Enough of speeches, it’s time to act
Smoking is injurious to health. Agreed. It’s injurious to both men and women. But if a man, in spite of knowing the ill effects of cigarettes, is allowed to smoke in public, then why can’t a woman do the same? If a man smokes, there is no problem. But if a woman smokes, she is regarded as cheap. Why? Our leaders are always talking about respecting women, but are women actually respected? Well, if women were honestly respected, then the girl from Presidency wouldn’t have faced harassment. What was her mistake? Wearing shorts and smoking? That’s ridiculous! We girls have the right to wear what we want. That does not make us provocative. No one has the right to judge a girl by what she wears, And if she smokes, it’s her business. What’s wrong with that? Something is terribly wrong with people’s mentality in our city. Not just men, but women as well. I have seen many women commenting on what a girl wears in public too.
I am 16, going on 17. I mostly travel alone. When I go for tuitions every evening, my parents get worried if I don’t return home by 9pm. They even stop me from wearing shorts or ripped jeans. You know why? Because they are concerned about me. They are aware that in Calcutta, it’s not safe. But should we just sit quietly and tolerate this nonsense? It’s time we spoke up and raised our voice.
And to our leaders, I would say enough of speeches, it’s time to act.
— Bhaswati Bose,South Point High School
The government has completely failed
The Preamble to the Constitution promises for its citizens
JUSTICE social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation
There was a time when I used to feel proud of being a citizen of a democratic country that offers her citizens the freedom of expression and thought. But today, the adulterated picture of this liberty and equality is exposed. Who has entrusted this society with the responsibility of deciding what a woman should wear and if it is right of her to smoke in public? Why are they always so judgemental about us women? Wearing a crop top or shorts and going out calls for strange looks. Owing to the environment of my locality (Southern Nayabad), slipping into sleeveless tops and three-quarter bottoms was something unimaginable till my family bought a car. Why?
The fundamental responsibility of any government is to ensure the safety and security of its citizens but unfortunately the government of Bengal has completely failed in its duty. Parents cannot allow their children, especially girls, to return home from tuitions alone after 9pm. How long can and will this persist? The political umbrella protecting these goons has led them to believe they are above the law-and-order of this country and immune to all legal proceedings. Police should ensure that the two Presidency students get justice.
— Koyel Banerjee, Patha Bhavan
Her act of courage... if she can, then we all can
I have meticulously gone through every article on the assault of the Presidency University student by goons for wearing shorts and smoking at Pallisree in Ranikuthi. Her extraordinary willpower and determination helped her achieve an almost impossible feat. Her singular act of courage by standing up and refusing to budge from her position against a gang of goons has made not only her father, but also every girl of Calcutta proud. When we speak of us being courageous, it sounds good but unfortunately most of us fail to execute that in action when the situation demands. This is where the Presidency braveheart stands apart. She taught us to fight back. She taught us to be brave. She taught us not to lose heart. She has become a symbol of courage, determination, hope and above all inspiration for all of us. As a girl, I will not have second thoughts the next time I raise my voice against goons because if she can, then we all can.
— Ankita Sen
Auxilium Convent School, Dum Dum
I yearn to breathe free once again in my city
It breaks my heart to see the condition of my city. It pains me to realise that incidents such as the ones at Kamduni and on Park Street took place here. How did we allow it? When did my city turn into a dark and dangerous jungle? I am scared to walk down the dark and lonely alleys leading to my home, which has been my daily route right since school. But now I am afraid and I call up my mother while walking down the lane. Hearing her voice gives me a sense of security. I am afraid to return home after a late-night movie even when accompanied by family and keep looking over my shoulder. I am terrified of letting my seven-year-old niece out alone even when she wants to play in the nearby park in broad daylight. Why do I have to mind my actions and appearance when the onlooker does not for once mind devouring me with his eyes even when I am fully clothed? Everywhere in the city, be it Metro stations, buses or cinemas, we are conscious of our clothes, our neckline, our dupatta, the length of our skirt. I yearn to breathe free once again in my city, the city which I love and adore, the city which I will never leave no matter how much the economy suffers a downfall or how backward we remain. I just plead and pray that women are given due respect once again.
— Saadia Sitwat
Of course I feel unsafe in Calcutta today
I wonder what this city has come to. Once it boasted of being India’s “safest city” but now all that has changed. Of course, as a woman, I feel unsafe in Calcutta today. Keeping aside the various instances of outrage of modesty happening around us, there are these rogues who ogle at you. To these men, my advice is that they sit at home if they cannot treat a woman as a human being. Only then will Calcutta regain its past glory.
— Nairita Mitra,
Dum Dum
Kudos to the father for supporting his daughter
This lady who has been tormented and the likes of her are our unsung heroes. Society fails to understand their courage. I also congratulate the father for being upright in accepting his mistake and supporting his daughter.
Moral policing is an exhibition of extreme patriarchal and arrogant ignorance. It is sad how a majority of people is moving backwards while the world races ahead.
— Ujjal
Pallisree is very near my home and I was shocked
The courage shown by the girl is praiseworthy. Pallisree is very near my home and I was shocked to read about the incident. But what I want to stress is that there are several such incidents of harassment happening on the city fringes in the guise of moral policing. The administration has been apathetic to these causes. Thus the only way we can speak out is through the media.
Be it harassment at the hands of auto drivers or lewd remarks on the streets, the media should take an active role in highlighting these issues.
— Sandipan Roychowdhury
The fear of being harassed has had a grip on me
If I’m writing this so late, it does not mean I do not feel strongly for what happened recently, it’s because fear of being harassed has had a strong grip on me.
Yes, I’m a woman too and I fear that today if a girl could be harassed for her choice of clothes and lifestyle, tomorrow I could be harassed, too, for exercising my rights. For, their fury is not only at seeing a girl in shorts with a cigarette, but about a woman liberating herself from the shackles of patriarchy that they have imposed on this society. What these men want us women to do is fear them. So that is exactly what we should not give in to.
I am a citizen of a democratic country and not a patriarchal one. And if I have rights, then be it as a woman or a man or a child, I will exercise them to the fullest. And if the Constitution does not question my way of life, who are they to?
— Protiksha Saha
Calcutta was not like this a few years ago
The situation is worse in the suburbs. Even wearing knee-length pants to the shop across the street can invite stares from almost everyone.
The other day I was on my way home around 5.30pm, when I happened to cross a Trinamul rally and had to endure remarks being passed by boys much younger than me. But I dared not protest. Calcutta was not like this a few years ago. Calcutta just can't be like this!
— Soumi Chakraborty
Scared to step out after dark
Lately, in Calcutta, women are scared to step out after dark. It is considered natural enough to quicken our steps while crossing a tea stall or a group of men to avert stares. Mothers are extremely reluctant to let their daughters go out alone. None of this is faced by men. I really think that it’s time we raised our voice and stood up for ourselves.
— Ankita Sen,
Madhyamgram
Calcutta has really changed a lot
It is one’s personal choice how he or she would like to dress, walk, sit, etc. If a girl is comfortable wearing shorts, she has every right to do so and it doesn’t give men the right to comment or harass. Calcutta has really changed a lot.
— Pamela Modak
I have a daughter, I am worried
About the role of police in the Ranikuthi incident, I would like to point out that little has changed. I faced similar behaviour from the cops when some of us were attacked and slapped by goons of a Left-backed trade union in 2002.... I have an eight-year-old daughter and am worried for her.
— Partha Sarathi Banerjee,
Garia
