It was just another day and I was returning home from school.I alighted from the bus and I saw a young teen walking ahead of me.She too was in my bus.Behind her , I saw an elderly man looking around and then moving closer to the girl and touching the girl on her bottom.After doing that the pervert walked away as if nothing happened.The girl meanwhile quickly turned back and saw the man,gave an embarrassed look and walked on.I was seething with anger on seeing this.I spoke aloud to the young girl and told her why she let the man go away like that after what he did. I told her that she should have retaliated and protested aloud at his action.She she did not I gave a piece of my mind to the man who was trying to slink away when he saw that I was being vocal about the incident.The man who was smiling and victoriously looking at the girl earlier,heard my ranting and tried to walk away in embarrassment.
This is a very common incident.Anywhere you go there are men,young and old trying to brush past you,pinch your bottom,feel your breasts or grope you in public places.This is most common in buses,railway stations,market places and other public places.Each and every girl or woman has faced this pathetic and perverted behaviour but has reacted differently to it.There are many who face it and keep quiet.They just move away from the situation or person .Some others raise their voice and make the perpetrator of the action feel embarrassed and there are some others who are vocal as well as lethal,they fight back physically by pushing or hitting the person at fault.
I do not understand who gives these perverts the right to touch somebody like this.
Why do girls and women endure this punishment meted out to them and keep quiet to avoid embarrassment?
I would advise them to do what I do and what I have taught my daughter too,voice out your disgust and disapproval for their action aloud.Make them embarrassed for their action and make them realise that you are not going to allow them take advantage of you by being meek.If they are trying to move closer in a bus,sternly tell them to move away.Let them know that you are not going to let them get away by groping and feeling you.Learn self defence and if needed,in extreme cases only,use these techniques.
As parents we teach our little girls to walk carefully in public areas,not to allow other people to touch us where they shouldn't and basically try to protect them from gropers.We teach them to walk in such a way that they learn to dodge the groping hands of the perverts as well as they can.We teach them how to use their bag or folder in innovative ways to keep men or boys from touching them in public places.
Do the parents of boys teach their kids to behave in an appropriate manner that will not cause disrespect to womankind???
Are they taught to avoid touching girls and ladies in public places?
Are they taught that women feel violated when they are touched as they have a right to decide who can touch their body???
I am sure this is not the case.
Are we as parents and teachers failing to teach our kids how to respect women???
Are we building prejudices in the impressionable minds through films and serials that men will be men and will grope,tease and use women for their pleasure and that women have no right to complain but they should learn to bear all without protest???
It saddens me to see that women have to go through this groping everywhere at all times and, as a woman, let me tell you that it is really an intrusion that disgusts us no end. .
I want every boy and man to know that women do not like being touched and groped like this ,period.
This scenario can change if we parents and teachers teach the children to learn to respect every person .Just as girls are taught to protect their modesty,boys also should be taught to respect the rights of women and not cross their limits.Maybe then this kind of perverted behaviour can be eradicated.
I know that it will take time,but at least there should be a start.
Hope all the boys and men who are reading this and parents who have boys teach their laadlas keep this in mind..........No touching,no touching!!!
