Eve teasing: The shameful reality

Ravinder Pal Singh, Assistant Inspector of Police, was shot dead in Amritsar (Punjab) when he was trying to save her daughter from an eve teaser. The culprit is Ranjit Singh Rana, a young Akali Dal leader. This is not the first case. A few days ago five miscreants had killed a youth who protested against lewd comments passed by miscreants to a girl living in his neighbourhood in a Mumbai suburb. It has been happening not only in Mumbai but also in Bangalore, Delhi and many other small cities such as Kanpur, Amritsar, Noida, etc.

What is happening to youngsters and why are they indulging in these kinds of activities? Do parents and teachers teach them well how to behave with girls? Should we blame all this to media? Should we blame their upbringing and the way their parents bring up them?

Do we need tougher laws?

Sections 509 and 294, 354 of Indian Penal Code deal with sexual harassment cases. Offenders can be sent to jail for one year or Rs. 12,000 fine or both. Activists believe that we can make stringent acts but they will remain post facto solutions. Political will and police action at the right time is required to handle these cases.  

Why people are doing this?

Why does a boy feel like doing this? It has been observed by many that there is a male mindset that rape is a crime but eve teasing chalta hai. Should we blame Indian entertainment industry which has glorified eve teasing in some way or the other? They show lad clad in fashionable clothes pinch a girl and easily get away with it. We need to tell them that they should respect each and every girl. No one gives them license to eve tease a girl just because she is wearing skimpy clothes or goes to pubs or smokes cigarettes. 

We need to change the mindset of the people and need to stand up with girls who decide to complaint against such harassment and take up these cases to police. These are the girls who are the torch bearers and will change the world for their fraternity. Cheers!!!

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