Handlle sex workers' issues sensitively: Abhijit Mukherjee

The law enforcement agencies need greater sensitisation in handling issues faced by sex workers who are considered a social taboo, President Pranab Mukherjee's son and Congress MP Abhijit Mukherjee said here Wednesday.

"Law enforcement agencies should have a more sensitive approach towards sex workers who are still considered as social taboo," Abhijit Mukherjee said addressing a two-day national consultation on the Protection of Dignity and Rights of Sex Workers that started Wednesday.

Abhijit Mukherjee is a Congress Lok Sabha member from Nalhati Constituency in Birbhum District of West Bengal, that was represented by his father before he became president.

Nearly 100 sex workers from 13 states, affiliated to the All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW), an umbrella network of NGOs working for sex workers, have come together for the national campaign.

Sharing her plight, a sex worker from Tamil Nadu said: "Police officials often don't make efforts to protect us or respond seriously to any complaints we make. Whenever we complain that we are harassed by local goons to have forced sex, police don't take action and they blame us."

AINSW representatives said the consultation programme helped them speak about issues they face and reach out to some stakeholders, elected representatives and sensitise them about their concerns and aspirations.

"The time has come to reduce the social vulnerability of sex workers by developing a systemic and comprehensive action plan that would involve improving their self worth and mainstreaming them into all social activities," C. Rangarajan, economic advisor to the prime minister, said in a video message at the national consultation.