Covered faces may in fact help reduce crime, say girls

Lovleen Bains

Doraha, July 17

The decision of the Ludhiana police to ban covering of

faces while driving or moving around to maintain law and order situation in the city has not gone down well with the fairer sex. A majority of them feel that their covered faces rather protect them from anti-social elements.

Girls say with the rise in cases of eve teasing and acid attacks day by day they, too, would have become victims in such incidents sooner or later had they not covered their faces.

A number of girl students and professional women, who commute daily to Doraha from surrounding towns or villages, cover their faces to protect their skin and escape the spiteful eyes of youngsters and men.

A girl student of a local college requesting anonymity shared, “I commute daily to my college in Doraha, which is at 10 km from my village near Payal. I cover my face less to

guard my skin and more due to the fact that I may encounter a number of such elements, who may follow me and try to obstruct my way.”

“A covered face is not a hundred per cent guard

against any mishap. But, many untoward incidents can be averted with a face behind a veil,” she added.

While sharing the same opinion, a bank employee said, “I too come from a village and feel comfortable when I cover my face. It is not just for your personal satisfaction. I feel that in case of exposed face, the accused may abuse or bother you even if he has no mood to indulge in such an act. The administration should lift this ban on girls and women commuters. I have personally experienced that boys go more after girls, whose faces are uncovered.”

“After all, we don’t not have any policeman to guard us against any mishap or rogue element all the time. It is we, who have to keep ourselves safe, somehow. A woman with an uncovered face on a two-wheeler is sure to attract the attention of male commuters passing by. It may create problems for her. At that time, she may be in a fix as whom to call for help. A covered face is a sure guard against such incidents,” she opined.

Another woman, who works in a local school, said “Lifting this ban on the fairer sex will help the Police Department. Officials, too, will have less number of complaints related to eve-teasing. Some use it to protect their skin. It is no less than a guard to save oneself against acid attacks, which seem to have become an easy way to vent out anger by frustrated and jilted youth of today.”