Sunday, October 12, 2008

Shruti


i have experienced eve teasing or physical touchings,but they just passed by so quickly that i couldn't react to them.And i have'nt made any such situations very public because of this.

i would like them to stand with me and support me.i want them to call up police or let the public themselves handle such cheap men.i also want the women to support women.they always let the other ladies down in such situation ,by being a spectator to the whole incident or giving them dirty looks.
Maithili Desai


What made you react in the way that you did?


I had encountered sexual harassment myself, when I was new in the city. I remember the feeling of disgust that had filled me. I don't want any other human being to feel the way I did and find themselves alone in the situation.

I was returning home from college at around 7.30 in the evening by the Borivali fast train. Since I had male friends with me, I was in the general compartment. At Andheri station, a girl my age got into the train. There was a man behind her who was touching her and she was visibly uncomfortable. After a moment or so, I asked the man what his problem was, couldn't he keep his hands to himself? he went into the defensive and started ranting about how people point fingers without proof etc. one of my friends too got involved and warned the man to behave himself. the others in the compartment too supported us once we raised our voices and the fellow had to apologise. We then asked the girl to stand with us for the rest of the journey.



Have you ever experienced street sexual harassment or 'eve teasing' and been supported by the public? Did they help? or show support? if yes, in what way?

Yes, I did experience sexual harassment once. I came to Mumbai for my education almost a year and a half ago. It was during one of my first bus rides in town that I was harassed by a fellow passenger. I didn't know what to do and was deeply embarrassed. a fellow passenger noticed my discomfort and asked me to move in front of her in the aisle and stood between me and that man. I couldn't have thanked her enough!


Have you ever experienced street sexual harassment and made a scene and not have the public support you?

Not really. But I'm sure that if the situation arises, I am confident that anywhere in the city, if I raise my voice, I will get help.


How would you like the public to support you?

The best support would be to encourage police proceeding. That will be the best way to stop this nuisance.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

What bothers me is the apathy and sheer ignorance that people around exhibit. I'm from Lucknow and was traveling in a Tata Sumo once, which is what used to be one of the forms of public transport here a few years back. (The year this happened being 2005). Anyone who has ever traveled in the back seat of a Tata Sumo knows how cramped and nauseating that can be. To compound the misery, the Sumo driver used to take six people on the two bench-like seats at the back to earn more so you have no choice but to sit squashed inside like a pack of sardines. I was going to my Grandmother's house and was compelled to take the Sumo owing to my bike being given for repairs.

A girl got on from the Railway Station. She must've been a few years younger than me, had a suitcase with her and I assumed she was returning from some college somewhere. She sat on the side opposite mine since mine was already occupied with a middle-aged woman and an elderly man. There was already a middle-aged man sitting there (I'll call him MAPOS - middle-aged piece of shit). After she got in, another man got in after her and she was sandwiched between the two.
Sarika

The MAPOS kept sitting there very coolly with his arms crossed. After a while I noticed that the girl was looking very uncomfortable. And I realized that this guy was fondling her breasts with a very disgustingly constipated look on his face. He obviously assumed that he was hiding the fact really well.

When he just didn't stop, I asked the man on my side of the seat to go sit there and asked the girl to come sit next to me. She was relieved, obviously. And the MAPOS gave me a dirty look like I'd just slapped him. I then had to get down because my stop had come and this guy got down as well.

After all this, he had the gall to ask me what my problem was. I wanted to scream my lungs out at him. I just asked him to mind his hands, left him babbling to himself, paid my fare and left.

Location: Lucknow, in a public transport vehicle