The dingy motels that dot the narrow alleys of Paona Bazaar in Imphal, amid the liquor dens and roadside eateries, have become the latest hub of flesh trade in the city, a study conducted by a local non-government organization (NGO) has claimed.
At nearby Thangal Bazaar and North AOC areas, too, organised sex trade has seen a steady growth in the recent years, according to data compiled by NGO Meitei Leimarel Sinnai Sang (MLSS).
S Inaocha, the project director of MLSS, said a survey conducted till August has registered 915 female sex workers (FSW) in the state capital as against 908 last year.
"The actual figure is far more than what we have recorded as many FSWs were reluctant to reveal their true identities. Even the ones who have registered themselves with MLSS had to be persuaded several times," she told PTI.
Most of these women have been victims of extreme poverty and abuse, Inaocha stated.
"Behind every case of FSW, there exists a tragic individual history. They were either forced into the profession by their near ones or had to take it up to feed their families."
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