It is poignant to see the way the Chandigarh MP reacted to such a grave issue. Warnings are meted out to girls each time they decide to hire public transport while policies are framed to discourage the use of private vehicles. Dark stretches and lonely roads are a common sight in the city. Police surveillance should increase to act as a deterrent.
Surbhi Sharma, Chandigarh
Lighting needed in autos
There should be an arrangement for lighting in auto-rickshaws, buses and trains so that it is visible from some distance as to who is sitting inside. It may help women decide which auto-rickshaw they want to board.
Kulwinder Kaur, Mohali
Help policemen
Even when there is a robbery or snatching case, the police advise people as to how to protect themselves while carrying bags and valuables. Apart from organising a special drive to prevent such incidents, the Chandigarh Police have good infrastructure to control such crimes but the people should also help them.
Anokh Singh Kahlon, Police Inspector (retd)
Create database of autos
Random checks need to be carried out to ensure the safety of women in the tricity. An efficient public transport needs to be considered. Panic button in mobiles should be made mandatory. Police verification of auto drivers is also important. A database of all the autos plying in the tricity is the need of the hour. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags connected to mobile phones of relatives can be an effective means to control crime against women.
Dr Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh
Improve bus service
Lighting on all roads and streets should be ensured besides the pruning of trees. There is a need to strengthen the CTU bus service. The authorities in Panchkula and Mohali should start the local bus service. The number of liquor vends should also be checked. Instead, open new government dispensaries and make existing dispensaries functional with the requisite infrastructure.
Sunil Kumar Gupta
Register autos with transport authority
It is no exaggeration to say that the crime against women is on the rise in the tricity. The authorities should take stringent steps. All three-wheelers must be registered with the state transport authority. While boarding an auto-rickshaw, every person should note down its number and convey it to a known person. CCTV cameras should be fixed at vulnerable points. The GPS system in three-wheelers will help curb this menace.
Harish Kapur, Chandigarh
Handiwork of unemployed youth
Most crime incidents against women are the handiwork of unemployed youth or the persons who overspend. The authorities should involve educational institutions and NGOs in the tricity to tackle such elements. Unemployed youths should be encouraged to take the benefit of skill development programmes.
Lajpat Rai Garg, Panchkula
Police can’t refuse to lodge complaint
Earlier, the police used to be reluctant in registering cases to keep the crime figure low. As per the recent amendment, if a cop refuses to register a complaint regarding sexual harassment, he can be booked. The government has promised to step up surveillance and take preventive measures such as night patrolling, supervision and checks on public and private bus drivers besides the banning of vehicles with black films windows or curtains.
Bhavesh Pahwa, Panchkula
Think twice before issuing statement
Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, herself being a woman, issued an insensitive statement by saying that the 22-year-old woman should not have boarded the auto-rickshaw in which three men were already sitting. It means that the men have the right to rape a woman if she is using the same auto. This is objectionable. She should think twice before issuing any statement.
RK Kapoor, Chandigarh
Be sensitive towards victims
The MP, SSP and the Mayor, being women, should respond to such incidents seriously. In fact, they should be extremely sympathetic towards the victim and take some constructive steps to stop such crime in future. To make the tricity safe and secure, the aggrieved women should be encouraged to get involved in the police investigation and the police should be resident-friendly.
Priya Darsh Growar, Mohali
Instil fear of law
What the UT MP has said should be taken as an advisory for women in view of the occurrence of rape cases and snatchings in the city recently. There is a need to instill the fear of law in residents. Give the police a free hand and inspire the youth to take up the cause of checking the crime.
Tejinder Singh Kalra, Mohali
All-women transport required in city
Patrolling of PCR vans should be increased at night. There should be a facility for all-women transport in the city during late evening hours. No case of rape and molestation should be left unreported. The process of law should be made quicker and easier. Punishment given to criminals should be exemplary. The art of self-defence should be taught in schools and colleges. Parents and society should inculcate moral values and girls and boys alike.
Kamalpreet Kaur, Mohali
Set up fast-track courts
There is a need for effective and efficient policing in the city. The effectiveness of the police should be felt by city residents. No auto or cab driver should be allowed to operate without police verification. Those involved in crime against women should be tried in fast-track courts. They should be awarded an exemplary punishment to deter others from committing such crimes.
SS Arora, Mohali
Unwelcome statement
Suggesting that the girl should have taken the PCR facility instead, our beloved MP Kirron Kher believes that auto-rickshaws in the tricity cannot be made safe for women. Why should we admit that the three persons sitting in a public conveyance had the right to outrage a woman’s modesty? The city MP's opinion is unfortunate.
MPS Chadha, Mohali
Check drivers’ antecedents regularly
A regular checking of antecedents of taxis/auto drivers needs to be done and strict action be taken for the violation of rules. Drunken driving should also be checked. At the same time, the women need to be cautious at work and other places. While hiring any type of conveyance and in case of any dubt, they may capture the image of the driver and the registration number of the vehicle with the help of a mobile. This may help track the culprits.
AS Ahuja, Chandigarh
Coordination among govt agencies required
The crime in the city is increasing at an alarming rate. The authorities should make efforts to make the city crime-free. Surveillance should be stepped up. Better lighting on the roads is needed. Above all, instill the fear of law in the minds of miscreants. There is a need for coordination among various agencies of the government. The public must help too.
Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula
Strict enforcement of law the only solution
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of our administration, police and other agencies to see that the city is safe and secure for women. Strict enforcement of the law is the only solution. I would say that the MP knows her responsibility and should give proper advice to the residents.
Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra
Public needs to play its part
Ensure that the law takes its own course and the judiciary is impartial, honest and fearless in pronouncing the judgment. People should also come forward to stop such incidents. At least, ring up the police and give testimony in the court so that criminals are punished. The police should not harass them. There should be a witness protection programme so that criminals can not intimidate them. Girls should be cautious and careful and avoid taking unnecessary risks in the name of
gender freedom.
Bubby Soin
Unfortunate remarks
It is unfortunate that the city MP issued an irresponsible advisory instead of exploring possibilities to enhance police patrolling in crime-prone areas. The traffic police in the tricity should keep relevant documents of each auto/taxi driver, duly verified, and issue them token numbers.
Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali
Police yet to prove themselves
When the gang-rape of a 22-year-old girl made headlines in the media, the police were groping in the dark. The local MP was seen patting the back of the UT police for curbing the crime rate. As for the other two ladies at the helm in the city, they are yet to prove themselves.
SC Luthra, Chandigarh
Take special safety measures
The issue of increasing crimes against women needs to be addressed with prime concern and focus. Women should take special safety measures as it is said “prevention is better than cure”. They must have women helpline numbers saved on the display screen of the phone that can be dialled instantly. They can click the front photo of the vehicle having vehicle no. and its driver and can send home to make them aware of the whereabouts. This way, the driver would not dare to do something wrong.
Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh
Civil society should
wake up
Statements by Members of Parliament like the Chandigarh MP blaming women for the crimes against them must not only be condemned but also they must be held accountable for such statements. The following measures will go a long way in curbing crimes against women. There needs to be a capital punishment for this heinous crime. Strengthen and make fast our justice delivery system. Government and police have to be made accountable. Besides, civil society should wake up.
SK Khosla, Chandigarh
Concerted efforts required
Concerted efforts are required by the police and the public to eliminate the menace. The police have failed to let their presence felt on the roads to instil fear of law in the minds of culprits. People fail to inform police about irregularities they observe. The police should educate people about safety by using different apps available free of cost. In nutshell, we have to outsmart the culprits.
Bharat Bhushan Sharma