How Safe are Women in Delhi?

chillibreeze writer — Rajshree Ghosh

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The recent gruesome murder of a female journalist in Delhi in the wee hours of the morning is shocking. Once again Delhi is under the scanner.

"Is Delhi safe for women?" No it is not. But then it never was. I have lived all my life in Mumbai. The image of Delhi was always that of a city extremely unsafe for women. I grew up hearing that. As a Mumbaikar, I always had this bias against Delhi and particularly the men in Delhi. Could not bring myself to take up a job in Delhi or get married to a guy from Delhi. Simply because of its negative reputation as far as safety is concerned.

Headlines Today and some other news channels have raised such hue and cry about Mrs. Shelia Dixit's comment. Delhi's bad track record goes much before Mrs. Sheila Dixit started her tenure as the CM. Eve teasing; harassing women, killing for dowry, the Tandoor case, Jessica Lal Murder, Arushi murder and now this...all of it has happened in Delhi.

As a working women, as a resident of another sprawling Metropolitan (Mumbai), I am in agreement with Mrs. Sheila Dixit to a great extent. It is indeed being a bit too confident and adventurous; to be out alone in a car at 3.00 am in the morning. Be it Delhi, Be it Mumbai, Be it Kolkatta or Chennai. A female (more so alone) is always vulnerable. Anywhere in the world. And lets accept this. It is a fact. One is only safe till such a time that an incidence like does not happen.

It is not what Mrs. Dixit chooses to say that decides the culture of a city. It is the people that make the culture of a city. Over the years I have visited Delhi for work and had an opportunity to stay for extended periods such a month or longer too. I found men in and around Delhi to be extremely rude to women, chauvinists, unruly, crude and vulgar. Being educated or well dressed has very little to do with this. Men in Delhi (again I am reiterating some class/sect) live in primitive ages as far as their treatment of women is concerned. Abusive language towards women, road rage and other such aggressive behaviors are largely displayed in public against women.

Some days back, TV news carried the story of a pregnant women being beaten by her in-laws for dowry. Again in Delhi. Cruelty to women is a way of life in Delhi. Be it towards a strange woman, a daughter, a wife or a mother. More so if you are a foreigner. I have a close friend of European nationality living in Delhi for the past 10-12 years. She has narrated many hair-raising experiences of being a single and white woman in Delhi. She moves in elite circles and the story is no different.

It is not Mrs. Dixit who needs to apologize to media or anyone else; it is the men of Delhi who must apologize to WOMEN. It is the men in Delhi who must come out in the open and protest against those of their gender. It is the men of Delhi who have to restore their credibility.

The channel where Soumya was employed too shares the blame for their careless attitude towards the safety of a female employee. They made her work late in the night; but shied away from the responsibility of providing safety and security. Knowing very well how unsafe it was to venture out in the night on the roads of Delhi. The news channel is cunningly diverting people’s attention from their own mistake and passing it on to Mrs. Sheila Dixit.

No city in the world is safe in the night. Be it London, New York or Manhattan. There are enough night crimes reported in New York, London or any other big Metropolitan in world. Not only against women, but men too get targeted and killed.

Unfortunately all the apologies in the world will not get their daughters back. Jessica or Arushi or Soumya. They are gone forever. What happened was most unfortunate. It could have been very easily circumvented through proper safety and security measures.

May god give strength to the bereaved family.

Let us learn a lesson and move on. Let every event and incidence in the society not become a blame game.

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Rajshree writes for Chillibreeze.

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