Colonial Inheritance: Sex-Slavery, Purity, and Race in Contemporary Mumbai

• In Event: Mavericks Exposed! The Colonial Legacies of Contemporary Anti-Prostitution Discourse

Abstract

Early 19th century British colonial rule helped to establish what is today a thriving sex-trade industry in Mumbai. Beginning as military brothels, sites within the city have emerged out of a clear legacy of colonialism that has evolved into a contemporary form of sex-slavery. This paper probes the cultural priorities and values that underlie the assumption fostered by British rule that owning particular bodies and selling them for sex is justifiable. Investigating these priorities and values uncovers deep-seated neocolonial assumptions about purity and race that were transported to India by the agents of British imperialism.

Presenter

• Stephanie Arel, Boston University