Women unsafe in premier landmark roads in Bangalore

While Brigade Road, MG Road and Commercial Street are considered a shopper’s haven, they can also become a woman’s worst nightmare. Be it any time in the day, women say that these roads have increasing cases of harassment.

“I was walking down MG Road late in the evening and I stopped to answer a call. A minute later, a ‘respectable looking man’, along with his friend, approached me and sought my ‘services’. I have never been more scared or disgusted, as they refused to leave even when I tried to shake them off. It was only when I threatened to go up to a policeman, did they leave me,” said Sajna. Other women, too, have similar tales to share.

Lakshmi Nair, a young professional who recently moved to the city, said she was shocked at the sheer audacity of some men. “This incident took place last week. I was standing at a road crossing near Brigade Road along with a friend in the afternoon when a man came and rubbed his hands along my friend’s thigh.  He left her side and did the same thing to me! When we confronted him after flagging down a traffic policeman, he denied everything and literally ran away when we refused to back down,” she said, adding that traffic policemen often aren’t very helpful in such situations.

“What can they do anyway?  They should be given more powers to tackle such lecherous men,” suggested Nair.

Priya, who was recently assaulted, said that while there is some security in numbers, it doesn’t ensure an end to harassment. “I was walking around Brigade Road with a group of friends and these guys in a car, stopped, grabbed my chest and sped away. In an earlier incident, I even slapped a person for grabbing,” she said.

Pallavi Chandra, who worked on the Fearless Karnataka Campaign (which was against violence on women in the city) organised by Maraa Foundation, said women should exercise caution in every part of the city. “The reason you hear more stories from MG Road is because young people hang out there. But I don’t really see it as the most unsafe part of the city. Honestly, you should be on guard all the time,” she said.

But she also warned women against being paranoid. “You have to be mentally prepared at all times because you don’t know when the perpetrators will attack you. But I’m not going to be worried all the time about it either,” she said.

What are Chandra’s tips for being safe in the city? “Carry a pepper spray with you at all times. And if you know you are going to have a late night, it helps if you are with people. While I don’t want to sound sexist, it also helps if you have a male around,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner.