caste system still exist so it is always considered a low-class job to do by any women.

But when they are desperate for money and living in poverty, they have no choice.

Dilip Muralidaran said...

@benwl: When you know nothing about the caste system why do you mouth off like you do? Men need sex, so do women. Believe it or not, there are as many male prostitutes in india as there are female. Men just dont get paid for their sex, for most parts.

Secondly, are you stating single men are more sex hungry than married ones? Where is this info coming from, on what basis? Please elaborate in detail.

For your information, sex drive is almost the same for men. Atleast most men. Some men commit themselves to religious morals or social morals based out of cultural values. Most men don't. Which is why prostitution still exists.

There are as much forward caste women as much as there are backward caste women.

J. Alfred Prufrock said...

I hear you. It's a pity that morality still gets in the way of humanity. And of common sense.

J.A.P.

അരങ്ങ്‌ said...

Prostitution itsself is a crime.More than crime its a deviation. So option for it also must be rejected, treated, and cared.

Arun said...

its not just about letting all grown ups do what they want.. in that sense y wud you ban drugs, suicides etc..

Prahalathan said...

@ Arun
Suicides: I think a person should have the right to take his own life.
Euthanasia: I think Assisted death should be legalised. A person should have the right to die instead of living with pain.
Drugs: There should be moderation. As long as the person is of no danger to others, why not? Isn't alcohol a drug too? Nicotine?

Dilip Muralidaran said...

@Arun: I live with pain everyday. I live with arthritis and im 27. How do you feel about putting me through every moment of pain in life rather me taking my life when i can no longer take this bullshit pain?

Ones own life is ones own will. Nobody the fuck should have a say on it, i feel.

Ashutosh said...

Prostitution by choice is certainly not wrong in my personal opinion, but then we need to think, it was really by choice in abundance of other choices or was a last resort left for earning the bread and butter.

In the latter case, I think we should play a role and try and get some employment for the women.

And anyhow prostitution by choice doesn't seem very apt in the Indian culture. We are not liberalized or broad minded enough to accept the prostitutes as a part of the society or rather prostitution as an occupation.

In that case, I think it is better to eliminate this vice from the society, as the prostitutes will never get love, care or acceptance from the society and will receive nothing but disgusting lust.

Prahalathan said...

U still call it a vice...

Ashutosh said...

I won't call it a vice the day I can see a prostitute getting married to a man with well reputed family. I won't call it a vice the day I see a prostitute being invited to social gatherings with respect. If it can be seen purely as a profession by the society, it is an idealism in my perspective, which is , not impossible, though, difficult.

Jey Geethan said...

Prostitution whether it is right or wrong solely depends on the circle you take into account. If its the smallest circle i.e, considering that person alone, it can be reasonably wrong or right based on how he/she was brought up or his/her spiritual convictions are. If a slightly bigger circle of family and friends are considered, it is wrong if it affects them in some way. The person could have avoided this way of life if he/she wanted to avoid problems for his/her family. And if a even bigger circle called society is taken into account, still it is relative. If everyone in the society happens to be a prostitute, then nobody cares. If not, and the society contains people who are offensive to the act, it creates a disturbance. This disturbance can only be healed if everbody gets on to a common page (which i guess would never happen). So by increasing or decreasing the radius of circle of interest one could decide his/her life. Guess this applies to suicide too

Anonymous said...

I still dislike and detest purposeless feminism for the sake of it...

I am glad someone is saying that .
Kudos to you.
Gosh how tired I am of trying to put this to women bloggers who relentlessly write about feminism . Being a woman myself It is expected of me to raise my voice and join the gang but .. I just can't after a limit
Prostitution is a subject I have been debating with a friend since long. He and I both think that there is another side to this profession which is completely ignored due to the immense pressure given on sex trade and abuse etc.A side of human tenderness and compassion, of needs other than pure sex.
I would like to know what is the Indian male mentality about visiting a prostitute. I asked many people but they are too scared to talk and give out lies. One can see that clearly. ;)
Hoping to hear from you and your readers.
will check out your other posts too.

Anonymous said...

@Ashutosh will you be the one to end this "vice" and marry a prostitute? Or maybe get someone to do it.
Dude , Sorry about it but men like you enjoy what the pros has to offer and yet call it a vice. Isn't it a bit shameful.
and what about the married women who are treated like a pros by their husbands day in and day out. You won't want to talk about it , would you?
You have just made it a vice and it will be one till someone come out and reverses the situation. will you do that?
cowards all.

Prahalathan said...

@tikulicious

What is it that u seek to know. Yes, men do visit prostitutes. I've seen it happen and I know friends who have 'probably' solicited a prostitute. I wouldn't personally do it now or anytime later.

Do email me prahalathan AT hotmail DOT com if u need further clarifications.

Ashutosh said...

@tikulicious
Well, that was quite unnecessarily judgmental of you, which wasn't called for.

Keeping the allegations aside, getting back to the topic of discussion, I would like you to express your opinion on genuineness and justification of prostitution being / not being a profession.

Yes, married women being mistreated sexually are also an aspect of enforced prostitution, but women have to resist, stand up and speak up in the first place, or else such incidents will never see the light of the day.