(The dilapidated condition of the Police Booth near MKP College, says it all.)
A girl’s college in the center of Dehra Dun with hundreds of girls streaming in and out all throughout the day; with no sign of police within a kilometer radius; you think this would be an eve-teasers paradise? If you thought yes, you are right. Over 80% of all girls from MKP College, who responded to Garhwal Post Eve teasing Feed back form, had been teased atleast once in the last year and of them, around 60% had been subjected to this form of harassment either daily or innumerable times over the same period. With such shocking statistics it is amazing how the Dehra Dun Police is satisfied by launching “Operation Majnu” once or twice a year near this college.
Says Farida (all names in the article are pseudonyms), an 18yr old MKP Student: “This has occurred to me since the age of 16, almost everyday on way to college. I feel very uncomfortable on the road when I’m alone”. Not surprisingly 34% of all such incidents happen on New Road with the most common being use of vulgar words, trying to touch, offering lifts and singing songs. Other favorite haunts for eve teasers seem to be Paltan Bazaar (12%), Dharampur (12%), Darshan Lal Chowk(10%) and EC Road (3%).
21yr old Aseema has also experienced eve teasing on way to College daily and now feels that hearing abuses has become a habit for her, as she feels it is habit with boys say such things. It has now stopped bothering her. Her friend Raveena narrates a recent incident “As I was walking to college, a man on a scooter stopped in front of me and asked an address. Thinking it was my duty to help someone, I explained to him the way to the place. He then asked me to sit with him and show him the road! I scolded him and he ran way laughing. I felt so insulted”.
| Quick Stats | |
|---|---|
| Incidence in Percentage of Girls in last one year. | |
| Eve Teased | 80.49% |
| Not Eve Teased | 19.51% |
| Daily or Numerous Incidents | 57.57% |
| Single Incidence | 18.18% |
| Two Incidents | 12.12% |
| Three Incidents | 9.1% |
| Location of Eve Teasing | |
| New Road | 33.33% |
| Paltan Bazaar | 12.12% |
| Dharampur | 12.12% |
| Darshan Lal Chowk | 9.1% |
| EC Road | 3% |
| Harassed in Public Transport | 15.15% |
| Harassed by Middle Aged Men | 12.12% |
The profile of eve teasers ranged from vikram drivers to boys from apparently rich families to elderly people. According to Manpreet, a 17yr student of MKP, middle aged and elderly men are worse eve teasers. 12% of all girls who were eve teased, complained about elderly men being their tormentors and 50% of all girls who were harassed by middle aged men complained of indecent exposure! Indecent exposure was exclusively limited to this age category. Says Reena “I have experienced both comments from boys and dirty actions from middle aged men. More of embarrassing situation happens when middle aged men engage in exposure (indecent) of their body parts. This should be stopped as it causes a lot of anguish”.
Till the authorities of our State wake up, this daily harassment of girls going to their colleges will continue, unchecked and unabated. Unfortunately the Indian Society teaches the women to walk with their heads bowed and eyes firmly on the ground. Equally unfortunately the College authorities are not bothered about what happens to their students a few steps away from the college.
This simple feedback form in our paper brought out such shocking facts about eveteasing in our City. If a proper survey was done, the results would definitely be even more shocking. The aim of this initiative is to sensitize the Police and College authorities to the need of being more proactive. At the very least, the run down dilapidated Police Booth near MKP College needs to be repaired and activated.
