Danger after dark: Bangalore loses safe city tag

Danger after dark: Bangalore loses safe city tag
The recent rape and murder of a call centre worker is now Bangalore’s claim to shame. Young women here express their fears about everyday life in the city
The Times of india

THE rape and murder of call centre worker, Prathibha Srikanth Murthy, has raised questions about safety for women in the city, in general — whether it’s working women, or college girls, women on a night out, or even out on a walk. Bangalore was, so far, considered safe for women, but is that the reality? Is it safe to go any place alone, or do they feel it’s risky or dangerous? BT found that for most women, their defences are up when they are alone.

Parul Seth, a young corporate, says earlier, she could travel back home from work alone at night, but now, she finds it difficult, and says Bangalore’s going the Delhi way. She recalls how she was travelling with a friend, a woman, by car, back from work. “I was not partying. I was harassed by a taxi driver, he got his friends over and they surrounded the car and intimidated us, and this was in a busy locality. When I got out of the car to confront them, they came at me. I didn’t want to be manhandled, so I went back and sat in the car. It was because I was a woman that they did it, because the minute my husband came there with his friends (I called him over), they backed off.” She says she keeps her mobile handy, but “How much precaution can you take?”

She makes sure she wears a shawl and a jacket, because “when I tell people about an incident the first thing they ask me is what I was wearing, but there is harassment even if you are fully clothed.”

Pooja Singh, a corporate employee, says she works upto 9-9.30 pm sometimes, and has faced harassment on the streets. “Guys follow you. Or they come on bikes and pretend to ask for directions. This happens even during daytime. And just when you are helping them out, they’ll ask you if you have a boyfriend, or if you can come with them for a cup of coffee. A friend of mine was asked by a man, ‘Are you free?’ The subtle harassment occurs at shopping centres also. “When you are shopping, guys follow you wherever you go, and keep an eye on you. I have turned around and told them off.” College student Ankita Goswami, who’s come from Assam to study in a local college, says she goes out quite often, and generally does not feel unsafe, but “it does worry me if I am alone. I also avoid getting into autos which have drivers who don’t look safe. But I’m rarely alone.” And she always carries her protective gear with her: “I carry my pepper spray, and my mobile. I make sure there’s enough balance in my sim card in case there’s an emergency.”

Model Namrata Sudhindra says she feels safe if she’s with friends. “But sometimes when I’m travelling by car there have been boys on bikes who get in the way, or intentionally don’t let you pass.”