Mahatma Gandhi may have said “the day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence”, but the shocking ways in which atrocities and violence are inflicted on women at different levels, as the Chennai incident shows (“ >A Friday to forget for Chennai women ”, June 26), makes it clear that even years after Independence, women in India still cannot move about freely without fear. Women in India continue to be victims of violence — domestic and in public. While the victim suffers physical or emotional trauma, the perpetrator is usually able to exploit the loopholes in the system. The victim’s family is made to run from pillar to post to secure justice, which is often delayed. While infrastructure such as CCTVs and more police patrolling may help a little, it is how the legal system acts which will make the big difference.
T.S. Karthik,
Chennai
The method behind the brutal murder of a young woman professional in broad daylight at a busy suburban railway station in Chennai also points to how young minds are easily influenced by the storyline in many of our films and television serials. In addition to violence, cheap entertainment is another formula used. Youngsters can be seen to be deeply involved in action scenes, exhorting both the villain and hero to indulge in more such ‘heroic’ actions. In television serials, murder plots are shown in great detail which is bound to influence people. One wonders why there is no censorship.
K. Sivasubramanian,
Chennai
