BENGALURU: The molestation of a woman returning home after new year celebrations in Kammanahalli has yet again raised concerns over women’s safety in the city. The incident, caught on CCTV camera installed at a house in Kammanahalli in East Bengaluru, has shocked the conscience of the city and also led to police action.
To ensure their safety, many girls follow a self-imposed curfew: They reach home before dark. Time has become a key factor. “When I go out I’m constantly checking the time. I have to be at home before it’s dark. If not, my parents will be worried,” says Nikitha Kate, a law student.
But in many cases, victims suffer silently. Many working women feel unsafe in public places and even in buses. A woman, who did not wish to be named, stopped travelling in buses after she was molested many times.
“When I was once sitting in a bus, a man touched me. Since the bus was jam-packed, I thought he might have done so accidentally. But when he repeatedly touched me, I knew it was deliberate. But I was too scared to tell anyone,” she says. This is one of the many incidents she has faced. She says these kind of incidents happened irrespective of whether she was seated or standing in a bus.
Some like Chandhana N, a software engineer, prefer not to take a bus. “I avoid going by bus as I don’t feel safe like earlier. I make my own travel arrangements,” she says.
There are some places in the city where security measures have been put in place. For instance, Metro stations have many guards and CCTV cameras. Chaithra, who travels by Metro every day, says, “The security measures taken in Metro should be adopted at all public places. Once I come out of the Metro station, I am concerned about my safety.”
Shruthi, a college student from Rajajinagar, told Express that she was shocked by the Kammanhalli incident, adding, “New year is a happy moment. Men should stop behaving like this as they too have sisters.”