Hundreds of Nepali Women Living a Hellish Life in Delhi’s G.B. Road(Video)

Returning back from Delhi: ‘A Mere Saathi, Aajaa Yaaha Pe, Janaat Dikhaaungi!‘ (Oh my friend, come here, I will show you heaven!), a woman called a pedestrian. A few women, drenched in heavy makeup, were scanning the pedestrians.

She was one of the groups, which was calling pedestrians. Smoke was coming from the recently lit cigarette. They were using ‘double-meaning’ words and teasing the people passing by.

One of the pedestrians went close to the group after hearing. One said, ‘Aajao Sahab, Aachi Aachi maal dikhati hun.Nai Laai gaayee ladkee hai.(Come, Sir, I will show you attractive-attractive pieces. There is a new girl.)’

The woman gave a signal for going upstairs. ‘Kothi (Brothel)No. 64′, was what was written on the wall. The female took the pedestrian inside a door. The shady stairs took him upstairs. He was panting while walking upstairs.

A popular Bollywood song,‘Pardeshi Pardesi Jana Nahi…‘ was being played on the speaker. The lobby of the hotel was a wide room. Customers were choosing the females like one chooses goats in Khasibazaar, Kalanki.

‘Isn’t there someone more beautiful than this girl?’, ‘Show me another girl’, ‘What is her price?’, etc. were some of their words.

‘Give 700 rupees, take the one you loved to the room, ‘said the boss. Some were entering the room taking their chosen girl. Some were leaving saying to their friends, ‘I don’t like any girls, let’s go somewhere else.’

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This was the conversation between a pimp and a customer at G.B. Road, New Delhi, India, which is a ‘Red-Light Area’ (Sex Trade Area). The area is infamous for prostitution.

‘Garstin Bastion Road’, popular as ‘G.B. Road’ is one of the streets of Delhi. The name of the road was given with respect to a British Official when India was a colony of the East India Company. There is dense housing. G.B. Road lies between Ajmeri Gate and Lahori Gate, in Old Delhi.

Similarly, Everyone is aware of the popularity of Chandani Chowk, Delhi. It is like the Asan Bazaar of Kathmandu, Nepal. Chandani Chowk is popular as a business hub, where varieties of items can be found at cheaper prices. The area has been a business hub since the Mughal Empire.

There are 5 gates in Old Delhi. One of the five gates is located in front of the market. The gate is known as the ‘Ajmeri Gate.’ One has to take a left turn from the New Delhi Railway Station to reach Chandani Chowk.

Then, moving straight and crossing the road, Ajmeri Road is visible. A blue board can be seen with the text ‘Swami Shradhanand Marg G.B. Road.’ From there, on 2 km distance up to ‘Lahori Road’ is known as G.B. road.

India became independent from British colonization on 15^th August  1947 A.D. The name of the street was changed. The name of the road was changed from G.B. Road to ‘Swami Shradananda Marg.’But, still, it is recognized as G.B.road.

The road is popular for selling automobile parts of vehicles. Secondly, it is also the ‘Red-Light Area’ of Delhi. Some brothels are running with permission. Some are running without permission. The area has been a center for prostitution since ancient times.

As per the saying, brothels started in the area between 1526 A.D. and 1857 A.D.  Old Delhi was also one of the parts of the Mughal Empire. There were 5 brothels in that area. All the brothels were merged in G.B. Road, New Delhi.

Hellish Life

Many females, from across the world, are spending a hellish life at G.B. Road. The brothels are situated in more than 100 blocks.

According to Indian media, more than 4 thousand sex workers are present in that area. A majority of which are also Nepali. Most of them are sold. Some gentlemen even advise, ‘It’s a dirty place. There are many pickpockets. Don’t go.’

The area is crowded in the afternoon. There is the trade of automobile parts on the ground floor, and on the upper floors, there is bargaining for the sex trade. One has to climb narrow steps to go upstairs. And with the first floor is like entering into a different world. That’s how one can observe the brothels in operation. It is not much tidy. While walking through the passages, one collides with the tea sellers and vendors. There are high chances of abuse for women, so females usually avoid such streets.

It is a narrow two-lane road. Old houses are on both corners of the road. There are shops for mechanics and automobile spare parts. Above the shops, there are many brothels. The one who has rented the floor runs the brothel. Their only income is from customers.

The houses are old and colorless while observing them from the streets. But behind the walls are many dark stories hidden. Most of the windows are grilled. Few females can be seen looking through the window. They wink at the pedestrians to invite them upstairs. Also, wave their hands to invite them.

Similarly, pimps offer pedestrians. Most of them even stop the moving autorickshaws and pull the passengers. There are lots of shutters in the house on the ground floor. In between the shutters is a door.

Women with heavy makeup can be seen on the door. Just entering the door is the staircase for a brothel. Few sit in the gateway. Few stay on the staircase. Their job is to call the males walking on the streets or traveling in autorickshaws.

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While walking through the G.B. road, a pimp came and influenced a person. He said, ‘Achhi Achhi Mal Hai. Nepali Ladki Hai.’ (There are beautiful girls. There are Nepali girls.) Many customers used to seek Nepali girls. Hence, most of the pimps use promoting the ‘Brand of Nepali Girls’ as a marketing strategy.

We went there for reporting. The sole purpose was to show the pathetic life of the sex workers. Another underlying purpose of the reporting was of the possible rescue of a few sex workers. Hence, our team disguised as customers to climb the stairs.

There was a foul smell while climbing the stairs. The musk of makeup was in the air. There were stains and spots of spits of paan on the wall. The conversation of males and females bargaining over the prices was audible while climbing up the stairs. The brothel owner was claiming, ‘Nothing will happen without 700 rupees.’

The customers were replying, ‘I only have 500 rupees. I can only give you this much. Otherwise, I will go somewhere else.’

The stains on the walls and untidiness were increasing with the increasing steps in the stair. Old and sick women were seen sitting on the corners of the stair for begging. It seemed like, it was the retired life of prostitutes. It appeared like the future of all the juicy and youthful women, who were bargaining for sex.

The more you reach the top floor, the more young girls were seen. The fourth floor of the building had another brothel. There were women and young girls in huge numbers. The number of customers was also the same.

Some were busy with cleanliness. Some were standing, some were sitting. Some were putting on lipsticks and makeup. Some were busy with mobile phones.

It was easier to identify the Nepali girls, even if they were speaking in the Hindi language. Their accent clearly identified them as Nepali. Likewise, the girls of indigenous people were easy to identify. The Hindi sounded a bit different with a Nepali accent.

There were also a few boys with huge biceps. They were used to force the girls into prostitution and collect huge amounts of money from the customers.

The customers were even robbed if they return just by selecting the woman. Their sole motive was to make the customer fall cash. Otherwise, they used to take their accessories, watch or mobile, or whatever they have.

We climbed downstairs after talking for some time. We reached the footpath. One of the youths also followed us downstairs. When the youth was coming down, the bouncer asked, ‘ Why didn’t you like it?’ The youth said, ‘Everyone is attractive.’ The bouncer said, ‘Come I will show you even beautiful ones.’ The boy said, ‘No I don’t want.’ The bouncer just pulled him. He pushed him upstairs. Another bouncer from upstairs came to pull the boy upstairs. Both forced the boy upstairs. Maybe that boy was looted.

The Never-Ending Cycle

It is the daily routine of the sex workers to quench the thirst of the customers. Their rate was 700 Indian Rupees on June 2.

Despite India being one of the nations with emerging economies, the problem of women being forced into prostitution is still the same. Yamuna River flows passing Delhi. The problem of the sex workers in Delhi is just like the flowing river.

The pain and torture of the woman forced into prostitution never stops but just keeps flowing like the Yamuna River. Their days and night pass inside the brothels. They are compelled to be used every day to satisfy the customers with heavy hearts.

One of the shopkeepers in the surrounding said, ‘Many young girls are given medicines to increase the size of their breasts for increasing their sex appeal. They are not given food unless they sleep with the customer. They are beaten daily. The keepers warn them to kill them. They find prostitution more appropriate than death. This compels them.’

There is no alternative for them rather than being raped and drinking the tears every day. Some even succeeded to escape running from hell. Some don’t like to return to their homes after forcefully stepping into the profession. Such Nepali women have also turned into brothel keepers.

‘Kothi Number 64’- Home of Nepali girls

According to Indian news media, India Times, there are more than 4000 sex workers on G.B. Road. The majority of them are sold and are working in compulsion. Kothi (Brothel) No. 64 is popular as the home of Nepali girls. As it consists of Nepali women and girls in huge numbers. There are also a few Nepali sex workers in Kothi No. 54 and 56. Most of them belong to Tamang ethnic group.

Ashwin Singh, an autorickshaw driver from Chowdi Bazaar, said, ‘The ones who have been forcefully brought to the brothels are kept in a closed room. The door is opened after the arrival of customers. Bouncers are recruited. He takes the customers toward the room and locks the door from outside. They lock the doors so that they cannot escape.’

Ashwin adds, ‘The door is opened when the customer informs about the completion of the “task.” They are kept in a dark room unless another customer arrives for her.’

The Delhi Women Commission and Police raid the brothels whenever a complaint is filed. One official said, ‘If the rescue operation succeeds, brothel keepers are forced to give a certain amount of money as financial aid. But it is tough to take legal action against the housekeepers.’

There is ‘Kamala Market Police Station’ just after entering the G.B. road. Brothel keepers have a connection with 50 percent of the police officers in the station. And they even don’t obstruct the functioning of the brothels. Indian media reports that many sold women in brothels had been neglected by police.

The brothels have the majority of women having their origin in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and different parts of India including Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, etc.

One of the journalists from India said, ‘More than 80 percent of the sex workers have been forced into prostitution. They had been sold. Sometimes a concerned female is rescued upon complaints. Others are compelled to continue as sex workers.’

Loot along with Prostitution

Pedestrians even become the victims of loot in the area. Most people influence pedestrians of setting a girl but loot them in lonely places. Such people manipulate and grab pedestrians by offering beautiful girls at low prices. The local says that such frauds are prone to loot people.

Police even don’t focus on such loot happening in the daytime. Human trafficking is one of the most organized crimes in India. According to the governmental data of 2022 A.D., around 2 lakh women and children disappeared.

The lack of control over the activity resulted in the boosting of human trafficking. Some human rights activists say, ‘Most of the disappeared children and women are sold in brothels. The rescue operation is weak.’

Women reaching brothels

Most of the brothel keepers are also Nepali women. Kothi No. 64 has more young girls than in more than 100 brothels. There are more teenagers and virgin prostitutes in Kothi Number 64. Then, the sex workers are sold to other brothels after a few years.

Most of the brothel keepers in this block are Nepali women. Most Nepali are also pimps in the area. They manipulate the girls Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, and Sindhuli, in the name of education and employment, and sell them to the brothels.

Some pimps even marry the girls and trap them in the love affair to sell them in the brothel. According to the locals, a pimp generates up to 1 lakh Indian rupees while selling a girl to a brothel.

As per one of the officials of the Human Trafficking Control Unit, pimps even give the hope of employment in Dubai and Malaysia to sell them to brothels. He said, ‘They offer foreign employment. They convince them that they have to pass through India. Then, they sold them in brothels after reaching Delhi.’

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 The Nepali version of the story was published on Thursday.

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