The night of December 31, 2016 in Bengaluru will be remembered as it should be.
Bengaluru, known for its cosmopolitan culture is also the IT hub of India. As the gory stories of the molestations and gendered violence crept in, the initial estimates put the mob number at 15,000 – 25,000. There were 1500 policemen on duty. Revellers poured into the streets of MG Road and Brigade Road, and there were reports that they attacked women in groups, molested and groped women in the wee hours. Accounts of women being groped, grabbing their modesty and many left unreported. As large sections of the police just stood by, some say there were “outnumbered”. A select few police officials have jumped into action very quickly, without whom this would have continued for long.
Within days, as atrocious comments from sections of the political class came in almost justifying the violence, accounts of Survivors are clear and trong. It is just a question of whose voice who wants to hear.
Geeta (name changed for privacy reasons) narrates her story,
“I was with my friend that night. We finished the party at MG Road and was heading back home. We met a few friends enroute. Hundreds of people flooded the streets. I thought it was some collective drive against new year celebrations. But NO! That anonymous mob was on a drive to squeeze every girl they came across. At a point, I couldn’t even trust my friend. He tried to help me, but in vain. I could have handled 2-3 guys, hitting, beating or shouting. I could have used pepper spray. But when 20,30 guys attack you with sole intention of grabbing your private parts, how can you stop it. Even I couldn’t resist them for long. I was groped and molested. My private parts were grabbed. I was a helpless fish out of water”,
This survivor nearly broke down telling the tale.
“Neither was I drunk nor was I wearing a short skirt. It was cool and i was completely covered. Neither the men were drunk nor was I inviting them with my behaviour. It just happened in a jiffy. They came, attacked, groped, touched me everywhere and targeted the next girl”.
There is another chilling incident in Kammanahalli, East Bengaluru that has been recorded in CCTV. The footage is widely available on internet. It shows a calculated witch hunting by two boys:a lady turns into an abandoned lane, walking all alone. 2 boys enter the same lane. Initially it looked as if they had no intention of harming her. later they take a U-Turn and stop the bike opposite to her. Then the driver gets down and pulls the lady, holds her tights, grabs her, touches her everywhere. He pulls and takes her to his friend who was the rear seat. He also molests her brutally. That brave girl struggles throughout that 45-seconds, but in vain. She falls on the ground and still those boys devilish act continues. After a few seconds, they leave. Fortunately, the footage was widely circulated on social media and netizens helped police crack the whip. Within 48-hours of this incident the police arrested those two. It was later revealed that they had been stalking that lady for quite some time.
Why has there been no national outrage? Is the nation under a new dispensation living in paralysis or fear?