PATNA: Sex workers of Bihar’s Muzaffarpur are poised to foray into a new world -- cooking famous ‘Champaran handi (earthen pot) mutton’ and selling it to customers who value its test. Dancing and providing services to customers visiting their homes in Chaturbhujsthan red light area of the town will soon become a thing of the past.
Gopal Kushwaha, the proprietor of ‘Champaran Handi Mutton’ fame, on Sunday started imparting training to 10 sex workers of the red light area of Muzaffarpur.
He provided one month’s raw material and utensils free of cost for preparing mutton. Juli Khatoon, Soni Parveen, Gudia, Chanda and Rehana were among the 10 women of the redlight area who were imparted training on cooking the mutton. “The profession we are associated with is looked down upon. It’s a dirty world. The training to cook mutton will open doors for numerous sex workers who want to get rid of this age-old profession,” said Juli. “There was no alternative means of survival. Now we have got it and want to exploit the opportunity to keep our future generation out of this dark and dingy world,” she said.
Chanda said she would provide online service to customers of ‘Champaran handi mutton’ in the town. “Majority of girls and women of our age are looking for an alternative means of survival. They want to liberate themselves from this dirty trade,” she said.
The novel initiative of Kushwaha has received appreciation not only from officials but also from social workers. Kushwaha said he has assured the sex workers and their children to help opening shops in Muzaffarpur town or elsewhere they wish.
Naseema Khatoon, founder of NGO ‘Parchum’ working for uplift of sex workers, said Kushwaha had discussed the idea of providing training on ‘Champaran Handi Mutton’ to sex workers. “I assured him full cooperation. The day came on Sunday when the training programme for sex workers was launched,” she said.
Naseema, daughter of a sex worker, is now a member of the National Human Rights Commission Advisory Group. She said she would request to Muzaffarpur district authority to provide shops to the sex workers along ‘Marine Drive’ (riverfront of the town) or some other locations.
She said Kushwaha’s efforts will help women of redlight area to become self-reliant and not to depend on their traditional profession.
Chaturbhujsthan red light area has a population of about 1000. Majority of them are engaged in performing dance at cultural-wedding events and meeting customers.
“It’s unfortunate that some women are still engaged in the profession, which dates backs to Mughal period,” said Vivek Kumar, who is making a documentary on Kushwaha’s initiative on changing the lifestyle of sex workers of Muzaffarpur.