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ഞാൻ ലൈംഗികതൊഴിലാളി - നളിനി ജമീലയുടെ ആത്മകഥ
Fiery, outspoken and often wickedly funny, this candid account of one woman's life as a sex worker in Kerala, India became a bestseller when it was first published in Malayalam. Nalini Jameela, who takes her name from both Hindu and Muslim traditions, worked as a child in the clay mines. She has been a wife,mother successful businesswoman and social activist-as well as a sex worker-at different stages in her life. This is Nalini Jameela's story, told in her inimitably honest and down-to-earth style, of her search for dignity, empowerment and freedom on her own terms
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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2345 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
March 13, 2023
This is a difficult book to review, surprisingly not because of the content, but for the writing style. Nalini Jameela's life is a remarkable one, that I wish was better known. More a fiery speaker than a writer herself, when pressed to write an autobiography, she enlisted several scribes to write as she dictated on tape. Many of the cassettes were reportedly lost, and the ghostwriter (?) had to rely on their memory. Nalini, unhappy with the way her words had been used by her scribes/ghostwriters, rewrote it and released a revised version. The result is a long contemplative meander through her life and memories. It reads more like a conversation with an old friend, catching up on the phone at the end of the day, than a strictly structured autobiography. This will put off a lot of readers, I imagine, which is a shame because her story is such an incredible vibrant essential one. A book like this doesn't work well with my usual habit of inhaling a book a day. Instead I read a couple of pages every night before dozing off.
When first published in Malayalam, Oru Laingikatozhilaliyute Atmakatha was a highly polarising book, condemned by both feminists for 'glorifying sex work' and by conservatives for...uh acknowledging sex exists, I guess. Nalini, from a working class Ezhava family, started off as a labourer in a clay mine, then a domestic worker, before discovering sex work. Her book is a sharply observant account of caste, class, religion, and gender politics in Kerala, and largely in the south as well. (She lived at various times in parts of Tamil Nadu, and Mangalore, and learned Tamil, Kannada, and Tulu.) Nalini's experience of the Emergency (1975-1977) and the workings of the Marxist party are darkly humorous. Nalini's father was a party member, and while they did not have a great relationship, she was familiar with communist values as a young girl, leading to her being firmly and gloriously anti-police, anti-respectability, and pro-queer. She writes of being a mother while doing sex work and it is equal parts terrifying and inspiring. Her work with Jwalamukhi, a sex workers organisation, was very interesting, but strangely I cannot find anything about the organisation itself outside of references in her book. I wonder if they shut down since 2005? I couldn't find the two documentaries she directed either regrettably, but they probably weren't widely screened outside of small film festivals.
Anyway, this is a thought provoking read for anyone wanting to know more about sex work and workers rights in the south.
When first published in Malayalam, Oru Laingikatozhilaliyute Atmakatha was a highly polarising book, condemned by both feminists for 'glorifying sex work' and by conservatives for...uh acknowledging sex exists, I guess. Nalini, from a working class Ezhava family, started off as a labourer in a clay mine, then a domestic worker, before discovering sex work. Her book is a sharply observant account of caste, class, religion, and gender politics in Kerala, and largely in the south as well. (She lived at various times in parts of Tamil Nadu, and Mangalore, and learned Tamil, Kannada, and Tulu.) Nalini's experience of the Emergency (1975-1977) and the workings of the Marxist party are darkly humorous. Nalini's father was a party member, and while they did not have a great relationship, she was familiar with communist values as a young girl, leading to her being firmly and gloriously anti-police, anti-respectability, and pro-queer. She writes of being a mother while doing sex work and it is equal parts terrifying and inspiring. Her work with Jwalamukhi, a sex workers organisation, was very interesting, but strangely I cannot find anything about the organisation itself outside of references in her book. I wonder if they shut down since 2005? I couldn't find the two documentaries she directed either regrettably, but they probably weren't widely screened outside of small film festivals.
Anyway, this is a thought provoking read for anyone wanting to know more about sex work and workers rights in the south.
July 1, 2020
I remember hearing it in some ‘intellectual’ circles that people are now giving up ‘classics’ and find it more interesting to read stuff which had more ‘spice’, like this autobiography written by a prostitute. I remember the tone in which they said it, like standing on some high heaven and judging the worms of this earth. This was some few years back, at the time when brainy meant logic and juggling with words and having a high educational qualification.. at the time when highbrow Literature seemed to be the only type of literature.
And in the supposedly ‘morally conscious’ society which scorned at everything that a woman decided to assert itself, which ostracised Kamala Surayya for baring out her feminine exploration in her writings, this book must have been read by those who were looking for something to add some ‘spice’ also, and well, they must have felt cheated when they saw that this book is anything but..
This book is exactly that- a mirror to the hypocrisy in which we live. A raw depiction of the life of a woman, in words she could form out of her limited linguistic skills. This book is not much enjoyable if you go by the style and language of the book, but if you treat it as what it is the story will take you to places where it intends to take you.
And in the supposedly ‘morally conscious’ society which scorned at everything that a woman decided to assert itself, which ostracised Kamala Surayya for baring out her feminine exploration in her writings, this book must have been read by those who were looking for something to add some ‘spice’ also, and well, they must have felt cheated when they saw that this book is anything but..
This book is exactly that- a mirror to the hypocrisy in which we live. A raw depiction of the life of a woman, in words she could form out of her limited linguistic skills. This book is not much enjoyable if you go by the style and language of the book, but if you treat it as what it is the story will take you to places where it intends to take you.
March 12, 2021
A unique work
Nalini Jameela deserves great appreciation.
Best wits to the deprived. Reality at ground level of the deprived.
Her reach upto Thailand deserves a lot of praise.
Nalini Jameela deserves great appreciation.
Best wits to the deprived. Reality at ground level of the deprived.
Her reach upto Thailand deserves a lot of praise.
September 16, 2013
This is one of those books I had to drop in-between. I read the revised version (in Malayalam), not the original which had created such a controversy-and found it as dull as ditch-water. I was interested in knowing the trials and tribulations of a woman forced into selling her body, and the inner workings of the sex trade racket in Kerala. What I got was a sort of journal detailing the author's relationships with various customers, recited in a monotonous drone. Maybe it gets interesting further on, but I had lost interest in finding out.
August 8, 2018
Really opened my eyes to the profession! The struggles of a poor woman, not just a sex worker but in general a poor woman and her struggles.
3.5 🌟
Non linear narrative, hurried narrative really took away the points.... Also as the author herself has said her last chapter was rushed in order to set the book straight (she had an older version which she decided to rewrite)
I would definitely read it if the author comes put with another new chapter!
3.5 🌟
Non linear narrative, hurried narrative really took away the points.... Also as the author herself has said her last chapter was rushed in order to set the book straight (she had an older version which she decided to rewrite)
I would definitely read it if the author comes put with another new chapter!
August 30, 2019
I liked this. First, there's no obscenity or vulgarity in this book. It is simply the story of a poor woman who had to enter in sex-work because of her plightful life.
.
The main reason to like this book was the confidence of the writer who chose to write this autobiography- a poor woman in India indulged in sex-work- just imagine!!
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The writing style is very simple, like written by a highschool student. Though it's translated in English from Malayalam, and the writer wrote in the Forward that she kept the style as simple as it could be just to resemble the attitude of the original author.
.
Well, it was a nice to see the life by different perspectives.
.
The main reason to like this book was the confidence of the writer who chose to write this autobiography- a poor woman in India indulged in sex-work- just imagine!!
.
The writing style is very simple, like written by a highschool student. Though it's translated in English from Malayalam, and the writer wrote in the Forward that she kept the style as simple as it could be just to resemble the attitude of the original author.
.
Well, it was a nice to see the life by different perspectives.
October 23, 2019
Not quite what i expected
So, again i was led to this book by prime reading. I expected it to be a sorrowful tale of how someone is forced into sex trade and all their hardships. I never expected it be written by someone with high self esteem who was not just ok with her proffession, but almost proud of it. That surprised me and i liked that fresh perapective. But the book itself was not an easy read in terms if the number of characters and the maintainence of temporality.
So, again i was led to this book by prime reading. I expected it to be a sorrowful tale of how someone is forced into sex trade and all their hardships. I never expected it be written by someone with high self esteem who was not just ok with her proffession, but almost proud of it. That surprised me and i liked that fresh perapective. But the book itself was not an easy read in terms if the number of characters and the maintainence of temporality.
August 18, 2016
This is the first time that I read someone's biography, so even if this may be just an ordinary book for some, I really liked it. It was blunt, it was a down-to-earth kinda writing, the language was simple yet she managed to convey everything in a beautiful manner.
The book is divided in parts, and they are in a chronological order. It starts with her dropping out of school to do labour work to support her family, leading to her getting thrown out of her family because she fell in love with someone she shouldn't have. She marries for the first time, for a few years and also give birth to two daughters. But she is forced to give her mother in law more money than she earned, failing which she was punished. This situation leads to her changing cities, look for work and eventually get trapped in the sex work. But she never feels trapped. She keeps her head high, does whatever she could to not only survive, but try to get a good life as well. She gets married quite a few times, for security as well as pleasure. Till the later parts of the book, she has a daughter for whom she does everything so that she gets a good standard of living.
I loved how Nalini was reluctant to trust people, to take risks with them, but still did, just so that she could live a few days of peace. She somehow always got to know when people were tired of her, when they wanted to get rid of her, but she never gave them the chance to do so, instead, she herself left them, just because she had at least that much self respect left. I don't think that was cowardly at all. I think that was brave: leaving someone safe, someplace comfortable, for unknown places and people, just to keep your self respect.
One thing I really admire in this book was the love Nalini felt towards her daughter. She did almost anything to keep her safe, keep her away from the world of sex work.
I seriously want people to read this. So many things go wrong, so many things that shouldn't happen, happen, and people are unaware. I had imagined what the lives of these sex workers be like, but I had never known for sure. Now I have some knowledge, at least.
The book is divided in parts, and they are in a chronological order. It starts with her dropping out of school to do labour work to support her family, leading to her getting thrown out of her family because she fell in love with someone she shouldn't have. She marries for the first time, for a few years and also give birth to two daughters. But she is forced to give her mother in law more money than she earned, failing which she was punished. This situation leads to her changing cities, look for work and eventually get trapped in the sex work. But she never feels trapped. She keeps her head high, does whatever she could to not only survive, but try to get a good life as well. She gets married quite a few times, for security as well as pleasure. Till the later parts of the book, she has a daughter for whom she does everything so that she gets a good standard of living.
I loved how Nalini was reluctant to trust people, to take risks with them, but still did, just so that she could live a few days of peace. She somehow always got to know when people were tired of her, when they wanted to get rid of her, but she never gave them the chance to do so, instead, she herself left them, just because she had at least that much self respect left. I don't think that was cowardly at all. I think that was brave: leaving someone safe, someplace comfortable, for unknown places and people, just to keep your self respect.
One thing I really admire in this book was the love Nalini felt towards her daughter. She did almost anything to keep her safe, keep her away from the world of sex work.
I seriously want people to read this. So many things go wrong, so many things that shouldn't happen, happen, and people are unaware. I had imagined what the lives of these sex workers be like, but I had never known for sure. Now I have some knowledge, at least.
May 23, 2021
Amazing book!
Though I haven't read the original book Oru Laingikatozhilaliyute Atmakatha. I read its English translation by J.Devika.
The book starts with her childhood days and travels towards the point in her life where she chooses sex work under circumstantial issues and ends with her directing short films, travelling to Thailand and appearing in mainstream media as a social worker. (Just a rough outline)
Her first day as a sex worker though starts at a good place, it ends on a sour note with her getting arrested. This incident had a great impact on her and influenced her way of dealing with clients in future. This book contains her stories and experiences with different clients, the class differences among the sex workers, the brutality faced by them etc. The book also deals with her struggle along with her kid and how society treats a single parent. That too if she is a sex worker (Intersectionality)
She also doesn't hesitate to call out the hypocrisy of society and feminists. She also speaks against the idea of rehabilitation which the majority of agencies put out as a solution to safeguard sex workers. She argues that rehabilitation won't help sex workers to erase their past and certainty won't stop, others from entering this profession. What sex workers need, is to recognise their work as legal so that they are protected. Because two people who are consenting to have sex if later get caught by the authorities it's the sex worker who is punished.
Though, there are few places where I am slightly not in agreement with her arguments. Especially when she emphasized the fact that women should embrace their feminity and shouldn't struggle to become like men, as men themselves aren't free. To which I feel, feminity and masculinity as we know are social constructs and people should be given the choice to embrace it however they like.
In short, I will recommend this to anyone who wants to understand sex workers, particularly in Kerala. It is a good start to develop your understanding. It also helps in breaking the stereotypes around sex workers, the major one being that, "Sex workers don't have a domestic/private life. Because they are public women." Also, there are few instances where you will realise she stan LTBTQIA+ and promotes lesbianism.
The writing style Nalini uses when it comes to autobiography may not be perfect. But you will enjoy her witty replies and smart analogies.
Though I haven't read the original book Oru Laingikatozhilaliyute Atmakatha. I read its English translation by J.Devika.
The book starts with her childhood days and travels towards the point in her life where she chooses sex work under circumstantial issues and ends with her directing short films, travelling to Thailand and appearing in mainstream media as a social worker. (Just a rough outline)
Her first day as a sex worker though starts at a good place, it ends on a sour note with her getting arrested. This incident had a great impact on her and influenced her way of dealing with clients in future. This book contains her stories and experiences with different clients, the class differences among the sex workers, the brutality faced by them etc. The book also deals with her struggle along with her kid and how society treats a single parent. That too if she is a sex worker (Intersectionality)
She also doesn't hesitate to call out the hypocrisy of society and feminists. She also speaks against the idea of rehabilitation which the majority of agencies put out as a solution to safeguard sex workers. She argues that rehabilitation won't help sex workers to erase their past and certainty won't stop, others from entering this profession. What sex workers need, is to recognise their work as legal so that they are protected. Because two people who are consenting to have sex if later get caught by the authorities it's the sex worker who is punished.
Though, there are few places where I am slightly not in agreement with her arguments. Especially when she emphasized the fact that women should embrace their feminity and shouldn't struggle to become like men, as men themselves aren't free. To which I feel, feminity and masculinity as we know are social constructs and people should be given the choice to embrace it however they like.
In short, I will recommend this to anyone who wants to understand sex workers, particularly in Kerala. It is a good start to develop your understanding. It also helps in breaking the stereotypes around sex workers, the major one being that, "Sex workers don't have a domestic/private life. Because they are public women." Also, there are few instances where you will realise she stan LTBTQIA+ and promotes lesbianism.
The writing style Nalini uses when it comes to autobiography may not be perfect. But you will enjoy her witty replies and smart analogies.
July 29, 2018
With a very slow start and an abrupt ending, this book was completely different from what I expected it to be. It is an emotionless journal of the day to day life of a sex worker. I appreciate the writer's courage to reclaim her first version of the autobiography and her very strong attempts towards the betterment of sex workers in India. But as far as this book is concerned, it just gives me a brief on the hardships face by them, where as I was looking for something with a psychological angle.
May 2, 2019
Voices from the periphery interest me a lot more than the mainstream stories. When I came across this book, I couldn't stop myself from reading it. Sex work is a taboo in Indian society but then it is also perhaps the oldest profession in the world.
The Autobiography of a Sex Worker gives us an insight into the world of sex workers. More often than not, it is the women who have no other option begin this work. Nalini's life is as tumultuous as one would expect it to be. The book is engaging and a short read. What I didn't like about it is that there is no cohesiveness. Chapters are stuffed without any linearity and the language suffers due to translation. I'd still recommend this book to someone who wants to understand how the society treats its stereotyped minorities.
The Autobiography of a Sex Worker gives us an insight into the world of sex workers. More often than not, it is the women who have no other option begin this work. Nalini's life is as tumultuous as one would expect it to be. The book is engaging and a short read. What I didn't like about it is that there is no cohesiveness. Chapters are stuffed without any linearity and the language suffers due to translation. I'd still recommend this book to someone who wants to understand how the society treats its stereotyped minorities.
June 22, 2019
Many of us, at some point would have wondered about the sex workers and how their lives pan out. When we see them being portrayed in a particular way in cinemas our minds conjure up a lot of background stories, some true, some fables. Nalini has brought in a freshness to the whole idea of sex work through this novel. The story is written in a very simple language (this being a translation) and does touch a raw nerve. One would shudder at some points in the book where she narrates some incidents. The sex workers are also humans and many of us do not consider that. It does have portions that could have been handled better but then it is her autobiography and there are two ways about it.
It is a good one time read.
It is a good one time read.
February 19, 2019
I can imagine the scandal this book caused and will cause for anyone expecting this to be the tragic story of a sex worker. This is a mostly unapologetic plainly written biography of a woman who chose to be a sex worker and does not admit to being guilt ridden about it. It's plainspoken and makes no attempts at being morally righteous or politically correct. I absolutely loved it for the basic way it was written with no attempts to ask for sympathy or to play the victim. The pace itself was sometimes a bit slow in some places. However, overall, I would recommend this for anyone interested in socially relevant literature.
January 6, 2020
நளினி தன் சுயவரலாற்றை புத்தகமாக எழுதியுள்ளார். பாலியல் தொழிலிக்கு எப்படி வந்தேன், நளினி நளினிஜமீலாவாக மாற்றமடைந்தது, பல போராட்டங்களை முன்னெடுத்தது, பாலியல் தொழிலின் இன்றைய நிலை வரை இதில் எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.
பாலியல் தொழில் தொடர்பான இவரது கருத்துக்கள் மிக தெளிவானவை குறிப்பாக மறுவாழ்வு, பாலியல் சுரண்டல், பெண்வாணிபம், பாலியலை விற்கலாமா?, குலுங்கும் கார்கள், ஆண்கள்: அன்றும் இன்றும், பயணம், கயிறுகள்(புரோக்கர்) போன்ற அத்தியாங்களை படிக்கையில் உணர முடியும்.
-கலைச்செல்வன் செல்வராஜ்
பாலியல் தொழில் தொடர்பான இவரது கருத்துக்கள் மிக தெளிவானவை குறிப்பாக மறுவாழ்வு, பாலியல் சுரண்டல், பெண்வாணிபம், பாலியலை விற்கலாமா?, குலுங்கும் கார்கள், ஆண்கள்: அன்றும் இன்றும், பயணம், கயிறுகள்(புரோக்கர்) போன்ற அத்தியாங்களை படிக்கையில் உணர முடியும்.
-கலைச்செல்வன் செல்வராஜ்
April 23, 2020
It would have been helpful if I had known about her and her work, before picking this up to read. Because otherwise, the 'connect' is not there that makes one immersed in a book. Though till 40% of the book, it got me engaged, but maybe the simple way of telling the tale or the amount of pages in which her personal struggle of going this husband to that man and then the other shelter and so on, which made me lose the interest. Which then till last pages, made a struggle to finish this.
July 26, 2024
" 𝘚𝘦𝘹 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴: 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥; 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴; 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘵; 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 !! "
> An ordinary Indian woman who got into sex work only because of life circumstances.Just like other works, Nalini Jameela has taken sexwork as a profession.
> Many of us who are sexually sophisticated frown when we hear the word prostitution.But isn't prostitution the basis of society's "necessity" as the Bible asks, "Let those among you who are without sin stone at her?".
> Therefore, if the society that includes you and me will think back to itself, the wrinkled foreheads will be restored.In this autobiography, Nalini Jameela is trying to bring the moral sense of weight loss to the front of the society.
> An ordinary Indian woman who got into sex work only because of life circumstances.Just like other works, Nalini Jameela has taken sexwork as a profession.
> Many of us who are sexually sophisticated frown when we hear the word prostitution.But isn't prostitution the basis of society's "necessity" as the Bible asks, "Let those among you who are without sin stone at her?".
> Therefore, if the society that includes you and me will think back to itself, the wrinkled foreheads will be restored.In this autobiography, Nalini Jameela is trying to bring the moral sense of weight loss to the front of the society.
August 7, 2022
This book was an eye opener- in the world of sex as business. It normalized sex as any other business for me more than all my years of education and sensitization. It has been this reason why the book has been subjected to much criticism but, to me this has been the redeeming factor of the book. Imo, it's written very matter-of-factly- narrating the incidents as they are- but perhaps sometimes you need that to make your own judgements. Towards the end I was made privy to some of Nalini's opinions and to me those were very refreshing. The PoV(s) are from a very practical perspective of a woman from a lower economic strata ("twirl them around, get your job done but, don't give in")- a voice one generally does not hear and, to hear/read those are what make this book memorable.
February 1, 2019
Though raw, yet very outspoken and on-your-face account of a woman taking to the oldest livelihood option left to her to fend for herself and her child. Her account is sure to rattle many a skewed perception and come to question the validity of common parlance used in this context.
April 27, 2018
There are indeed limitations of expression and articulation but the book presents a poignant story of a sex worker, her travails and tribulations as also the world view from her point of view.
February 5, 2022
பாலியல் தொழிலாளர் அமைப்பின் தலைவியும், பாலியல் தொழிலாளியும், குறும்பட இயக்குனரும், பெண்ணியவாதியும், எழுத்தாளரும் ஆக வாழும் நளினி ஜமீலாவின் கதைதான் இந்நூல். "நளினி ஜமீலாவின் இந்த சுயசரிதை திருத்தி எழுதப்பட்ட மறுபதிப்பு" என்று இந்நூலின் ஆசிரியர் குளச்சல் மூ.யூசப் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
கேரளாவில் பொருளாதார நிலையில் சிறப்புற்றிருந்த குடும்பத்தில் பிறந்த நளினி பின் காலத்தின் விளையாட்டால் குடும்பத்தின் வறுமையின் காரணமாக கூலி வேலைக்கு செல்கிறார். வேலைக்கு சேர்ந்த இடத்தில் தனது 9 வயதில் முதல் பாலியல் சீண்டலை அனுபவிக்கிறார். அதன்பின் தந்தையால் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியே தள்ளப்பட்டு சூழ்நிலையின் காரணமாய் தனது காதலனின் நண்பனை மணக்க நேரிட்டு பின்பு இரண்டு குழந்தைகள் பெற்றெடுத்து இறுதியாய் கணவனை இழந்ததும் மாமியார் குழந்தைகளை வளர்க்க தினமும் ஐந்து ரூபாய் தரவேண்டும் என்று கூறியதை தொடர்ந்து நளினி பாலியல் தொழிலில் நுழைகிறார்.
இதற்குப் பின் நளினியின் வாழ்வில் பல ஆண்கள் ..பல துன்பங்கள் ..பல அடிகள் ..நளினி தனது வாழ்க்கை வரலாற்றின் மூலம் சமூகத்தில் சாதாரணப் பெண்களைவிட பாலியல் தொழிலில் ஈடுபடும் பெண்கள் எவ்வளவு துன்பத்திற்கு உள்ளாகிறார்கள், இச்சமூகம் அவர்களை கையாளும் முறை, எப்படி எல்லாம் இவர்கள் வெறுத்து ஒதுக்கப் படுகிறார்கள் என்பதை குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
பெண் பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களை தரம் குறைந்தவர்களை பார்க்கும் சமூகமானது அவர்களோடு தொடர்பு கொண்ட ஆண்களை குற்றமற்றவர்களாக பார்க்கிறது என்று இவர் சமூகத்தை விமர்சித்து பல கேள்விகளை முன் வைக்கிறார்.
பாலியல் தொழிலாளியாக இருந்த நளினி பிற்காலத்தில் "ஜுவாலாமுகி" என்ற அமைப்பில் இணைந்து பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் அமைப்பு தலைவியாய் மாறுகிறார். அதன்பின் பல வெளிநாட்டு பயணங்கள் , மேடைப்பேச்சு, அமைப்பு போராட்டம், பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் இன்னல்களை வெளி உலகிற்கு காட்ட சில குறும்படங்களையும் எடுத்து வெளியிடுகிறார்.
பெரும்பாலும் நாம் திரைப்படங்களில் பார்க்கும் பாலியல் தொழிலாளி போலல்லாமல் நளினி மிகவும் மாறுபட்டவராகவே காணப்படுகிறார் . பாலியல் தொழிலில் தனக்கு நடந்த பல சுவாரஸ்யமான , கசப்பான விஷயங்களை இதில் பதிவுசெய்துள்ளார். உதாரணமாக, சமூகத்தில் சில உயர் பதவியில் உள்ள ஆண்கள் தன்னிடம் வரும்போது வெளி உலகிற்கு தான் ஒரு விபச்சாரியுடன் இருப்பதைக் காட்டிக் கொள்ள விரும்பாமல் தனக்கு பூ, புடவை ,நகை போன்ற பலவற்றையும் வாங்கிக்கொடுத்து அலங்கரித்து மனைவியைப்போல் வெளியில் அழைத்துச் சென்றதாகவும் எப்படி சாப்ப��ட வேண்டும் பொது இடங்களில் எப்படி நடந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் எப்படி பேச வேண்டும் என்று பலவற்றையும் சொல்லிக் கொடுத்ததாக தனக்கு இது ஒரு வேடிக்கையான சம்பவமாக இருந்ததாகவும் பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறார்.
அதுமட்டுமின்றி தன்னிடம் வரும் வாடிக்கையாளர்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் நிச்சயிக்கப்பட்ட ஆண்களாக தங்களது பாலியல் ரீதியான சில சந்தேகங்களை கேட்டுத் தெரிந்து கொள்வதற்கும் ..மணவாழ்க்கையில் தங்கள் மனைவியை திருப்திப்படுத்த தவறிய உடலுறவில் தோற்ற ஆண்களும் வந்து தங்கள் மனைவியை எப்படி சந்தோஷப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்னவெல்லாம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டு தெரிந்துகொள்ள தன்னிடம் வந்ததாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். இன்னும் சிலருக்கு உடலுறவு என்றால் அது தொட்டு பேசுவதும் சும்மா உரசுவது மட்டுமே சிலருக்கு நீண்டநேரம் தங்களின் சோகக் கதையும் மனக்குமுறள்களை பகிர்ந்து கொள்ள ஒரு ஆள் தேவைப்படுகிறது அதற்காக தன்னிடம் வந்து தங்களது அலுவலக விஷயங்கள் வீட்டு விஷயங்கள் வெளி விஷயங்கள் போன்ற தங்களின் மனதில் அடைத்து வைத்துள்ள பல கசப்பான விஷயங்களை பகிர்ந்து விட்டு தனக்கு காசு கொடுத்து விட்டு சென்றதாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
ஆனால் பாலியல் தொழில் முழுவதும் இதுவாக மட்டுமே இருக்கவில்லை இதில் பல கொடூரங்களும் உள்ளன காவலர்களாக இருக்கும் போலீசாரால் அடித்து துன்புறுத்தப்படுவது வலுக்கட்டாயமாக உடலுறவு கொள்ளச் செய்வதும் verbal abuse செய்யப்படுவது என அத்துமீறல்கள் நீண்டுக் கொண்டே போகிறது.
Experience of police violence against sex workers என்ற தலைப்பில் இந்திய அளவிலான 3000 பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களிடம் ஒரு சிறிய survey எடுக்கப்பட்டது.
அதில் பல பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்கள் காவல்துறையினரால் தங்களுக்கு நேர்ந்த பல கொடூரமான விஷயங்களை கீழ்க்கண்டவாறு பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர்
No .of sex workers
Abusive Language - 1431 ( 50% )
Beaten , Hair Pulled , Beaten with Belts - 1011 ( 35 % )
Threatened - 1052 ( 37% )
Forced to Bribe - 569 ( 20% )
These people are always treated as criminals and the right to live , dignity, equality, protection போன்ற அனைத்தும் கேள்விக்குறியாகவே இருக்கிறது.
நளினி ஜமீலாவின் வாழ்விலும் இதே மாதிரியான அனுபவங்கள் நடந்துள்ளது. ஒரு நாள் ஒரு பாலியல் தொழிலாளி ரோட்டில் நீதிபதியின் மனைவியின் பக்கத்தில் நின்று விட்டார் என்பதற்காக Brothel-Raid என்ற பெயரில் Police arrested these sex workers under Public nuisance and they illegally detained , sexually assaulted & tortured them in custody .
ஒருபுறம் போலீசார் இப்படி என்றால் மறுபுறம் ரவுடிகள். ஒரு பாலியல் தொழிலாளி இரவில் வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்காக தனியாக ரோட்டில் காத்திருந்தால் அவளிடம் வம்பு செய்வது காசு தராமல் வலுக்கட்டாயமாக அவர்களை உஞலுறவுக்கொள்ளச் செய்வது தரக்குறைவாக பேசுவது போன்று அத்துமீறல்களும் இவர்களிடம் நடந்துள்ளது ..ஒரே பெண்ணை வலுக்கட்டாயமாக ஆட்டோவில் ஏற்றிச் சென்று 15 முதல் 17 பேர் ரேப் செய்து கொல்லப்படுவதையும் கொன்று எரித்ததையும் நளினி தன் கண்களால் பார்த்ததாக பகிர்ந்துள்ளார்.
இவர்களின் அமைப்பு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் உரிமைக்காக மட்டும் குரல் கொடுக்காமல் கட்டாயத்தின் பெயரால் பாலியல் தொழிலில் தள்ளப்பட்ட பல பெண்களுக்கு மறுவாழ்வு அமைத்து தரவும் அவர்களுக்கு தகுந்த வேலை வாங்கித் தரவும் பெரும் துணையாய் இருந்துள்ளது.
நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோருக்கு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்கள் மீதான பார்வை தவறாகவே அமைந்துள்ளது. அவர்களை ஏதோ கொலை செய்தவர்கள் போலவும் அருவருக்கத்தக்க உயிரினங்களாக போலவும் பார்க்க இச்சமூகம் நமக்கு காலங்காலமாய் சொல்லி கொடுத்துள்ளது. "பாட்டு கேட்பதற்கான டேப்ரிக்கார்டும் கேசட்டும் விலைக்கு வாங்குகிறோம். யாருடைய பாடலை கேட்கலாம் என்று நாம்தான் தீர்மானித்துக் கொள்கிறோம்.இது போன்றதுதான் வேறுபட்ட பாலினம் குறித்த தேடலும். விற்பனை செய்யலாமா என்று கேட்கும் உரிமை அவர்களுக்கு இல்லை அவர்கள் தமக்குத் தேவை இல்லையா? என்ற கேள்வியை தமக்குள் வேண்டுமானால் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளலாம் .எல்லோரும் வாங்கியாக வேண்டும் என்ற நிர்ப்பந்தம் எதுவும் இல்லை. தேவை இருப்பவர்கள் வந்து வாங்கிக் கொள்ளட்டும். துணிமணிகள் வாங்கும் போது இதைப் போய் விற்பார்களா என்று சிந்திக்கிறோமா? இதை இனாமாக தந்தால் என்ன என்று கேட்கிறோம். வாங்க விரும்பாதவர்களை வலுக்கட்டாயப்படுத்தி வாங்கச் சொன்னால் மட்டுமே எதிர்ப்பதில் அர்த்தம் இருக்கிறது. இங்கே விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவது அன்போ காதலோ அல்ல ஒரு நபருடன் குறிப்பிட்ட நேரத்தை செலவிட ஒரு சம்பளம் நிர்ணயிக்கப்படுகிறது. அவர்களுக்கு தேவையான அப்போதைய மன அமைதியையும் பரிவையும் அளிக்கிறோம் . இதை விற்பனை செய்யக்கூடாது என்று சொல்வதைவிட தேவைப்படாதவர்கள் வாங்க வேண்டாம் என்று முடிவு செய்து கொள்வதுதான் நல்லது" என்று இத்தொழிலுக்கு விளக்கமளிக்கிறார் நளினி ஜமீலா.
இந்தப் பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களில் பலரும் சரியான வேலை வாய்ப்பு அமையாமல் ,குடும்பத்தால் வெளித்தள்ளப்படும், கணவரை இழந்து வேறு வழியின்றி தொழிலுக்கு வந்து சேர்ந்துள்ளனர். இவர்களில் பலருக்கு எந்த ஒரு அடையாளமும் இல்லாமல் வாழ்கின்றனர் குறிப்பாக இந்த ஓட்டர் ஐடி ,ரேஷன் கார்டு ,ஆதார் கார்டு போன்ற எதுவும் இல்லாமல் அரசின் எந்த ஒரு நலத்திட்ட உதவிகள் பெற முடியாமலும், ஒரு வாடகை வீடுக்கூட கிடைக்காமலும் மற்றவர்களை கையேந்தி வாழும் நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளனர் என்பது மறுக்க முடியாத உண்மை.
சமீபத்தில் மகாராஷ்டிரா அரசு கொரோனாவால் பணியின்றி பாதித்த பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு 5000 ரூபாயும் அவர்களில் பள்ளி செல்லும் குழந்தைகள் உள்ள பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு கூடுதலாய் 2500 ரூபாய் தந்ததாக படித்தேன். அதுமட்டுமின்றி சில மாநில அரசு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கான மறுவாழ்வு மையம் மற்றும் மாற்று தொழில் பயிற்சி உதவி போன்ற பலவற்றை தொடங்கி வைத்துள்ளது. ஆனால் இவையெல்லாம் எத்தனை பேருக்கு முழுமையாக சென்று அடைந்தது எத்தனை பேர் இதன் மூலம் பயன் பெற்றார்கள் என்று கேட்டால் அதுவும் கேள்விக்குறியதே.
இவர்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பது பணமோ பரிதாபமோ மற்றவர்களின் தயவோ அல்ல இவர்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பது எல்லாம் இச்சமூகத்தில் மற்ற மனிதர்களுக்கு கிடைக்கும் அதே மரியாதையும் அங்கீகாரமும் சம உரிமையும் தான்.
பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் மற்றொரு பக்கத்தையும் அவர்களைச் சமூகம் எப்படி நடத்துகிறது என்பதை பற்றி தெரிந்துகொள்ள அனைவரும் நிச்சயம் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம் தான் "நளினி ஜமீலா".
கேரளாவில் பொருளாதார நிலையில் சிறப்புற்றிருந்த குடும்பத்தில் பிறந்த நளினி பின் காலத்தின் விளையாட்டால் குடும்பத்தின் வறுமையின் காரணமாக கூலி வேலைக்கு செல்கிறார். வேலைக்கு சேர்ந்த இடத்தில் தனது 9 வயதில் முதல் பாலியல் சீண்டலை அனுபவிக்கிறார். அதன்பின் தந்தையால் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியே தள்ளப்பட்டு சூழ்நிலையின் காரணமாய் தனது காதலனின் நண்பனை மணக்க நேரிட்டு பின்பு இரண்டு குழந்தைகள் பெற்றெடுத்து இறுதியாய் கணவனை இழந்ததும் மாமியார் குழந்தைகளை வளர்க்க தினமும் ஐந்து ரூபாய் தரவேண்டும் என்று கூறியதை தொடர்ந்து நளினி பாலியல் தொழிலில் நுழைகிறார்.
இதற்குப் பின் நளினியின் வாழ்வில் பல ஆண்கள் ..பல துன்பங்கள் ..பல அடிகள் ..நளினி தனது வாழ்க்கை வரலாற்றின் மூலம் சமூகத்தில் சாதாரணப் பெண்களைவிட பாலியல் தொழிலில் ஈடுபடும் பெண்கள் எவ்வளவு துன்பத்திற்கு உள்ளாகிறார்கள், இச்சமூகம் அவர்களை கையாளும் முறை, எப்படி எல்லாம் இவர்கள் வெறுத்து ஒதுக்கப் படுகிறார்கள் என்பதை குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
பெண் பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களை தரம் குறைந்தவர்களை பார்க்கும் சமூகமானது அவர்களோடு தொடர்பு கொண்ட ஆண்களை குற்றமற்றவர்களாக பார்க்கிறது என்று இவர் சமூகத்தை விமர்சித்து பல கேள்விகளை முன் வைக்கிறார்.
பாலியல் தொழிலாளியாக இருந்த நளினி பிற்காலத்தில் "ஜுவாலாமுகி" என்ற அமைப்பில் இணைந்து பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் அமைப்பு தலைவியாய் மாறுகிறார். அதன்பின் பல வெளிநாட்டு பயணங்கள் , மேடைப்பேச்சு, அமைப்பு போராட்டம், பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் இன்னல்களை வெளி உலகிற்கு காட்ட சில குறும்படங்களையும் எடுத்து வெளியிடுகிறார்.
பெரும்பாலும் நாம் திரைப்படங்களில் பார்க்கும் பாலியல் தொழிலாளி போலல்லாமல் நளினி மிகவும் மாறுபட்டவராகவே காணப்படுகிறார் . பாலியல் தொழிலில் தனக்கு நடந்த பல சுவாரஸ்யமான , கசப்பான விஷயங்களை இதில் பதிவுசெய்துள்ளார். உதாரணமாக, சமூகத்தில் சில உயர் பதவியில் உள்ள ஆண்கள் தன்னிடம் வரும்போது வெளி உலகிற்கு தான் ஒரு விபச்சாரியுடன் இருப்பதைக் காட்டிக் கொள்ள விரும்பாமல் தனக்கு பூ, புடவை ,நகை போன்ற பலவற்றையும் வாங்கிக்கொடுத்து அலங்கரித்து மனைவியைப்போல் வெளியில் அழைத்துச் சென்றதாகவும் எப்படி சாப்ப��ட வேண்டும் பொது இடங்களில் எப்படி நடந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் எப்படி பேச வேண்டும் என்று பலவற்றையும் சொல்லிக் கொடுத்ததாக தனக்கு இது ஒரு வேடிக்கையான சம்பவமாக இருந்ததாகவும் பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறார்.
அதுமட்டுமின்றி தன்னிடம் வரும் வாடிக்கையாளர்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் நிச்சயிக்கப்பட்ட ஆண்களாக தங்களது பாலியல் ரீதியான சில சந்தேகங்களை கேட்டுத் தெரிந்து கொள்வதற்கும் ..மணவாழ்க்கையில் தங்கள் மனைவியை திருப்திப்படுத்த தவறிய உடலுறவில் தோற்ற ஆண்களும் வந்து தங்கள் மனைவியை எப்படி சந்தோஷப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்னவெல்லாம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டு தெரிந்துகொள்ள தன்னிடம் வந்ததாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். இன்னும் சிலருக்கு உடலுறவு என்றால் அது தொட்டு பேசுவதும் சும்மா உரசுவது மட்டுமே சிலருக்கு நீண்டநேரம் தங்களின் சோகக் கதையும் மனக்குமுறள்களை பகிர்ந்து கொள்ள ஒரு ஆள் தேவைப்படுகிறது அதற்காக தன்னிடம் வந்து தங்களது அலுவலக விஷயங்கள் வீட்டு விஷயங்கள் வெளி விஷயங்கள் போன்ற தங்களின் மனதில் அடைத்து வைத்துள்ள பல கசப்பான விஷயங்களை பகிர்ந்து விட்டு தனக்கு காசு கொடுத்து விட்டு சென்றதாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
ஆனால் பாலியல் தொழில் முழுவதும் இதுவாக மட்டுமே இருக்கவில்லை இதில் பல கொடூரங்களும் உள்ளன காவலர்களாக இருக்கும் போலீசாரால் அடித்து துன்புறுத்தப்படுவது வலுக்கட்டாயமாக உடலுறவு கொள்ளச் செய்வதும் verbal abuse செய்யப்படுவது என அத்துமீறல்கள் நீண்டுக் கொண்டே போகிறது.
Experience of police violence against sex workers என்ற தலைப்பில் இந்திய அளவிலான 3000 பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களிடம் ஒரு சிறிய survey எடுக்கப்பட்டது.
அதில் பல பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்கள் காவல்துறையினரால் தங்களுக்கு நேர்ந்த பல கொடூரமான விஷயங்களை கீழ்க்கண்டவாறு பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர்
No .of sex workers
Abusive Language - 1431 ( 50% )
Beaten , Hair Pulled , Beaten with Belts - 1011 ( 35 % )
Threatened - 1052 ( 37% )
Forced to Bribe - 569 ( 20% )
These people are always treated as criminals and the right to live , dignity, equality, protection போன்ற அனைத்தும் கேள்விக்குறியாகவே இருக்கிறது.
நளினி ஜமீலாவின் வாழ்விலும் இதே மாதிரியான அனுபவங்கள் நடந்துள்ளது. ஒரு நாள் ஒரு பாலியல் தொழிலாளி ரோட்டில் நீதிபதியின் மனைவியின் பக்கத்தில் நின்று விட்டார் என்பதற்காக Brothel-Raid என்ற பெயரில் Police arrested these sex workers under Public nuisance and they illegally detained , sexually assaulted & tortured them in custody .
ஒருபுறம் போலீசார் இப்படி என்றால் மறுபுறம் ரவுடிகள். ஒரு பாலியல் தொழிலாளி இரவில் வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்காக தனியாக ரோட்டில் காத்திருந்தால் அவளிடம் வம்பு செய்வது காசு தராமல் வலுக்கட்டாயமாக அவர்களை உஞலுறவுக்கொள்ளச் செய்வது தரக்குறைவாக பேசுவது போன்று அத்துமீறல்களும் இவர்களிடம் நடந்துள்ளது ..ஒரே பெண்ணை வலுக்கட்டாயமாக ஆட்டோவில் ஏற்றிச் சென்று 15 முதல் 17 பேர் ரேப் செய்து கொல்லப்படுவதையும் கொன்று எரித்ததையும் நளினி தன் கண்களால் பார்த்ததாக பகிர்ந்துள்ளார்.
இவர்களின் அமைப்பு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் உரிமைக்காக மட்டும் குரல் கொடுக்காமல் கட்டாயத்தின் பெயரால் பாலியல் தொழிலில் தள்ளப்பட்ட பல பெண்களுக்கு மறுவாழ்வு அமைத்து தரவும் அவர்களுக்கு தகுந்த வேலை வாங்கித் தரவும் பெரும் துணையாய் இருந்துள்ளது.
நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோருக்கு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்கள் மீதான பார்வை தவறாகவே அமைந்துள்ளது. அவர்களை ஏதோ கொலை செய்தவர்கள் போலவும் அருவருக்கத்தக்க உயிரினங்களாக போலவும் பார்க்க இச்சமூகம் நமக்கு காலங்காலமாய் சொல்லி கொடுத்துள்ளது. "பாட்டு கேட்பதற்கான டேப்ரிக்கார்டும் கேசட்டும் விலைக்கு வாங்குகிறோம். யாருடைய பாடலை கேட்கலாம் என்று நாம்தான் தீர்மானித்துக் கொள்கிறோம்.இது போன்றதுதான் வேறுபட்ட பாலினம் குறித்த தேடலும். விற்பனை செய்யலாமா என்று கேட்கும் உரிமை அவர்களுக்கு இல்லை அவர்கள் தமக்குத் தேவை இல்லையா? என்ற கேள்வியை தமக்குள் வேண்டுமானால் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளலாம் .எல்லோரும் வாங்கியாக வேண்டும் என்ற நிர்ப்பந்தம் எதுவும் இல்லை. தேவை இருப்பவர்கள் வந்து வாங்கிக் கொள்ளட்டும். துணிமணிகள் வாங்கும் போது இதைப் போய் விற்பார்களா என்று சிந்திக்கிறோமா? இதை இனாமாக தந்தால் என்ன என்று கேட்கிறோம். வாங்க விரும்பாதவர்களை வலுக்கட்டாயப்படுத்தி வாங்கச் சொன்னால் மட்டுமே எதிர்ப்பதில் அர்த்தம் இருக்கிறது. இங்கே விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவது அன்போ காதலோ அல்ல ஒரு நபருடன் குறிப்பிட்ட நேரத்தை செலவிட ஒரு சம்பளம் நிர்ணயிக்கப்படுகிறது. அவர்களுக்கு தேவையான அப்போதைய மன அமைதியையும் பரிவையும் அளிக்கிறோம் . இதை விற்பனை செய்யக்கூடாது என்று சொல்வதைவிட தேவைப்படாதவர்கள் வாங்க வேண்டாம் என்று முடிவு செய்து கொள்வதுதான் நல்லது" என்று இத்தொழிலுக்கு விளக்கமளிக்கிறார் நளினி ஜமீலா.
இந்தப் பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களில் பலரும் சரியான வேலை வாய்ப்பு அமையாமல் ,குடும்பத்தால் வெளித்தள்ளப்படும், கணவரை இழந்து வேறு வழியின்றி தொழிலுக்கு வந்து சேர்ந்துள்ளனர். இவர்களில் பலருக்கு எந்த ஒரு அடையாளமும் இல்லாமல் வாழ்கின்றனர் குறிப்பாக இந்த ஓட்டர் ஐடி ,ரேஷன் கார்டு ,ஆதார் கார்டு போன்ற எதுவும் இல்லாமல் அரசின் எந்த ஒரு நலத்திட்ட உதவிகள் பெற முடியாமலும், ஒரு வாடகை வீடுக்கூட கிடைக்காமலும் மற்றவர்களை கையேந்தி வாழும் நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளனர் என்பது மறுக்க முடியாத உண்மை.
சமீபத்தில் மகாராஷ்டிரா அரசு கொரோனாவால் பணியின்றி பாதித்த பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு 5000 ரூபாயும் அவர்களில் பள்ளி செல்லும் குழந்தைகள் உள்ள பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு கூடுதலாய் 2500 ரூபாய் தந்ததாக படித்தேன். அதுமட்டுமின்றி சில மாநில அரசு பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கான மறுவாழ்வு மையம் மற்றும் மாற்று தொழில் பயிற்சி உதவி போன்ற பலவற்றை தொடங்கி வைத்துள்ளது. ஆனால் இவையெல்லாம் எத்தனை பேருக்கு முழுமையாக சென்று அடைந்தது எத்தனை பேர் இதன் மூலம் பயன் பெற்றார்கள் என்று கேட்டால் அதுவும் கேள்விக்குறியதே.
இவர்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பது பணமோ பரிதாபமோ மற்றவர்களின் தயவோ அல்ல இவர்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பது எல்லாம் இச்சமூகத்தில் மற்ற மனிதர்களுக்கு கிடைக்கும் அதே மரியாதையும் அங்கீகாரமும் சம உரிமையும் தான்.
பாலியல் தொழிலாளர்களின் மற்றொரு பக்கத்தையும் அவர்களைச் சமூகம் எப்படி நடத்துகிறது என்பதை பற்றி தெரிந்துகொள்ள அனைவரும் நிச்சயம் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம் தான் "நளினி ஜமீலா".
March 19, 2018
No work is ever small, said someone I don’t know, but what I do know is that they would surely have a different opinion when it came to sex work. Admit it, however broad-minded we become, sex work is one of those untouched topics which will never enter our horizon of modern views.
The Autobiography of a Sex Worker by Nalini Jameela is the life story, or better a compilation of several anecdotes with wicked humor, of the author, trying to change the way we look at these women, and hoping to bring some freedom and dignity in their lives.
Nalini, a girl born in Kerala, to a working mother and a communist father tells her story. Starting from the early memories she has of her home, her brother, her parents, she opens up about how she was made to drop out of school at the age of 9, despite having a keen interest, how her mother lost her job and was forced to take rationed food allowances from her sister-in-law under whose influence her father was, how she went to work at construction sites and clay mines at that tender age so that she could support her mother and siblings, how she ran away and entered into a marriage alliance of convenience with the first man who helped her and had two children with him before he died a couple of years later, leaving her at the mercy of his mother and sister who demanded she pay for the children’s upbringing and how she had no option but to enter the sex work.
Nalini goes on to describe her life as a sex worker, her initiation, her clientele, the love-hate relationship with the police, the brokers, the company houses, her third child Zeenat and her acceptance of her mother’s career, the 12 year sabbatical from this life when she married for the second time (again an alliance of convenience), the part conversion to Islam, her inclusion in his business, the abandonment by him, the subsequent struggle with finding work and safe life for her pre-teen girl, poverty, misery and the ultimate falling back into the trade.
What follows next is a series of memories, Nalini’s journey from a destitute to recognition when she started with social work under the organization called Jwalamukhi, all the while doing what she did, sex work. Her reputation as a speaker for the rights of sex workers took her to various cities across India, and multiple times to Thailand. She began her growth as a person from her and undertook photography and shooting classes before her first documentary brought her accolades. She then decided to write her biography. Today, she is an activist-cum-sex worker speaking up for the marginalized section that she belongs to, working for them to prevent STDs, abuse and exploitation and fighting for their rights to a decent life.
I’ve always been intrigued about prostitutes, or sex worker if I may say as per the book, ever since I chanced upon them when I was a young girl, an early teen to be precise. I had gotten up to answer the nature’s call and found these women, all decked up, sitting on the road, opposite to the house I was in, in a city which boasts of having India’s largest red light area. Then, I didn’t know why these women were there, in that manner during that time of the night, but I do now. Several years later, during my higher studies in the city, once again I found myself staring at these women, this time at a different location while traveling in a bus and making merry during the festivities. By then, I had known who these women were and what did they do, but I never felt the disgust which usually others do when confronted with them. In fact, the more I tried to look away out of respect for them, the more I was drawn towards them. It was then that I realized that I needed to know whatever I could about them, the what, how, why, when, and moreover, the who.
So, when I chanced upon this book, I couldn’t stop myself from putting it into my cart and waiting for the price to drop, and a few months later, voila, I literally had a free deal here! The moment it downloaded on my precious little kindle, I started turning the pages, like a kid who would gulp the ice cream fast in hopes of getting another one but didn’t, I too did the same thing, and now am all the more ravenous and empty handed (I’ll probably buy another book on the topic soon enough)
Narrated in the first person, the language uses simple past and present tense. Lucidity is an underlying current in an otherwise rugged and raw narration, bringing out the scenes in a very realistic manner, like the way one would speak to another. All throughout the book, I felt I was reading Nalini’s answers to some interview questions, only the questions were missing. It was like reading someone’s personal notes, disconnected, not a story but compilation of events over the period of their lives. At times, the characters were in so much abundance that I lost track of who was who. I still continued, without bothering to look up those lost names, because for me Nalini and the events mattered more than the others who were a part of it.
The episodes spoke more about other aspects of her life, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a friend, a businesswoman, rather than her experiences as a sex worker. The little of her career which she spoke narrates the harassment at the hands of the police, thugs and the discrimination she and her co-workers face these days as compared to earlier when their work was not considered disgusting. Her descriptions of her early life bring across the reality of women seeing work as work, whether it be clay mines, household chores or sex, the moral differentiation didn’t exist. What mattered was the money and not the means by which it was acquired. It was only during the later stages that the sex workers were looked down upon as filth and dirt, someone who despite being an integral part of the society were unacceptable.
Although the book didn’t turn out to be as I had expected, I really liked the way Nalini’s personality comes across as a fiery one, before she even began with her career as a sex worker. Her ability to embrace and accept who she was and what she did with grace and without any guilt struck me the most. Her struggle to attain the rights of her people is something I feel about too, decriminalization of sex work. Like her, I too believe that both the parties involved play equal roles, in fact, the client is more important because, without them, the workers wouldn’t even exist! And due to this, it becomes necessary to let the sex workers enjoy their freedom and live a life of dignity, after all, no work is small, and when it is the only means of livelihood left as an option, they are not to be blamed.
The Autobiography of a Sex Worker by Nalini Jameela is the life story, or better a compilation of several anecdotes with wicked humor, of the author, trying to change the way we look at these women, and hoping to bring some freedom and dignity in their lives.
Nalini, a girl born in Kerala, to a working mother and a communist father tells her story. Starting from the early memories she has of her home, her brother, her parents, she opens up about how she was made to drop out of school at the age of 9, despite having a keen interest, how her mother lost her job and was forced to take rationed food allowances from her sister-in-law under whose influence her father was, how she went to work at construction sites and clay mines at that tender age so that she could support her mother and siblings, how she ran away and entered into a marriage alliance of convenience with the first man who helped her and had two children with him before he died a couple of years later, leaving her at the mercy of his mother and sister who demanded she pay for the children’s upbringing and how she had no option but to enter the sex work.
Nalini goes on to describe her life as a sex worker, her initiation, her clientele, the love-hate relationship with the police, the brokers, the company houses, her third child Zeenat and her acceptance of her mother’s career, the 12 year sabbatical from this life when she married for the second time (again an alliance of convenience), the part conversion to Islam, her inclusion in his business, the abandonment by him, the subsequent struggle with finding work and safe life for her pre-teen girl, poverty, misery and the ultimate falling back into the trade.
What follows next is a series of memories, Nalini’s journey from a destitute to recognition when she started with social work under the organization called Jwalamukhi, all the while doing what she did, sex work. Her reputation as a speaker for the rights of sex workers took her to various cities across India, and multiple times to Thailand. She began her growth as a person from her and undertook photography and shooting classes before her first documentary brought her accolades. She then decided to write her biography. Today, she is an activist-cum-sex worker speaking up for the marginalized section that she belongs to, working for them to prevent STDs, abuse and exploitation and fighting for their rights to a decent life.
I’ve always been intrigued about prostitutes, or sex worker if I may say as per the book, ever since I chanced upon them when I was a young girl, an early teen to be precise. I had gotten up to answer the nature’s call and found these women, all decked up, sitting on the road, opposite to the house I was in, in a city which boasts of having India’s largest red light area. Then, I didn’t know why these women were there, in that manner during that time of the night, but I do now. Several years later, during my higher studies in the city, once again I found myself staring at these women, this time at a different location while traveling in a bus and making merry during the festivities. By then, I had known who these women were and what did they do, but I never felt the disgust which usually others do when confronted with them. In fact, the more I tried to look away out of respect for them, the more I was drawn towards them. It was then that I realized that I needed to know whatever I could about them, the what, how, why, when, and moreover, the who.
So, when I chanced upon this book, I couldn’t stop myself from putting it into my cart and waiting for the price to drop, and a few months later, voila, I literally had a free deal here! The moment it downloaded on my precious little kindle, I started turning the pages, like a kid who would gulp the ice cream fast in hopes of getting another one but didn’t, I too did the same thing, and now am all the more ravenous and empty handed (I’ll probably buy another book on the topic soon enough)
Narrated in the first person, the language uses simple past and present tense. Lucidity is an underlying current in an otherwise rugged and raw narration, bringing out the scenes in a very realistic manner, like the way one would speak to another. All throughout the book, I felt I was reading Nalini’s answers to some interview questions, only the questions were missing. It was like reading someone’s personal notes, disconnected, not a story but compilation of events over the period of their lives. At times, the characters were in so much abundance that I lost track of who was who. I still continued, without bothering to look up those lost names, because for me Nalini and the events mattered more than the others who were a part of it.
The episodes spoke more about other aspects of her life, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a friend, a businesswoman, rather than her experiences as a sex worker. The little of her career which she spoke narrates the harassment at the hands of the police, thugs and the discrimination she and her co-workers face these days as compared to earlier when their work was not considered disgusting. Her descriptions of her early life bring across the reality of women seeing work as work, whether it be clay mines, household chores or sex, the moral differentiation didn’t exist. What mattered was the money and not the means by which it was acquired. It was only during the later stages that the sex workers were looked down upon as filth and dirt, someone who despite being an integral part of the society were unacceptable.
Although the book didn’t turn out to be as I had expected, I really liked the way Nalini’s personality comes across as a fiery one, before she even began with her career as a sex worker. Her ability to embrace and accept who she was and what she did with grace and without any guilt struck me the most. Her struggle to attain the rights of her people is something I feel about too, decriminalization of sex work. Like her, I too believe that both the parties involved play equal roles, in fact, the client is more important because, without them, the workers wouldn’t even exist! And due to this, it becomes necessary to let the sex workers enjoy their freedom and live a life of dignity, after all, no work is small, and when it is the only means of livelihood left as an option, they are not to be blamed.
August 4, 2019
The book was originally in Malayalam and created an uproar in the Kerala community. It tells the story of Nalini herself and how she has led her life doing sex work. She shares her entire journey right from the beginning with such candor that it really introduced me to the drastic conditions of sex workers. The author doesn't hold anything back and tells it as it is about how sex workers are misunderstood and beaten by the police for no reason at all. Overcoming her own hardships, she dove into social work to help other sex workers and fights for their rights and recognition. A lot of people have wrong notions about sex work and I think this book really helps to clarify all the myths surrounding it. Nalini ji is fierce, brave and honest about her experiences and I'm glad I had a chance to read this book.
#bookedreviewbysaiesha
#bookedreviewbysaiesha
November 2, 2020
WONDERFULLY DESCRIBED. It has detailed accounts of their experiences, people's mindset, mental torture and more. Everything has been highlighted, from sex racket to sexual exploitation, logical explanations to many illogical questions that we put forward to them. This book will definitely change your way of looking at things and to situations to an extent. This book deals with what she had to go through, from being a child to growing up and how did she get into this field.
It was an easy read, I finished it in 2 days. The language is simple to read and grasp. The book could have been a little shorter. In some places it could have been skipped. But loved it overall, an EYE OPENER FOR ALL.
It was an easy read, I finished it in 2 days. The language is simple to read and grasp. The book could have been a little shorter. In some places it could have been skipped. But loved it overall, an EYE OPENER FOR ALL.
January 5, 2020
Well, I picked this book after watching an interview of Nalini Jameela on TV. I loved the raw narrative of the book where in she tells about where it all started to where it has reached till date. The places where she have mentioned about the way in which the moral society has categorised them and looked down on them have been captured in a very descriptive way. Overall, a one time good read
June 17, 2011
Very poorly written. But then again, how much can you really expect from a sex worker in Kerala?
January 3, 2024
Story of a prostitute or can be told as a women who chose prostitution as a job for a living. Narrating with truthfulness and emotions. Is the society making a prostitute or is it once own choice?
April 7, 2023
Struggling to hold my ground, fighting inch by inch, I was convinced that life is a great struggle: in order to live, one must fight, fight incessantly.
How I started the book
I started reading the book as a means to gain clarity and insight into what a sex worker's life might look like. What struggles do they face, how did they get into the field, and essentially learn about what life looks like from their perspective.
This would primarily help me in my counselling work with people in the field.
About the book
The book is the story of a normal girl who takes up sex work as a means to earn more money.
It starts with how she only studied until the 3rd standard, her parents not wanting to educate her further since she wouldn't require it as a girl.
Her life changed when her mother lost her job because of her father's community party involvement.
“It was this experience that made me realise that to be one’s own boss, one had to work. No one had been able to bully us when Mother was working.”
“I saw my mother choke in this house, and this made me realise that pride and dignity come only out of having money.”
As a teenager she started working in clay mines to earn a little money, this satisfied her for a time and she felt Proud of herself. She did this until she reached an age where suitors started lining up.
I had no place to go. It's not easy for an eighteen-year-old girl to find shelter.
So she tried to secure a man for herself. After he died she soon took to sex work to provide for herself and her daughter.
And the book goes on about her adventures across various places in the South doing sex work.
That was a life of freedom, a life without fear.
She settles down and gets married for 12 years until she gets ill due to her habit of drinking pure alcohol. Her husband soon abandons her during this period and she drifts around from one place to another seeking shelter at her relatives' place and various mosques.
During this time, she feared for her daughter's safety since cases of molestation and abuse were common among vagabonds dwelling in Mosques.
Later, she joins an organization called Jwalamukhi which fought for the rights of sex workers.
Things I liked about the book
I must say, Nalini's voice in the book isn't that of a sex worker seeking pity or sympathy from readers. It's a confident and self-reliant voice that fought hard to find and maintain its place in the world.
Sex workers are free in four respects:
we don't have to cook for a husband;
We don't have to wash his dirty clothes;
We don't have to ask for his permission to raise our kids as we deem fit;
We don't have to run after a husband claiming rights to his property.
Apart from that Nalini also raises some good questions challenging the hegemonic system of feminists and the moralistic condemning of sex workers.
What's the great sin if a sex worker asks for remuneration?
No one is saying that everyone should necessarily buy sex. Only those who want it need buy it.
“Besides, it isn’t romance or devotion that’s being sold at a price. A certain price is fixed for spending a certain amount of time with someone. We give the love and caring that people need. Instead of insisting that these shouldn’t be sold, it is infinitely better to say that those who don’t need it don’t have to buy it.”
In response to police raids and attacks while with Jwalamukhi she says,
If sex is the offense then there's more than one person who must be punished. How come that fellow is never punished? Isn't he an offence too?
Overall
This along with other passages in the book changed my perspective of sex workers from being helpless victims to being self-reliant and purposeful women in the field.
“Getting married is no safeguard against violence, even though the common consensus is that one can bear violence from a husband, but not violence from a client.”
Overall I give this book 4 stars, it helped me reconceptualize my outlook on sex work, especially in the Indian Context.
So cheers and I'll catch you guys later, planning to read more psych and lit books in the upcoming days!
June 14, 2019
Check out my other reviews at Feminist Quill
Autobiography of a Sex Worker is in one word, mind blowing. The author's narrative voice is strong and dispersed with wry humour. She comes across as well aware that her matter-of-fact narrative holds up an uncomfortable mirror to society.
It's hard to review such a book. Any recommendation I can give pales in comparison, when the book speaks for itself so assertively. It is revolutionary on countless planes and for numerous reasons, for Kerala boasts an extremely conservative culture. Keralite women from well off, upper caste backgrounds still fight to retain any semblance of autonomy. Even today, this is a society that largely shuts down by 6 or 8 pm, with people retiring to their homes after that. The exceptions are by and large extended only to men. Both men and women enjoy little freedom when it comes to choosing a husband or wife, and the suffocating social structure demands that women be married by 23 (or at least 25), and men before they are 30. Even within the framework of arranged marriage, many parts of our society still consider it scandalous that the bride and groom speak to each other at length before their wedding day.
Above all else, this is a society that severely punishes choice and desire. And I don't mean the desire to exercise sexual, financial or marital autonomy. Leaving nothing to chance, elders in the family will go so far as to punish the least expression of a desire. And children grow up learning to keep their secrets closest to their hearts, to bury their goals and dreams, and to conform to the best of their ability - while still stealing what little freedom they can from the corners of their lives their elders cannot see.
In such a stifling atmosphere, hypocrisy inevitably abounds. It is not that the members of this society actually practice what they preach - only that they bury their truths under layers of "respectability" and an excessive willingness to point the finger at others.
It is rare for women's voices to be amplified within a family, let alone across Keralite society at large. It is even rarer for those women to be dalit, and unheard of that they be sex workers. Nalini spans these divides effortlessly in her narrative, speaking loud and clear the truths that an entire state collectively wishes to clap its ears against.
The narrative is non-linear and conversational, and you have to but close your eyes in order to imagine the author sitting across the table, talking to you over a few drinks. The aspect that stands out about this book the most is the fact that this isn't just the autobiography of a sex worker, isn't just the autobiography of an activist, or that of a wife and mother. It is the autobiography of a woman, a woman who cannot be reduced to any one aspect of her personality, much as you would try.
I noticed the Goodreads ratings of this book averaged at 3 stars, and decided to go into some of the reviews to find out why. What I found was not dissimilar to that of my experience with The Handmaid's Tale - a number of people were made uncomfortable by the book, and gave it a lower rating as a result. Some others rated it on its technical aspects - something I normally look at in a book, only here I did not find technical flaws out-balancing the sheer force of the narrative or the author's voice.
The factor that most makes this book stand out is exactly what caused controversy at its publication and which caused many readers to rate it lower - Nalini is not apologetic about her career. She refuses to dehumanize herself for the comfort of the reader, refuses to sugarcoat uncomfortable truths, refuses to present herself as less than what she is. One reader mentions that he was looking for something "more psychological." Another is upset that it is just a stream of anecdotes about her clients. Reading these reviews made me wonder what these readers had missed.
She talks about her early childhood, her parents and their dynamics. Her mother's relative lack of a voice in the family after she lost her job convinced the author that earning money was the only way to stay independent. She decides to start working as a child labourer at nearby factories, forever in relentless pursuit of a higher wage. She narrates the sexual harassment that she and other girls her age faced as a matter of course (still a thing in Kerala, and which is patronizingly referred to as "eve-teasing"). She describes the various methods they adopted to avoid this harassment - walking with a friend, sprinting down a particularly notorious stretch of road if they were alone. She talks about her first marriage - no registration, no legalities, and they were considered married purely by public perception they did not correct. She switched to sex work as it provided her with a better way of supporting her daughter - a daughter she had to leave behind and cut ties with in order to support. She talks about how sex work was organized back in her day, about her second marriage and subsequent conversion to Islam - the second husband's religion. Neither this conversion, nor the second marriage were formalized, a factor that came into play at a later time when the question of her maintenance arose. (Under religious personal laws in India, dependents are entitled to maintenance if they fit certain criteria.) She talks about illnesses she suffered, and successful businesses she ran in the course of her life. About the constant shifting around, the desire to settle down, the need for a greater income and a second career (which was one of the reasons she decided to pursue writing.) She's also a filmmaker, but none of these details would be apparent if you were reading one of the disappointed reviews on Goodreads.
Which brings me to repeat my earlier question: Did they read the same book I did?
Nalini talks about her clients as people who primarily wanted to talk, to be heard. She talks about how many of them looked to her as a sex therapist. But it is also clear in the course of her narrative that this is a woman who has spent an entire lifetime gathering expertise how to control her clients so they don't grow too violent. But for the most part, she takes a "men will be men" attitude towards it, and doesn't really discuss the possibility of changes to the foundation of toxic masculinity.
She also emphasizes her belief that sex workers need to be strong and take control of their agency to avoid being exploited. Simultaneously, she campaigns for greater legal and medical protection for sex workers, argues against criminalization, and calls out the double standards wherein only sex workers are faced with social stigma, as if they exist in a detached bubble, as if their clients are not existing members of society who are completely ignored by those who scorn sex work.
A definite must read for every Keralite, for every Indian.
Autobiography of a Sex Worker is in one word, mind blowing. The author's narrative voice is strong and dispersed with wry humour. She comes across as well aware that her matter-of-fact narrative holds up an uncomfortable mirror to society.
It's hard to review such a book. Any recommendation I can give pales in comparison, when the book speaks for itself so assertively. It is revolutionary on countless planes and for numerous reasons, for Kerala boasts an extremely conservative culture. Keralite women from well off, upper caste backgrounds still fight to retain any semblance of autonomy. Even today, this is a society that largely shuts down by 6 or 8 pm, with people retiring to their homes after that. The exceptions are by and large extended only to men. Both men and women enjoy little freedom when it comes to choosing a husband or wife, and the suffocating social structure demands that women be married by 23 (or at least 25), and men before they are 30. Even within the framework of arranged marriage, many parts of our society still consider it scandalous that the bride and groom speak to each other at length before their wedding day.
Above all else, this is a society that severely punishes choice and desire. And I don't mean the desire to exercise sexual, financial or marital autonomy. Leaving nothing to chance, elders in the family will go so far as to punish the least expression of a desire. And children grow up learning to keep their secrets closest to their hearts, to bury their goals and dreams, and to conform to the best of their ability - while still stealing what little freedom they can from the corners of their lives their elders cannot see.
In such a stifling atmosphere, hypocrisy inevitably abounds. It is not that the members of this society actually practice what they preach - only that they bury their truths under layers of "respectability" and an excessive willingness to point the finger at others.
It is rare for women's voices to be amplified within a family, let alone across Keralite society at large. It is even rarer for those women to be dalit, and unheard of that they be sex workers. Nalini spans these divides effortlessly in her narrative, speaking loud and clear the truths that an entire state collectively wishes to clap its ears against.
The narrative is non-linear and conversational, and you have to but close your eyes in order to imagine the author sitting across the table, talking to you over a few drinks. The aspect that stands out about this book the most is the fact that this isn't just the autobiography of a sex worker, isn't just the autobiography of an activist, or that of a wife and mother. It is the autobiography of a woman, a woman who cannot be reduced to any one aspect of her personality, much as you would try.
I noticed the Goodreads ratings of this book averaged at 3 stars, and decided to go into some of the reviews to find out why. What I found was not dissimilar to that of my experience with The Handmaid's Tale - a number of people were made uncomfortable by the book, and gave it a lower rating as a result. Some others rated it on its technical aspects - something I normally look at in a book, only here I did not find technical flaws out-balancing the sheer force of the narrative or the author's voice.
The factor that most makes this book stand out is exactly what caused controversy at its publication and which caused many readers to rate it lower - Nalini is not apologetic about her career. She refuses to dehumanize herself for the comfort of the reader, refuses to sugarcoat uncomfortable truths, refuses to present herself as less than what she is. One reader mentions that he was looking for something "more psychological." Another is upset that it is just a stream of anecdotes about her clients. Reading these reviews made me wonder what these readers had missed.
She talks about her early childhood, her parents and their dynamics. Her mother's relative lack of a voice in the family after she lost her job convinced the author that earning money was the only way to stay independent. She decides to start working as a child labourer at nearby factories, forever in relentless pursuit of a higher wage. She narrates the sexual harassment that she and other girls her age faced as a matter of course (still a thing in Kerala, and which is patronizingly referred to as "eve-teasing"). She describes the various methods they adopted to avoid this harassment - walking with a friend, sprinting down a particularly notorious stretch of road if they were alone. She talks about her first marriage - no registration, no legalities, and they were considered married purely by public perception they did not correct. She switched to sex work as it provided her with a better way of supporting her daughter - a daughter she had to leave behind and cut ties with in order to support. She talks about how sex work was organized back in her day, about her second marriage and subsequent conversion to Islam - the second husband's religion. Neither this conversion, nor the second marriage were formalized, a factor that came into play at a later time when the question of her maintenance arose. (Under religious personal laws in India, dependents are entitled to maintenance if they fit certain criteria.) She talks about illnesses she suffered, and successful businesses she ran in the course of her life. About the constant shifting around, the desire to settle down, the need for a greater income and a second career (which was one of the reasons she decided to pursue writing.) She's also a filmmaker, but none of these details would be apparent if you were reading one of the disappointed reviews on Goodreads.
Which brings me to repeat my earlier question: Did they read the same book I did?
Nalini talks about her clients as people who primarily wanted to talk, to be heard. She talks about how many of them looked to her as a sex therapist. But it is also clear in the course of her narrative that this is a woman who has spent an entire lifetime gathering expertise how to control her clients so they don't grow too violent. But for the most part, she takes a "men will be men" attitude towards it, and doesn't really discuss the possibility of changes to the foundation of toxic masculinity.
She also emphasizes her belief that sex workers need to be strong and take control of their agency to avoid being exploited. Simultaneously, she campaigns for greater legal and medical protection for sex workers, argues against criminalization, and calls out the double standards wherein only sex workers are faced with social stigma, as if they exist in a detached bubble, as if their clients are not existing members of society who are completely ignored by those who scorn sex work.
A definite must read for every Keralite, for every Indian.
June 16, 2018
"The Autobiography of a Sex Worker" was originally written in Malayalam by author Nalini Jameela. English version was translated by J.Devika.
This book portrays the journey of the author from a Sex Worker to a Social Reformer. She has shared her life experiences right from her childhood wherein she was from a well off family but due to change of circumstances she was made to work in Mines in her teenage years. As age progressed so was the need for money and that's how she ended up being a Sex Worker.
I find her story quite inspirational wherein she showed true grit and against all odds decided not to subjugate herself to her circumstances and take full control of her life.
But talking about the book under consideration, I would say it was written rather hastily. My review for the book is:
Casual
Book is written in a very casual manner. It is simply a plain account of what had happened in author's life. But as a reader I look forward to know about her feelings and thoughts when a particular incident happened.
To quote one such example, when writer made revelation about her being a sex worker to her daughter, that was the end of it. There was no mention of how her daughter felt about it, what were her thoughts about it at that time. Nada.
Incoherent
The structure of the book is quite incoherent. Many characters were introduced in the book but I found it very confusing and unclear as to what their role was in the writer's life. Honestly I found the book as collection of writer's thoughts and experiences being huddled together randomly. And there were few instances where there was no connection between two topics.
Conclusion
When I picked up this book my expectations were to understand the thoughts and feelings of a Sex Worker and how they lead their life with their work being considered as a Social Stigma. I would say my expectations were fulfilled to a certain extent but overall this read was a waste of time for me. Author's plain account of narrating does become dull and monotonous for a reader most of the time.
This book portrays the journey of the author from a Sex Worker to a Social Reformer. She has shared her life experiences right from her childhood wherein she was from a well off family but due to change of circumstances she was made to work in Mines in her teenage years. As age progressed so was the need for money and that's how she ended up being a Sex Worker.
I find her story quite inspirational wherein she showed true grit and against all odds decided not to subjugate herself to her circumstances and take full control of her life.
But talking about the book under consideration, I would say it was written rather hastily. My review for the book is:
Casual
Book is written in a very casual manner. It is simply a plain account of what had happened in author's life. But as a reader I look forward to know about her feelings and thoughts when a particular incident happened.
To quote one such example, when writer made revelation about her being a sex worker to her daughter, that was the end of it. There was no mention of how her daughter felt about it, what were her thoughts about it at that time. Nada.
Incoherent
The structure of the book is quite incoherent. Many characters were introduced in the book but I found it very confusing and unclear as to what their role was in the writer's life. Honestly I found the book as collection of writer's thoughts and experiences being huddled together randomly. And there were few instances where there was no connection between two topics.
Conclusion
When I picked up this book my expectations were to understand the thoughts and feelings of a Sex Worker and how they lead their life with their work being considered as a Social Stigma. I would say my expectations were fulfilled to a certain extent but overall this read was a waste of time for me. Author's plain account of narrating does become dull and monotonous for a reader most of the time.
June 16, 2018
"The Autobiography of a Sex Worker" was originally written in Malayalam by author Nalini Jameela. English version was translated by J.Devika.
This book portrays the journey of the author from a Sex Worker to a Social Reformer. She has shared her life experiences right from her childhood wherein she was from a well off family but due to change of circumstances she was made to work in Mines in her teenage years. As age progressed so was the need for money and that's how she ended up being a Sex Worker.
I find her story quite inspirational wherein she showed true grit and against all odds decided not to subjugate herself to her circumstances and take full control of her life.
But talking about the book under consideration, I would say it was written rather hastily. My review for the book is:
Casual
Book is written in a very casual manner. It is simply a plain account of what had happened in author's life. But as a reader I look forward to know about her feelings and thoughts when a particular incident happened.
To quote one such example, when writer made revelation about her being a sex worker to her daughter, that was the end of it. There was no mention of how her daughter felt about it, what were her thoughts about it at that time. Nada.
Incoherent
The structure of the book is quite incoherent. Many characters were introduced in the book but I found it very confusing and unclear as to what their role was in the writer's life. Honestly I found the book as collection of writer's thoughts and experiences being huddled together randomly. And there were few instances where there was no connection between two topics.
Conclusion
When I picked up this book my expectations were to understand the thoughts and feelings of a Sex Worker and how they lead their life with their work being considered as a Social Stigma. I would say my expectations were fulfilled to a certain extent but overall this read was a waste of time for me. Author's plain account of narrating does become dull and monotonous for a reader most of the time.
This book portrays the journey of the author from a Sex Worker to a Social Reformer. She has shared her life experiences right from her childhood wherein she was from a well off family but due to change of circumstances she was made to work in Mines in her teenage years. As age progressed so was the need for money and that's how she ended up being a Sex Worker.
I find her story quite inspirational wherein she showed true grit and against all odds decided not to subjugate herself to her circumstances and take full control of her life.
But talking about the book under consideration, I would say it was written rather hastily. My review for the book is:
Casual
Book is written in a very casual manner. It is simply a plain account of what had happened in author's life. But as a reader I look forward to know about her feelings and thoughts when a particular incident happened.
To quote one such example, when writer made revelation about her being a sex worker to her daughter, that was the end of it. There was no mention of how her daughter felt about it, what were her thoughts about it at that time. Nada.
Incoherent
The structure of the book is quite incoherent. Many characters were introduced in the book but I found it very confusing and unclear as to what their role was in the writer's life. Honestly I found the book as collection of writer's thoughts and experiences being huddled together randomly. And there were few instances where there was no connection between two topics.
Conclusion
When I picked up this book my expectations were to understand the thoughts and feelings of a Sex Worker and how they lead their life with their work being considered as a Social Stigma. I would say my expectations were fulfilled to a certain extent but overall this read was a waste of time for me. Author's plain account of narrating does become dull and monotonous for a reader most of the time.
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