Stalking a common sight in society, say city girls

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, August 13

The Varnika Kundu stalking case in Chandigarh has raised a question over the security of women in the country. In the past one week, the incident has grabbed the attention of the media and is still trending on social media. 

The Tribune talks to some of the city girls to know how much Jalandhar is safe for girls and women who commute frequently and work till late night. They were also asked about the similar experiences that they might have endured at some point of their life.        

Sukriti Bahuguna, teacher

A few days ago around 10 pm, I and my friend were coming back to our PG. While returning, we observed that a few guys were following us. We were on our two-wheeler and had no idea about how to get out of the situation. There was no police personnel on the road. We kept calm, didn’t lose our patience and ignored the boys. But, we got scared due to the incident. We finally heaved a sigh of relief as soon as we reached our PG. 

Palak Sethi, student

Jalandhar is not a safe city at all. Even commuting in cabs and autos is not safe. The way drivers stare us through the rear mirror is irritating. Travelling during the day is also scary. Being chased by boys at night is also very common.

Anureet Mitra, doctor                                           

Whether a girl is a DJ by profession or was hanging out with friends or on a date with her boyfriend. These reasons do not give a licence to any person to harass a girl. We have the right to wear clothes of our choice. But we don’t give the authority to anyone to judge us or harass us. I have been a victim of stalking on a number occasions but never took it seriously. This incident is an eye-opener for girls to fight against all odds.

Savita Dhamija, 

radio jockey

Stalking and eve-teasing incidents in India are very common. Girls face such incidents frequently. That creates a doubt on the effectiveness of the law and order system. If we wish to go for a walk alone at night, we think hundred times before going out.