India
Had it not been for the social media campaign, this incident would have gone unnoticed as well. When MyNation asked the victim what she would do if it happened again, she said she would do the same thing again, risking further injury. 'I consider it just an accident,' she said and added, but for all the support she received from social media, she would have broken down.
New Delhi: Many gruesome incidents of molestation go unnoticed every other day. A similar story would have gone unreported had it not been for these two brave sisters from the national capital who dared to fight back.
It was a normal day for Surabhi and Samriddhi (they have consented to the publishing of their names) who went shopping to Chandi Chowk with their mother and uncle. While they went to another shop asking their mother to sit and wait with the bags, a man groped one of them from behind. He was with one of his Sikh friends. The girl who was molested in a crowded market followed them with her sister instead of ignoring the wrong done unto her.
She grabbed the guy by his collar and slapped him. So did her sister and they slapped him for quite a few times until he hit them back. When he attempted to deal another blow to her, the victim managed to duck and escape the fist of the assailant, but her sister got severely hurt on the left side of her face.
She fell unconscious. The blow injured the retina of her eye, it transpired later upon the arrival of her medical report.
Once her sister fell down, the guy tried to flee but, thanks to some people around, the molester was caught. He was beaten by the crowd that had also urged the two sisters to take off their shoes to beat him.
But the police did not turn up in time. This despite the shop owners in the vicinity informing the cops about the exact spot of the incident. They waited there endlessly for 20-25 minutes, listening to some 'aunties’ advising them to go back as some onlookers were making fun of them.
Once the sisters went home, they received a call from Delhi Police, asking them, “Kahan ho, madam?” (Where are you, madam?)
Negligence, sluggish action, long-drawn procedures, sheer ignorance, we don't know what else accurately describes the action taken by Indian police.
The cop who had called apologised and explained he had not received the information earlier. In a display of utter callousness, the Delhi Police have not responded as yet to the tweet where they were tagged.
When MyNation asked the victim what she would do if it happened again, she said, “I'll do the same thing again despite this injury, I consider it just an accident.” She said further if there had been no social media support, she would have broken down.
The survivor chose to fight rather than ignore. The braveheart believes if every girl does the same, no man would dare make unsolicited advances at women. There will no longer be frequent cases of molestation, she said.
It's time we took action rather than wait for the incorrigibly slow administration.
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