US embassy cable - 05MUMBAI2319

UNCLAS MUMBAI 002319 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USAID 
STATE FOR DRL 
G/TIP FOR MARK TAYLOR AND SALLY NEUMANN 
INL FOR JONITA WHITAKER 
SA FOR JENELLE KRISHNAMOORTHY 
PRM FOR SONIA DENTZEL 
IWI 
DOJ FOR OIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, KFRD, SOCI, ASEC, PREF, ELAB, PREL, IN, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: SEX TRAFFICKING IN MADHYA PRADESH 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (U) Development professionals in the central Indian state of 
Madhya Pradesh (MP) told Consul General and EconOff that the 
northwest corner of the state served as a steady source for sex 
workers, due to the existence of so-called "prostitute castes" 
in several villages. While these interlocutors commended the 
trans-border cooperation between the state governments of MP and 
Rajasthan in attempting to rehabilitate rescued victims, 
apparently there is little, if any, effort in MP to prosecute 
traffickers. End Summary. 
 
Northwest MP Source Area for Trafficking Victims 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
2. (U) Consul General and EconOff met representatives of UK's 
Department for International Development (DfID), Catholic Relief 
Services (CRS), and CARE-India in Bhopal on November 27.  In 
addition to other issues, the group explained their consensus 
perception of sex trafficking in the state of MP. 
 
3. (U) According to these observers, northwest MP is a reliable 
source area for sex trafficking victims due to caste realities 
in several villages, where girls are sold to work in Mumbai and 
New Delhi.  Following old societal practices, all first-born 
daughters of the Banchhara, Bedia, and Sansia castes (formerly 
"untouchables") have been working in MP as prostitutes to 
support their families since migrating to the area in the 17th 
century. Many of these communities were originally from 
Rajasthan, where similar communities exist today, following the 
same practices. 
 
NGOs Cite Challenges Battling Cultural, Economic Imperatives 
----------- 
 
4. (U) The NGO group described anti-trafficking efforts in MP as 
"very challenging" since "prostitute caste" families defend 
their behavior as a cultural tradition and economic imperative. 
After the Maharashtra state government closed Mumbai's dance 
bars, for instance, many former "dancers" from MP -- who were 
really prostitutes -- returned home to join the ranks of the 
unemployed.  The financial situation of the former dancers and 
their families remained precarious because the dancers were 
their families' main revenue earners. Our sources told us that 
the families were now pressuring the dancers to return to work 
in the big cities, either as dancers or openly as prostitutes. 
There was no evidence offered that prostitution within MP is on 
the rise due to the girls return, which thus remains an open 
issue. 
 
5. (U) While the MP and Rajasthan state governments reportedly 
cooperate well in repatriating those victims who want to be 
rescued, prosecution rarely occurs because the victims are 
unwilling to press charges against the traffickers, who are 
often their fathers and brothers. We are still attempting to 
access official police records, such as they exist, but note 
that neither our group of experts, nor the state's Chief 
Secretary, knew of any action against families who sell their 
 
SIPDIS 
daughters to a life of prostitution or against any other 
traffickers, for that matter. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (U) The NGO representatives' claims appear credible and were 
corroborated to EconOff by the local Maharaja's adult son, who 
offered similar descriptions of this unfortunate local custom. 
The key to cultural reform, in this case, is a combination of 
poverty reduction measures, education, job skills training and, 
not least, prosecution. End Comment. 
OWEN