Prostitutes Cantonment
The British colonial administration in India formalized military prostitution through the Cantonment Act of 1864. This legislation established regulated brothels, known as chaklas, within military cantonments. Cantonment magistrates issued licenses to practice prostitution, aiming to control sex between soldiers and prostitutes. Regulated sex came to be seen as a necessary measure for troop welfare and disease control.
Cantonment Regulation System
A similar system operated under the East India Cantonments Acts. Indian prostitutes were segregated into these designated chaklas, where lock hospitals were often located for mandatory health checks. As noted by Legg (2009), this created a system of licensed brothels within the cantonment boundaries. The Cantonment Act of 1924 further empowered authorities to remove brothels and prostitutes deemed undesirable.
Exploitation and Institutionalization
However, critics like Mondal (2022) argue this system exploited poor Indian women. The Acts effectively legalized and structured prostitution around British military needs. Women were imported or confined within cantonments specifically for this purpose. The regulation extended to prostitutes outside cantonments through other legislation like the Contagious Diseases Act.
This colonial approach institutionalized military prostitution, creating a sanctioned network managed by authorities despite public moral condemnation.
*TAGS* – Cantonment Act 1864, chaklas brothels, lock hospitals, military cantonments, Contagious Diseases Act
