Stop Ignoring, Start Helping!
By
Nikita Mehta
The capital city including the NCR region and major sub-cities like Dwarka and Rohini are increasingly becoming a safer haven for criminals day by day, be it chain snatchers or eve teasers. Reports of chain snatching and eve teasing have been increasing daily and we can surely hold the cowardice of the public responsible for the ease with which such crimes are committed.
No woman in Delhi can boast of going out on the roads without the fear of being harassed and in most cases, their fear is justified. Sugandha, a regular traveler in the Delhi Metro says, “a man sat very close to me despite the availability of plenty of space and then started touching and brushing against me inappropriately and a few men standing right across just kept giggling.”
Chain snatching is another crime which has become extremely rampant especially in the past few months. Anju Mehta, a resident of Dwarka recollecting her experience said: “As I walked towards the market, two men on a bike came from behind, slapped me on the neck and snatched away my bag which contained all my bank cards.”
The most disappointing part in all this is not the crime itself, but the cowardice and unhelpful attitude of most people. Onlookers would rather choose to ignore the pleas of help by the victims and go about doing what they are. The most awful sight however, is when onlookers start supporting the offenders. Pushkina Nautiyal who travels in the bus everyday had to say: “When I decided to retaliate after a few men were harassing me in the bus, the woman sitting beside me, after eyeing my clothes told me that I had it coming.”
A change in the attitude of the citizens is what is needed if we have to make this society a safer place to be in. The victims need to gather their strength and raise voices and the onlookers need to stop ignoring and start helping.
0 comments:
Post a Comment