Producing The Spectacle of Kamathipura

Abstract

In this article, I discuss the ways in which prostitution in Mumbai's main red light area is produced and functions as a spectacle. I examine several instantiations of discourses on prostitution in the city, including the press, and a 2003 HIV/AIDS prevention campaign which targeted female sex workers and their clients. I argue that the spectacle of prostitution in Mumbai is framed by international discourses of trafficking, as well as the local dialectics of stigma and honor. I conclude by discussing prostitution in other parts of India, where there is a greater degree of rights-based organizing.