Almost a decade ago, I recall rushing from my college gate, making my way to the bus station to catch a ride back home. Back then, cabs weren't a thing. Boarding the bus and finding a seat was rare, so I would just stand next to a pole, grip a handrail tightly (Delhi buses are infamous for the rough rides), and get lost in the melodies of my favourite track on the phone.
As the journey began, the bus predictably filled up, reaching its peak at one particular stop. Amid the shuffle, I adjusted, holding my backpack in front of me. Suddenly, there was an unwelcome push, prompting me to shuffle further to find space. As my station approached, I felt another unsettling brush against my back. I turned around and saw this man, likely in his late thirties, smartly dressed, possibly returning from work. Politely, I asked him to give me some space.
However, as the bus came to a sudden stop for a passenger to get in, I felt someone brushing his private part against my back. Before I could react, the bus halted at the station and I was out with a forceful shove. I looked back and I saw no one, as if the offender had already vanished.
After that unsettling incident, I was wary of taking the bus to college. Instead, I opted for auto rickshaws, hoping for a safer journey. However, even that felt uneasy at times, with the auto driver constantly gazing through the rearview mirror. Soon, I switched to the metro. Back then, there were no separate coaches for women. I would often find myself subjected to unwanted hands brushing against me in the guise of a crowded coach.
20-year-old me with little courage and deeply ingrained fear, always had a lingering hope that things would get better in the future. Sadly, for women like me, that hope was largely shattered with almost no progress in terms of women's safety. Years passed but I continued to stay vigilant while travelling on any public transportation. Today, I would only get in the women's coach in a metro, get into an auto-rickshaw, and just silently pray for a journey free from any distressing encounters. Many reading this would unfortunately resonate and that speaks volumes of how far we have come.
Never Safe, Even In Broad Daylight
In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old from Bandra, Mumbai was sexually harassed by an auto-rickshaw driver in broad daylight. The girl was trying to take a ride to Hill Road. An auto-rickshaw stopped by and on being asked if he would go to the destination, the driver kept staring at her. The girl quickly noticed that he was flashing at her. The girl bravely recorded the offender's face and later rushed to the police station with her brother. En route to the station, the two spotted the driver again, doing the lewd act in front of two other girls too. On reaching the police station, the siblings found out that the driver was a regular offender.
I had the opportunity to speak to Shimona, the victim of this frightening harassment, and I asked her to share with us the events that unfolded after this terrible experience. She said, "Once I was at the police station, I was put under a female PSI. She took my statement and filed my FIR. The process to file the FIR takes about 4-5 hours. She did it online." The offender identified as Dinesh Chaurasia was arrested by Mumbai Police but was out on bail two days later.
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Speaking on whether the offender suffered from significant consequences for his actions, she said, “The police told me that he was a repeat offender, I asked them then shouldn't he get a life sentence? They said the law doesn't give life sentences for such crimes. I then suggested that is there a way I could complain to the RTO (Regional Transport Office) and get his licence revoked, they then told me that they can write a letter and do that. It seemed like they had not thought of that. After 2 days I met the DCP (Deputy Commissioner Of Police) and he told me that the police had confiscated his rickshaw. I asked him if we could get the licence revoked, he called up Khar police station and told the inspector on call to inform the RTO to revoke the licence."
What Shimona experienced was ‘exhibitionism’ where a male would expose his genitals to strangers and experience pleasure from disgust or an uncomfortable reaction by the observer, shared Jidnyasa Vetal, Mental Health Professional (M.A Clinical Psychology). An act like this can leave any woman unsettled. Kudos to Shimona for speaking out. We requested her to convey a message to those who, gripped by fear, hesitate to speak up and report similar offences.
She said, "As an immediate action firstly try to get yourself in a better mindset. Find someone you trust, I went to my brother. Remember what happened is not your fault and you are not wrong. Find the courage to go to the police as soon as possible. If you have managed to get a picture, video, etc when it happened that's great, if not still go to the police. Remembering the date, location, time, physical features of the person, what they were wearing, etc is very important. Tell the police everything. The police are very supportive and proactive, they have dealt with the matter with utmost sensitivity in my case."
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The Curious Case Of Bystanders
In Uttarakhand, yet another distressing incident of physical harassment took place recently. A video shared on the woman's official social media account captured the moment when the owner of a grocery store inappropriately touched her butt. Shockingly, despite her outcry, no one stood in support of her. "When the camera footage came out, the culprit casually started to walk out, and I kept shouting asking people to stop him but not even a single person did.
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And to my surprise, that man has a wife AND A DAUGHTER! A LOT happened which I'm not even allowed to share in public. I have talked about a few more things that happened on my YouTube channel. And I just...want to say that it is so disturbing that one had to go through it. I am extremely disappointed and disgusted. I feel weak and I regret that a few incidents occurred while I was seeking help. Even talking about all this is so uncomfortable, " Tushika Joshi wrote on her Instagram handle.
Bystanders pose as much of a threat as the perpetrators themselves, and it can’t be overlooked.
The Aftermath For The Victim
After a woman experiences sexual harassment, it's common for everyone to shift focus on the perpetrator and hope for justice to be served through the legal system. However, we often overlook the aftermath of such traumatic experiences on the victim. These incidents can leave the victims deeply disturbed, making it challenging for them to cope.
"I am unable to sleep because my brain is too active. I have lost my confidence to go out alone and travel alone by public transport. I'm getting angry easily and snapping at people which I would normally not do. I've emailed a therapist so that I can deal with the trauma in the right way. It leaves a mark on you, a wound that no one can see that makes you feel like you have a burden on you," said Shimona on coping with the incident.
“Emotional support from family and friends always helps. However, if the underwhelming feeling persists, the victims should reach out to mental health professionals,” said Jidnyasa Vetal, a psychology expert.
What’s The Legal Standpoint?
As this unfortunate incident brought our attention to sexual harassment in the country, we wondered why perpetrators fail to learn their lesson despite the consequences outlined by the law and subject women to such trauma. We spoke to Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Advocate and Legal Counsel, Bombay High Court to get our answers.
Cultural Attitudes and Stigma
He said, “The deep-seated cultural beliefs often normalise or excuse violence against women, leading perpetrators to view their actions as acceptable or justified. Moreover, victims often face social stigma and backlash for speaking out, discouraging them from reporting incidents and enabling perpetrators to continue their behaviour unchecked.”
Weak Enforcement
Our legal expert further added how weak enforcement, corruption, and loopholes undermine the efficacy of the legal system. This fosters a sense of impunity among perpetrators, who may exploit these shortcomings to evade accountability or receive lenient sentences, further perpetuating a cycle of impunity.
Lack of Comprehensive Education and Awareness
“A dearth of comprehensive education on consent, gender equality, and respectful behaviour perpetuates harmful attitudes and behaviours towards women. Without addressing the root causes of gender-based violence through education and awareness campaigns, perpetrators may remain ignorant or indifferent to the impact of their actions, hindering efforts to deter future offences and promote a culture of respect and equality,” he concluded, stressing that it all roots from lack of education and awareness.
These are just two stories that came into light today while countless cases go unreported across the country out of fear, lack of faith in India's justice system, and social stigma to name a few reasons. Moreover, speaking of crimes against women, sexual harassment is just the tip of the iceberg and a surge in its cases across the nation is a stark reminder of the prevalent safety concerns for women.
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