At Delhi's GB Road, finding a new hope for freedom

NEW DELHI: Maya (name changed) doesn't know what Independence is. Ask her about it and she will ask you what it means or stands for. No, she doesn't mean to be sarcastic; she is only curious to know what it is as all her life she's been confined to a brothel and exploited.
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This 40-year-old woman from Karnataka is among the 4,000-odd sex workers living in GB Road, or Swami Shradhanand Marg as it's more formally known today.She landed here as a 16-year-old and life hasn't changed for better ever since. For her and others like her, August 15 or January 26 has no significance. Freedom holds no meaning in the hell holes they call home in which they suffer to survive.
When TOI visited the area on Saturday evening, the only noticeable difference was light traffic. The roads were more negotiable as shops were closed. But for the women, it was like any other working day that entailed their waiting at staircases of brothels to lure customers. An NGO tried to make a small difference to their lives.
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A small fete called 'Kat-Kalrav' was organised by Kat-Katha at 'Pyar Ka Mohalla', a name that the organization has given to the area. It was supposed to be a "day of joy, chatter, laughter, stories, smiles, freedom and love".
The founder, Gitanjali Babbar, said the idea was to send out a message of integration. "We work to empower sex workers whom we lovingly call 'didi' and their children. The idea of holding the fete on the road here on August 15 was to get the women out of the brothels and introduce them to life outside and the possibilities that life holds for them," Babbar said. The fete also had on offer products made by sex workers, ranging from fancy paper bags to colourful trinkets.
As Kat-Katha mobilizers fanned out into the area, asking the women to come out and participate, not many came forward. But those who did, watched with great interest. Youth volunteers and children tried hard to create an atmosphere with dance and music. But the sex workers chose to stay low and in corners.
We asked one of them why she was there. "My son is performing. I have come to see him. I want him to study and grow to be a successful professional," she said. When asked about freedom, she smiled and said, "I don't know anything about it. I have no hope of getting it."
But one of them finally did find the courage to come forward and sing. Her voice was strong and firm as she sang Rabindranath Tagore's famous Bangla song, 'Ekla Chalo Re'. It was her call for freedom.