Pankaj Advani, otherwise a proud Bangalorean, is embarrassed by what happened in his hometown on the night of December 31. Advani, who is in Calcutta for a snooker event, responded emotionally while speaking to The Telegraph.

Excerpts...

"It's very sad and unfortunate that such an incident (mass molestation) had to happen on New Year's eve. We all know that the crowd is boisterous that night, especially on the MG Road - Brigade Road stretch, which is why I personally refrain from going out on December 31...

"Rather stay at a friend's place and be part of a quiet get-together...

"For me, the laws need to be stricter. When I travel to countries in the Middle East or to other countries where the crime rate is low, I ask locals 'Don't you ever feel scared'? Women go out at night, drive cars...

"Now, something like that can never happen in a place like New Delhi or even Bangalore...

"I keep wondering why India cannot be like so many other countries? Why can't the thinking and the perception and the approach towards women change? Why can't we learn to respect and love women? The only way you can earn the love of a woman is by respecting her and treating her as another fellow human being, rather than looking at her as an object or someone who has come from another planet...

"At the end of the day, we all want the same things in life. We all want happiness, attract the opposite sex, but it should be in a manner which is acceptable to the other gender as well...

"Laws, besides being stricter, have to be implemented well also...

"The punishment to the juvenile in the Nirbhaya case, for example, should have been much more severe...

"I also feel that illiteracy is a problem. If you are not educated, you don't know the difference between right and wrong. Education makes you a more refined individual and polished. It teaches you manners, helps you to become a better human being, instils values for a lifetime...

"Certainly, as a proud Bangalorean, I have been embarrassed..."