M A I N   N E W S

Ministry alerts missions in Gulf about sex tourism
Tripti Nath
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 10
The Ministry of External Affairs has alerted its missions in the Gulf region to exercise care while issuing visas to prevent sex tourism and temporary marriages by Arab tourists in India.

Responding favourably to the suggestions made by the NCW Chairperson, Dr Poornima Advani, in mid-August, the ministry has said it would apprise embassies of the Gulf countries in India on the problem of exploitation of girls from poor families.

This assurance has been given to the NCW in a letter sent by Mr A Parthasarathi, joint secretary (Gulf/Haj) in the ministry.

In her letter to the ministry, Dr Advani apprised it muttah (short-term) marriages solemnised every monsoon between Arab tourists visiting India and young girls who are usually poor. “Under the garb of marriage, it is a contractual arrangement normally entered for a period of three months while the rainy season lasts and the Arab tourists remain away from their families. This in fact, is nothing but a variant of sex tourism’’, Dr Advani said while seeking the support of the ministry in putting an end to the nefarious system of temporary marriages.

The NCW Chairperson further stated that women were exploited by tourists and then left at the mercy of the traffickers and pimps who exploited them.

Dr Advani requested the External Affairs Minister to issue instructions to the Indian embassies in the Arab countries to verify the antecedents of the visa applicants so that the “dignity of our women is not compromised.’’

She also requested the ministry to apprise the embassies of Arab countries in India of the problem of exploitation of women.

Dr Advani told TNS that the temporary marriages allowed the man to walk out of the wedlock leaving the woman to fend for herself. She said such marriages were an annual feature in Mumbai. “Every year around the rainy season, tourists from Dubai, Kuwait and Qatar get in touch with their contacts in Mumbai to enquire if the rains have come. The hotels, the taxi drivers, the brothel owners know of their visit in advance. It is a very organised syndicate.’’

She said the NCW planned to generate a serious opinion on the issue by holding a national consultation on sex tourism in Mumbai.

Ms Nafisa Hussain, a member of the commission, said the tourists prefer Muslim girls. She said the police was helpless in checking this evil as the ‘Nikah’ was solemnised in a proper way. The family of the bride is paid a hefty amount for the contract.

Ms Hussain said the system of ‘muttah’ marriages was said to have originated in Iran. She suggested that the maulvis engaged for solemnising such marriages should also be involved in the national consultation on sex tourism being planned in Mumbai.