Actor John Abraham believes in giving back to the society in whatever way he can and has always been associated with one or the other noble cause. John was in the city recently to extend support for ‘Voice of Change’ Campaign. The campaign aims to provide aid and every other possible help to acid attack survivors. The survivors came forward to relate their stories. Calling them the real heroes, John hopes that this momentum would keep going.
Excerpts from a chat:
How did you become a part of this Campaign?
Two weeks ago, we were having this discussion when we felt the need to launch such a platform where we can actually contribute for the welfare of such people. I am extremely proud that Voice of Change happened and I am a part of this initiative. We just hope to derive more positive change in society through such campaigns.
You’ve personally met these girls, what do you have to say about them?
It’s commendable to see how all these survivors are coping. They are a source of inspiration for each of us. It needs tremendous courage to fight back after going through so much.
Besides helping the survivors, shouldn't we do something to stop these incidents altogether?
Yes, that's important. Stricter laws and execution of the same is important at this point of time. We are also aiming at that and hopefully we will be able to do something.
With the increasing cases of women harassment, what according to you should be our first step?
The first thing that everyone in the society needs to understand is to respect women. All our slangs and abuses somehow have deteriorated our respect for women. It’s high time we respect the female gender and not just our mothers and sisters. Public figures like actors or politicians should also learn this. What they say or do is what is conveyed to their followers. They have a big role to play here.
Have you ever come across any such incident
I remember an incident while I was in college and used to travel by train. A guy was misbehaving with a girl. I went and held him by the collar and took him to the Railway Police. But when I urged the girl to report the whole thing she didn’t say a word and left. That was really disheartening for me. Women have to raise their voice, otherwise the battle can never be won.
