Child abuse in temple towns 

New Delhi, March 14: Major pilgrimage centres such as Puri and Tirupati are turning into hubs of male child prostitution, a recent survey says.

It pinpoints two reasons for the racket: the ban on child labour and the absence of any vigilance on what tourists do.

Child labour has been banned but the pressure on boys to earn a living for the family remains, says the joint survey by Ecpat, an international network that aims to stop sexual exploitation of children, and Indian NGO Equations.

“Moreover, families see less risk when male children are involved in selling sex as compared to girls, as the social stigma is less and the fear of pregnancy does not exist,’’ the survey report says.

The survey points to the scarcity of information on sexual exploitation of boys and prostitution by them. This, they say, is based on the mistaken assumption that since most sexual exploiters are male, their victims must always be female.

“The double standards that society has about homosexuality, and the fact that it is criminalised in India, only make the problem less visible,’’ the study says.

The survey was done at the temple towns of Puri in Orissa, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh and Guruvayoor in Kerala.

In Tirupati, which receives mostly Indian visitors, interviews of boys aged six to 18 revealed rampant sexual abuse, propelled by demand from domestic tourists.

In Puri, the boys interviewed said both domestic and foreign tourists sexually exploited them. The boys said they preferred foreign tourists because they gave them chocolates, toys and clothes.

“A number of massage parlours and health clubs have mushroomed in Puri that primarily cater to foreign and domestic tourists, where prostitution takes place involving both adults and children,’’ the study says.

“The children are contacted on (the) phone or by email from a cyber café, and the date and place to meet are fixed.”

Most of the boys come from poor families that push them into the trade, but a majority of the boys appear not to mind because they are handsomely rewarded.

“Foreigners take the children with them for a few days, and their families get a handsome amount for this,” the study says.

Child sexual abuse was less visible in Guruvayoor, the study says, but discussions with residents revealed that several boys were involved in selling sex to domestic tourists and even local people.

The two NGOs have urged the Centre to set up agencies to protect children and introduce severe punishment for those sexually exploiting them.

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