Umran Hussain
The Kashmir Radar, 24 June: The plague of “Red Light” zones all across the globe is something that no civilized society wants to talk about. The growing sex markets in the world have jeopardized the the local populace wherever they are found in abundance. Be it health, honor or wealth, such growing menace puts everything at stake.
Our valley, popularly known as “The Valley of Saints” has always shown resentment to such markets, be it openly selling liquor or the red light zones.
The recent surge in live videos messages from various concerned youth from a particular area has left the people of the valley red faced and at the same time has sent shock waves across the valley. If the messages in the videos are to be believed, we definitely need to rethink, revisit and regrow our cultural traits that have saved our honor and dignity so far.
Last week a youth whose window panes of the car were allegedly smashed by some miscreants who as per him were allegedly indulging in prostitution in a particular area. The man after taking a U-turn from the site in questions started a live video on Facebook and took his viewers to the same area where some people were seen waiting for the customers as per the man in the video.
The video was shared multiple times with almost every viewer commenting in support of the man and wanted him to report to the police as early as possible.
Another video that surfaced on social media giant “Facebook” in which another guy can be heard talking to one of the alleged sex worker in his car. Both can be clearly heard talking about the money, it was kind of a bargain, the alleged sex worker had settled on 1,000 rupees and assured the safety as well, so far as the location was concerned.
The video was uploaded by a Facebook page “Aftab Films” and the man in conversation with the alleged sex worker in the car, apparently wanted to expose the racket which he claims is working in a particular area. The same area where earlier glasses of a car were smashed for trying to videograph the scene.
Prior to those viral videos, people on several social networking platforms have raised the alarm of this growing menace and wanted the administration to take cognizance of the issue.
Is this a class of prostitutes known as ‘call girls’ who are trying to dilute the holy culture of our valley? Asked one Facebook user after sharing the screen grab of one of the viral video.
“They live in the exclusive parts of the cities. They are accessible especially to the pedestrians who tread on such roads in the evening hours. Talk of telephone, exotic cars, telecommunication gadgets etc. They fix appointment with their prospective customers on telephones too.” Said another concerned citizen wishing anonymity.
“Kashmir Is Converting Into Red Light Area, somewhere In Kashmir This Needs To Be Stopped.” Wrote another Facebook page, “Irenic Kashmir.”
“We need to instrospect everything.
We are to be blamed, we never pay zakat which can be used for upliftment of downtroden ones may be poor girls who have reached the marraiage stage and they have no other means of income. During the khulefae Rashedeen era no one used to sleep hungry, zinaah was almost negligible because they used to take care of everything. Do we justify our selves as a human first. May Allah show us right path.” Wrote Sarib Abaas in one of the comments.
