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If you have any questions on sexual harassment, our panel of experts can help. Ask a question anonymously, and we will reply within 48 hours.
Read responses to other Frequently Asked Questions.
October 26th, 2006 .
Speak Up. It Works.
I was in Chandni Chowk that day with a group of friends. Whenever I go to Purani Dilli I am extra cautious because there has never been an occasion when I have not been sexually harassed there.
I was standing near a chaat shop when a man brushed past me and in the process felt me up. I turned around and asked him what he was trying to do and he had the guts to answer back “Can’t you see how crowded it is”. That comment got me really angry. I started screaming at him and threatened him with dire consequences. I had the courage to confront him in this way because I had supportive friends who came and stood beside me, and their body language communicated that they were with me. This, and the fact that I confronted him, scared him away.
November 2nd, 2006 .
Complaining to the Police Worked for Me
I caught a bus on my way back from work. As I was getting in, the bus gave a sudden jerk that nearly threw me off balance. The conductor grabbed my arm and rudely said, “Get in or you will get thrown out”. The bus was over-crowded and let alone being able to move inside, I had trouble keeping my balance. The conductor yelled out to the driver, “Jam the brakes again, and toss her out”. I held on grimly and once I got off, I wrote down the bus number in my notebook. The conductor jumped off the bus and came towards me with his hand raised to hit me. He did not do more than threaten.
Once I reached home, I called a meeting of the women’s collective in the basti and all of us marched to the police station to register a complaint. The police did their job and the next day, the contrite duo along with the owner of the bus, came to the basti to look for me to apologise. They could not find me there, and came looking for me at my workplace. They ended up giving me a written apology for their behaviour! :-)
November 7th, 2006 .
I was crossing the street in Kamla Nagar at 6pm. It was still light. Three school age boys were walking in my direction. I side stepped to avoid them. On coming close to me, one of them touched my breast and another made an obscene remark. I screamed in reflex and this made the boys run. Filmi as it sounds, I ran after them and cornered one of them. By now a crowd had gathered, and they were ready to thrash the boy. But that’s not what I wanted (it repulsed me as much as the molestation). I called the police van nearby and handed the boy over to them.
November 16th, 2006 .
The other evening I was buying fruits at the fruit seller near my home. It was around 9 and there were no other women at the stand. A taxi driver from the nearby taxi stand walked towards me and checked me out. Then he did it again. I got really angry and asked in a loud voice why none of the men there said anything. I asked the fruit seller why he did not say anything to the taxi driver. After all I frequent his stall twice or thrice a week. All the men just looked away sheepishly. But I think I made my point!
January 12th, 2007 .
After reading all these articles, the point is to hit back. Punish them so badly that they never try it again. It doesn’t happen in any other city because these people are scared. So fight back.
January 15th, 2007 .
December 31st, 2006
I was in a welknown hotel in Delhi for 31st celebrations with my 2 female friends. While we were dancing, two boys came and one of them tried to touch my breast. The other boy caught me from behind; it was too scary. Yet I was able to recall a martial arts technique- I kicked him hard on his groin. He was so embarrassed, he never came to me again.
April 26th, 2007 .
Most of the time, I take an auto when I go back home. Since it is a good one hour drive, I take extra precautions when I enter the vehicle. I feel extremely irritated when I see three or four mirrors (requirment is only of two side view mirrors though!!!!) inside the vehicle which are quite strategically placed so that they can focus on either the chest or face of the traveller. I have also noticed that incase any of the mirrors are out of “focus” they become extra cautious and immediately try to rectify it.
I have tried to talk to them about why they have so many mirrors when they need only two and that too outside the vehicle- while some defended by saying that they get to know as to what is happening behind their back, others were simply evasive. I now try to sit at the extreme corner of the seat which generally goes beyond the coverage area.
May 2nd, 2007 .
Sexual harassement from autowallahs is a reality but we have to acknowledge that the need to use them at odd hours is a bigger reality . Since I travel often and the Shatabadis mostly come in after 11pm, I have to take a taxi ( as these are closed, they are more unsafe than autos but unavoidable at times) from the railway station to DWARKA at night. As far as possible I prefer to use pre-paid, but sometimes there is a long queue and unwillingness on the part of the driver to go such a long distance.
I would like to share a small tip here, which I use frequently to pre-empt any undesirable incidencts. After sitting in a taxi, I first call home and inform them about the taxi number and the drivers’s name, after asking the driver himself, though I make it a point to note down the taxi number myself. Then I tell my family members the estimated time in which I’ll be home. ( So that if I do not reach within that time, there is call from them)
I think, the fact that the driver is on record and can be tracked easily acts as a deterrrent. (The name he provides can be wrong, but not the taxi number)