It is through her that I meet Budevi. I started doing that and now I earn a lot. Much more than my father who risks his life by going out into the sea every evening. She gives them all to her mother. Does she ever ask her about her source of income? The money is important," Budevi tells me. The fisherfolk of Pentakota belong to the Vadabalija caste, known for its liberal sexual mores. They migrated from the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh about 55 to 60 years ago and settled outside Puri since the catch from the deep seas off the Orissa coast looked more promising.
The village was named after the one in Andhra Pradesh from where Koviri Sattiya, the first migrant, hailed. Till , the fishermen used to venture out on wooden catamarans. Their earnings were limited to about Rs 50 a day, but was shared equally in the community since it was a very close-knit one. But things started changing in the mid-'90s when fibre-reinforced boats with motors made an appearance. Earnings of a few who owned these boats started increasing dramatically and others had to borrow heavily from moneylenders to keep up with them.
With debt came penury. Prostitution followed soon after. The local administration refuses to even acknowledge the problem. The police prefers to turn a blind eye. Journalists are discouraged from reporting on the flesh trade lest it bring a bad name to Puri that attracts about 40, visitors daily and up to two lakh during religious festivals like the rath yatra.
It is only very recently that state health minister Bijoyshree Routray made an oblique admission of the problem and said the government would take "necessary measures" to curb HIV. There is still no word yet on cracking down on the sex trade which has put Pentakota on the international paedophile map. Don't Show Me Your Face.
The Last Ilish Curry. The First Martyr. Jaideep Mazumdar 13 November White Man's Haunt Here's why Pentakota is a major attraction for paedophiles: The entire sex trade is geared to service paedophiles Children below 13 offer sex for a few hundred rupees Some odd massage parlours offer child prostitutes to clients Driven by extreme poverty, many families have harnessed their children to the trade to supplement income Police, the local authorities and even the state government have turned a blind eye to the problem.
