A capital shame
URVASHI SARKAR
“Oye Chotu!” I knew instinctively that someone was trying to gain my attention, short height being a frequently used adjective to describe me. I looked behind to see a car with four youths in it. “Aaja Chotu, ghar chod
dete hai,” one of them said (come Chotu, we’ll drop you home). I did not bother to reply, my sole concern at that moment being to distance myself from the car. Desperately I looked around for an empty autorickshaw and spotted one right in the middle of the road. Only once inside it did I heave a sigh of relief.
I knew for certain that had the car been within the grabbing distance of me, it would have done exactly that: grabbed me off the street and then molested me. Later my tragedy would have been recorded as yet another statistic, only another instance to prove that Delhi is living up to its dubious distinction of being the ‘rape capital of the nation.’
While incidents of eve teasing and sexual harassment are not confined to any particular region, it is also true that among Indian cities, Delhi takes the cake. Several measures have been taken by the Delhi government to improve the situation, but the capital remains as unsafe as ever for women.
Therefore if one is a female in Delhi, an entire list of do’s and don’ts have to be kept in mind. Such lists are periodically published in newspapers. One item on the list advises females not to venture out alone; another states that while one is alone, visitors should not be allowed to enter the house. A third strongly advocates the carrying of pepper spray for self-defence!
Can one be happy in such an environment? In order to be happy, one needs to feel free and secure. In the capital a woman is anything but free and secure. A hostile environment as this is naturally not conducive to the development and maximisation of the potential of women.
It is true that women are no longer subservient, rather they have become spirited individuals determined to carve an identity of their own in society. A larger number are educated and are venturing out of their homes. This is a positive sign and more women need to be encouraged to do so. But the capital’s appalling record with regard to the security of women serves to be a deterrent rather than a medium of encouragement.
An unsavoury reputation as this also has its bearing on the region’s economy and talent pool. First, a number of women professionals may not wish to work in the capital, rather they would prefer to work in a place which can afford them some measure of security. Secondly, parents who are non-residents may be unwilling to send their children to study in the capital, despite Delhi being home to a large number of quality educational institutions.
Thirdly, the ‘rape capital’ tag also hurts the tourist economy; women tourists may become wary of visiting Delhi. Also women tourists from outside the country may not want to visit the capital, which has a record of molestation of international women tourists.
Root cause
The laws, which punish perpetrators of the crime of sexual harassment, have not been able to effectively deter people from committing such crimes. This is because the root cause of such crimes lies in disrespect towards women. In north India, where the capital is located, disrespect towards women is a direct consequence of a patriarchal society in which female foeticide is rampant, and inheritance laws favour men.
This negation of the importance of women results in an attitude of disrespect towards them. Therefore disrespect must go; this can only happen if unjust practices against women stop. To this end mass awareness programmes should be launched. These programmes should educate people about the need to transform the hostile environment into a congenial one in which women can freely develop their potential.
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