Can change be brought about in a society that diminishes the role of women, objectifies them, dismisses incidents of harassment as minor irritants and extols modesty as a deterrent to attacks?
“Let’s start with street lights and security in campuses,” said Aishwarya C.M., a student at Bangalore University and a member of the All India Democratic Students Organisation, at an interaction with the police that was hosted by The Hindu as part of our #whatsyourissuecampaign.
Last week, The Hindu focussed on women’s safety in public spaces. On Saturday, students, residents, representatives of women’s organisations, garment workers and pourakarmikas discussed the challenges they encounter every day with Additional Commissioner of Police (West division) K.S.R. Charan Reddy, Inspector Anjumala Naik of Halasuru Gate Women’s police station and K. S. Vimala of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA).
Aishwarya said that the Jnanabharathi campus spans over a thousand acres, but instead of enjoying the space, female students are forced to constantly remain alert. “The university does not offer bus services, like IISc. Earlier, guards were stationed in every department. At the MSc level, our workload is huge, but our movements are restricted,” she said.
When students raised the issue with officials, they simply shut down stationery and shops in the campus saying they were drawing the wrong kind of crowd.
When Mr. Charan said that ‘the police regularly patrol the area, representatives of AIDSO pointed out that distances within the campus are vast, that not each and every area can be covered by the police.
They also questioned the absence of a sexual harassment cell, an issue that found resonance among all the participants. Ms. Vimala recalled the landmark Supreme Court ruling known as Vishaka Guidelines, which make it mandatory for every employer to provide a mechanism to tackle harassment of women and ensure gender equality. “There is an urgent need to ensure that all institutions comply with these guidelines,” said Ms. Vimala.
Brigadier Murthy suggested that the police ensure tech parks install security measures for their employees. Along with Kavita Reddy, who is also from HSR Layout, he raised the problem of unlicenced paying guest accommodation. “Not only are they unsafe for inmates, but also for residents as they attract unwanted attention from men,” said Ms. Reddy.
Mr. Charan promised to take up the issue with the BBMP, which issues licences.
Representatives from Richmond Town complained of an increase in harassment, flashing and chain-snatching and demanded brighter street lights.
One citizen complained of the lack of police presence near nightspots in Indiranagar and Lavelle Road. “When the bars shut, drunk patrons gather on the streets. There is vandalism. The police don’t always respond promptly and we are often threatened by the managements of these facilities.”
Citizens want the police to publicise other numbers (apart from 100) they can call in an emergency.
There were several complaints of police apathy to harassment cases.
Women need to be confident that the law is on their side, said Brigadier Murthy. Ms. Naik said that the two women’s police stations in Basavanagudi and Halasuru addressed such problems and will always respond. Mr. Charan, too, emphasised that all police personnel have been directed to take every complaint seriously. “Today’s petty thief, if unchecked, can become tomorrow’s criminal,” he said, citing the New York Police Department’s ‘Broken Window’ policy that comes down heavily on petty crime.
“The police force is a cross-section of society. Bringing about awareness is a continuous process. Success is not always measured in figures [arrests made or cases solved] but in bringing about change in mindset and confidence in the system,” said Mr. Charan.
“If you fail to get a response from a police station, dial 100. Use social media tools such as Twitter, WhatsApp to reach out to senior officers,” said K.S.R. Charan Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police (West division).
“Many garment workers finish work late at night. They cannot afford to travel by BMTC buses and walk long distances on narrow roads that are poorly lit. But travelling alone can often be dangerous,” said Prathibha R., President, Garment and Textile Workers Union.
“In cases of sexual assault or crimes against women, we have often seen university authorities or managements of institutions impose restrictions on the women that curb their freedom,” said K.S. Vimala, State vice-president, AIDWA.
