● Two girls walk down the street sporting a pair of jeans and “not-so provocative” tight tops. Two boys pass by singing “lal dupatta udd gaya re tera hawa ke jhoke se”.

● Bystanders gaze at the girls once and then the boys. They are left confused who should be blamed — the boys or the girls?

● The girls too are confused as they had no duppatta on (since they were wearing tops with jeans) and the boys walk free, looking for a next prey

Eve-teasing is increasing by the day. Lewd remarks greet girls near their college gates or at markets teeming with buyers.

Rules are there to book the offenders. But hardly anyone is brought to book.

Eve-teasing in the city has gone beyond the confines of colleges and markets. Women are not spared even on buses and autorickshaws.

At times, molestation follows teasing. The government, parents, security agencies, schools, colleges and most importantly, the victims, differ on the cause behind the age-old evil. Principal of JD Women’s College Usha Singh feels girls themselves are responsible for eve-teasing.

She said: “Undoubtedly boys pass comments on girls but we cannot deny other facts. If girls expose themselves, even we elders feel bad. What if youngsters see them like that? Parents should first check whether their daughter is properly dressed.”

She said when the college officials ask girls to wear proper clothes, they say this is the right age to wear anything they like. “When a girl is eve-teased on vehicles, the girl should react to the situation boldly. People will definitely support her,” Singh said.

Shalini, a former student of JD Women’s College shares the same opinion. But Aruna Choudhary, the head of the Maithili department in the Magadh Mahila College, said girls alone are not responsible for eve-teasing.

She said: “Even boys wear funky clothes. The girls never pass comments on them. Everyone is free to wear whatever one likes. There is no reason why we should blame the girls alone. Boys have the same mentality. They should be taught to respect women. Even girls should learn to protest against eve-teasing politely. If girls deal with the matter politely on the spot, you never know, the boys’ mentality might change.”

Echoing Choudhary, a girl of Patna Women’s College said it was shameful that Patnaites were still living in ancient times. She said: “In Delhi or Mumbai, nobody seems to be interested in whether you are wearing a sari or a mini. It is in places like Bihar that such incidents still happen.”

A student of a girls’ college in Patna said, “I can’t stop going to college everyday. Coming from a financially weak background, I take an autorickshaw from Hanuman Nagar to the roundabout near Mahaveer Mandir (near Patna Junction). Every alternate day, I have to face eve-teasing. I pray that a girl sits beside me in the autorickshaw while travelling. It is a pity that even elderly people aged around 47-48 years try to touch me. I am tired of reacting to shameless people like these. In fact, young boys are better than them. Boys never indulge in eve-teasing in autorickshaws.”

A married woman, working with a private company, said: “I take an autorickshaw from Patliputra Colony to the Income Tax Golambar. For two years, I have been facing eve-teasing. It is surprising that people indulge in eve-teasing even after seeing the sindur.”

Deputy superintendent of police (town) Sheela Irani said: “We try to make the girls feel secured. But if they face some problems in autorickshaws, then self-confidence can only help them. If a girl or a woman retaliates on the spot, others will definitely help her. Also a healthy message will go out loud and clear.”

Member of Bihar State Women’s Commission Vandana Narayan said: “Eve-teasing is a punishable offence. Punishment depends on what type of eve-teasing it is. If such cases come to the commission, the accused will have to face one-year imprisonment. The commission can also impose a fine of Rs 10,000 on the accused.”