In my City… Dreams Shattered, Confidence Lost!

In my City… Dreams Shattered, Confidence Lost!

It was just as if yesterday, I still remember clearly... covering Priyanka Chopra's single launch... It was 12:30 in the night, I just missed the office drop... I thought rather than waiting for an hour more for the next drop, why not use the train... went to Dadar station all alone jumped onto the Thane train... ladies compartment was not that empty but got almost empty in Vikhroli... I was listening to music, lost in thoughts, it didn’t matter then but today I understand... How lucky I was!!!

India has developed at a rapid pace & this at times may lead to friction in man between working soundly or giving in to stress. Although, there may be multiple factors affect the mental stability, it usually is the women who suffer the most.  Frequent stories of hate crime, assaults, rape have uncovered a disturbing trend in our country.

It did not affect me much on what happened at Delhi, last December but now at Mumbai that too with a journalist has sent chills down my spine. It is just not scary it is devastating. I am angry, really angry! My city was considered to be a safe haven for women, able to express one-self freely - like the New Yorkers, but now - is it changing into a city that has a dark underbelly, something sinister that is evil!

I have had enough of panel discussions, political party accusations, news investigation teams, candle marches n black ribbons, I will not ask or expect anything from our judicial or security system, I will just ask a question to myself; am I alert? 

What could have been my reaction if the same thing would have happened to me?

Could I show some presence of mind?

Am I trained to defend myself should the need arise?

And answers to all these questions is NO. 

Am I vulnerable? UNFORTUNATELY YES

Can I change that? YES

Will I do it? YES

Not only me, but all you girls out there step up. Let’s create a self defense mechanism, something that gives us a chance to react until help arrives.

There are ways, we can defend ourselves; let’s explore some of them:

Mobile Communications - applications are available in various forms on different OS. Apps like Circle of 6, bSafe have functionalities that with the press of a single button/ combination pre-entered numbers will be notified that the user is in a situation, where she may require assistance. Some more advanced applications also provide an option for your loved ones to track your whereabouts in real time. But they have their limitations - typing a code, mobile network (bad in Mumbai!) & pray they do not snatch your phone at the first instant!

Pepper Spray + Hand Bag Combo - A small can worth 200/- can definitely stop others from harming you. Our hand bag (well, just live with it, we all carry it - usually laden with weight) - use it. A good swing on the molester’s face & he will see stars in the day. This with pepper spray - people will run away.

Better still, undergo basic training in martial arts, run to the nearest police station or shout at the top of your voice. Regularly use ‘Whats App’, when in darkened areas - people will think twice (human tendency)

If that is expensive - make your boyfriend/ your husband a punching bag. They should not mind when a loved one punches you, knowing that this training will help you be safe in moments like this.

So bad boys beware, boyfriends get punched & girls go ‘Hell Yeah’.

Let’s kick up a storm & show those bastards that we will not take this lightly, we will not sit back - we will be the difference!

-          An agitated Woman who still believe that the CHANGE will happen.