[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elhi’s Law Minister Somnath Bharti deserves kudos for what he did the other night - going after an alleged prostitution ring involving Africans and Indians.
It is no one’s case that every word uttered by Bharti was right and everyone he pointed an accusing finger at was in the wrong.
But it is plain silly to accuse the legislator-minister of vigilantism.
Bharti represents Malviya Nagar in the Delhi assembly. Saket, where I live, adjoins Malviya Nagar but is not part of his constituency.Hauz Rani, from where he got complaints is boxed between the more prosperous Malviya Nagar and Saket. Saket is now home to two famous landmarks: Saket court and shopping malls.
It is but natural that people with money pour into Saket for shopping and fun. If the locals are grudging, it is mainly because of the unending traffic snarls - and a new set of values.
I know nothing about drugs. But any resident of Malviya Nagar and Saket (and the areas within this jurisdiction) will tell you that prostitution is now big business.
And while this may sound politically incorrect, the ugly truth is that some Africans are involved.
One can see gaudily painted African women, smoking away and clearly waiting for “customers”, late in the night in the PVR complex.
From a distance, I have seen them haggling with Indian men in swanky cars. You don’t need a PhD to make out what is going on.
This is precisely the picture Minister Bharti painted when he described what he saw. The area he was referring to lies just outside Saket.
As K.P.S. Gill once said, no communal riot can last more than 48 hours unless there is official collusion. Similarly, while prostitution rackets can have a unilateral start, they cannot go on and on unless the police look the other way. Are the police doing that? I don’t know, but I do know that many in Malviya Nagar and Saket know that a serious problem is not being addressed. It made humorous reading that “brave” police officers stood up to Bharti - and told him his limits. They could afford to do that because they knew he can’t harm them. Delhi Police doesn’t report to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
If residents seek help from their legislator to tackle a criminal issue, it says a lot about their faith in police. And when the police seem more eager to put down the unconventional politician than the problem, it says a lot about our system.
It is this that gave rise to the AAP - and will keep providing it oxygen.
M.R. Narayan Swamy IANS
