PUDUCHERRY: Child Sex tourism is flourishing in Puducherry and its surrounding areas bordering Tamil Nadu, reveals a study done by Siva Mathiyazhagan, a PhD scholar from the Sociology Department of Pondicherry University.
Patronised mostly by foreign tourists and residents, this activity is concentrated in the White Town area (Boulevard), around Auroville and the stretch between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu on the East Coast Road, the study points out.
The Tourism Department’s initiatives has led to accessible and affordable tourism, but caused an increase in ‘sex tourism’ which often involves victimisation of children from poor families, reveals the study.
Foreign tourists have been found to be engaging in sexual relations with children. Among them are those residing in Puducherry for good and visiting their country of origin only for the purpose of getting their visa formalities processed, and those involved in occupations like running a restaurant or a travel agency.
In some cases, the child stays with the pedophile in his room, with the knowledge of the proprietor of the hotel or guesthouse. ‘Preferential pedophiles’, who travel independently to Puducherry, often approach child vendors on the beach directly or through agents.
The children who fall victim to sex tourism either belong to broken families or are orphans under foster care. They are mostly from the lower middle class and poor sections of society. Heavy debts, constant domestic violence and lack of education and health facilities are common problems with such families.
Those attending formal schools in slums along the coastal belt of Puducherry have revealed that there are children from their slums who have spent long periods of time with foreign nationals. A teacher from a local school had reported that absenteeism of children was common in schools during the tourist season.
“I go out only with foreign tourists, since I get good money from them. They also give me food, clothes and sometimes gifts. Tourists are very good - for a night they pay me `500. Sometimes, they take me with them to other States as well. It is a good opportunity to learn English and visit other places free of cost,” said a 14-year-old boy from Dubrayanpet slum here.
“Puducherry is definitely prone to sex tourism, as it is a major tourist destination. It is quite common to see children from poor Indian families with foreign tourists, who may be situational child abusers,” says Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairperson Vidyaa Ramkumar.
Except for a few instances in the past like the Didier Keim case where the accused lured children to his house on the beach by giving them sweets, such activities go unreported.