Widen surveillance, fast-track justice for women safety

Open House: is ut doing enough to make city safe for women?

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I recently read about PCR vans that will drop stranded women safely at their destinations from 9 pm to 6 am. The scheme was launched by the Punjab Chief Minister for the safety of women during odd hours. The response towards this move is also good. Such steps can improve safety

of women.

Nakhpreet Kaur, Sanghol

PU must raise its boundary wall

A pervert trying to molest a woman journalist is shameful. The incident should be condemned by one and all. The police have a mobile app, which helps women in distress to reach their destination safely escorted by policewomen between 9 pm to 6 am. The PU authorities should raise a 10-feet wall on its outer boundaries supported by barbed wire fencing. The whole campus and its gardens should be lit with flood lights to ensure safety of women.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

Offenders have no fear of law

Daring molestation attempt on a journalist out on morning walk at the botanical garden of Panjab University, supposed to be safe area, is deplorable. It appears no public place is safe in the city for women. In fact, past three years statistics show that there has been 53 per cent rise in violations against women. The reason behind molestation and rape incidents is no fear of law. Highly regrettable that in most cases offenders are not traced post crime. Those who get into police net face endlessly trial in courts. Shoddy investigation by the police leads to acquittal of convicts of all the charges in the end. Therefore, there is a need for effective and efficient policing. Even policewomen in civvies can be posted at public places. Investigating agencies must collect comprehensive details of the crime and make a foolproof case supported with forensic and medical evidence. There is also need for establishing fast track trial courts for delivery of speedy judgments and execution within shortest possible period. Besides, law must be enacted to make molestation and rape cases non-bailable offence to instill fear in minds of offenders.

SS Arora, US

Help Administration to make city safe

There is a lot of scope for improvement. The police have to be duly reinforced, well trained, and equipped to deal with modern day crimes. Senior officials have to set an example in honesty and be humane. The UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation got to work in unison and effectively. Politicians have to be accountable for deeds of their spoilt brats. A better response has to come from city residents. Do we come to the rescue of women when they are harassed or are in trouble? Do we report crimes to the police when we see these happening in front of our eyes? Do we seek police clearance of our tenants/PGs before renting them our accommodation? As parents have we bothered to groom our children and taught moral values? No sir, we suit our own convenience, and only crib. We blame everyone else except ourselves rarely realising our self accountability. Let us stop being spectators and start helping the police and the UT Administration in making the city safer and better. When everyone becomes a stakeholder in the City Beautiful it will then become real smart.

Colonel RD Singh (retd), Chandigarh

special cells to deal with women’s issues

The Chandigarh Police is one of the best forces in India. Most cases related to sexual assault have been cracked and culprits apprehended by the city police. Public outcry is not against the police, but the long judicial process, which takes years to punish criminals. Keeping in view the rising crime against women it will be appropriate to introduce special cells to deal with exclusively with rape, molestation and assault cases in all district courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court. The judgment on such crimes should be delivered within a period of three months.

Ravinder Nath, Chandigarh

Police have to improve their image

The police are just a futile statutory force, a grinded tool in hands of naughty politicians. Such a terrorising is its image that a sincere citizen shies away when it comes to seeking help in hours of distress. This boosts morale of rapists, thieves and dacoits. The helpline No. 100 (now 112) is not of much help. Policemen are hardly found at place where they are deployed. The behaviour of police personnel towards victim’s family is hostile. Citizens have no faith in the police. The police should do something for safety of women at public places.

MPS Chadha, Chandigarh

City no longer safe for women

It was shocking and disturbing to read about harrowing experience of journalist out on a routine morning walk at the PU botanical garden where a middle-aged man molested her. Thankfully, she was able to fight back and out run him. No words can be adequate to condemn the instance. Society hangs its head in shame. This is not the first time. Earlier too, the botanical garden at Panjab University was in the news for wrong reasons. A student had submitted complaint against sexual harassment. It seems that the UT police and the Administration have failed to provide safety to women. Frequent crimes against women expose hollow claims of the police giving first priority to their safety. Women no longer feel safe in the city. Civil society and the police both are equally responsible for such incidents. Safety depends on many factors not policing. The police cannot be in every nook and corner of the city. Man’s attitude towards women is regressive. We have lost sensitivities and sensibilities. There is need to inculcate human values. Nobody knows the pain felt by a rape/molestation victim. The authorities must instill fear in mind of criminals.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Chandigarh

Always stay alert to prevent tragedy

Of late, the City Beautiful has witnessed a sharp increase in sexual violence against women at public places. As long as men and women co-exist, heinous crimes like sexual violence, which is a serious problem in today’s world of gender inequality, would prevail. Anyone can face such situation. The UT Administration or the police alone cannot provide ample security to women until and unless there is equal participation from the public. It is practically not possible to deploy security guard at all public places. Rather, it is important for women to stay safe. Whenever at a lonely public place, if one feels insecure do not hesitate to call the police or women cell helpline 1091 in case your safety is compromised. When under threat, share your location and keep talking to a relative or friend on your mobile. Always be vigilant and alert about surroundings and unknown people. Bystanders can be of great help as they can intervene/step in and can help prevent such crime. Young girls should carry pepper spray or say learn basic self-defence techniques.

BM Dhawan, Chandigarh

advertisements to Warn miscreants

I am of the opinion that in order to check rape and molestation incidents and for the safety of women advertisements on television, in papers and also through notice boards in the city be circulated stating anybody caught in such acts would be dealt with strictly, including imposition of death penalty. It is not possible for the Administration to depute cops at every corner in the city.

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

No strategy to deal with crime

There is no strategy or road map with the tricity police to handle crime against women. A crime against women (CAW) cell, an exclusive department within the force, is no answer to complex problems faced by women. Strict laws dealing with rape cases are definitely required, but more needs to be done for controlling molestation and stalking. Young girls should be trained in self-defence and use police helpline mobile apps. Patrolling in early morning and sunset hours should be enhanced. The cosmopoliton character of the tricity is in danger due to the callous attitude of the police personnel, who need to be censured in case found misusing their uniformed status. Every complaint within or outside police station’s jurisdiction should be registered as a FIR or a zero-FIR as the case may be. We need a safety audit at the university and other public places. Dedicated budget should be allotted for increasing safety measures. No preventive measures have been undertaken in Chandigarh. Post-facto actions have become the rule.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain, Zirakpur

zero tolerance towards offenders

Despite their best intention the Administration and the police will always be found wanting to make the environment at public places 100 per cent safe and secure for women because neither they nor the CCTV cameras can keep 24×7 vigil everywhere. A pervert strikes with little fear about surety, severity and swiftness of punishment in his mind. Such instances galore when procedural wrangles and manipulative legal eagles delay firstly the conviction and then punishment, which spurts crime. It’s true that wheels of justice grind slowly but surely, yet alas, it gets too late many a time belying any ray of hope. The big question lingers how many and how long little girls and women will suffer? Will the real culprit, legal and human rights of offenders, overriding those of the victims remaining untamed? What a pity that in the prevailing set-up, animal rights of dogs outdo human rights. Child is the father of the man. The mindset of stalkers, in the first instance, takes shape at their homes. It is incumbent upon one and all to make girls and women safe by practising and displaying zero tolerance towards offenders. Compulsory moral education and emancipation of girl-child at home and in schools can go a long way to stem the rot in society. Apathy of the state/UT Administration is evident from the fact that less than 20 per cent of Rs 3,200 crore Nirbhaya Fund remains utilised for projects related to women’s safety since 2013.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Chandigarh

To survive, women have to be bold

There is a dire need to make the city safe for women, especially the ones who are working. Women are vulnerable to molestation while they travel late to their homes. Some men with corrupt mindsets wait for such moments. The recent incident in Hyderabad is an apt example for the same. The decision of the Punjab Government to provide free transportation to women, who are not able to get a safe passage to their homes after 9 pm, is commendable. The practical feasibility of the decision is yet to be checked. All secluded places should be earmarked by the Administration. CCTV cameras must be installed at such places. The number of police patrolling parties should be increased at night. Women must learn martial arts to tackle any untoward incident and making themselves independent instead of depending upon someone else for their safety. Women will have to be bold enough to survive in today’s cruel world.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

Don’t let criminals go scot-free

In justice, the notion should be “tit for tat”. The more barbaric act you commit the higher should be the penalty. Newspapers and TV channels are full of molestation stories. Crimes in Hyderabad and Unnav were henious. In order to reduce the fall of social values laws must be strict. No doubt, capital punishment is the answer for such crimes because it is not only the victim, who suffers, but there are other people like partner, children and members of the family, who are equally tortured. A hard-core criminal, who plays with the lives of several innocent people, should not be allowed to go scot free. Justice should not be mere puppet in the hands of the criminals and cunning lawyers. There is no such problem, which cannot be solved. Capital punishment should be awarded after exercising caution and studying the case.

Anita Tandon, Chandigarh

Society lacks social, moral values

The broad daylight molestation of a woman journalist and sexual assault of a doctor by another senior doctor in reputed hospital of the city bears testimony to the fact. People’s minds have been perverted and corrupted with courtesy of social media. The police have failed to deter such criminals. Society is deficit of social and moral values. The police have to rise to the occasion and safeguard citizens against such crimes. Our legal justice delivery system is crippled and redundant. Give exemplary punishment to such criminals, who target women keeping in mind that law will help them escape. Lawyers defending criminals prolong their cases for years. Justice delivered becomes irrelevant and insignificant as compared with gravity of crime. The lackadaisical approach of the police and corruption encourages such elements. More policemen should be deployed in civil uniform to deter criminals and create safe environment at public places so that women feel secure in the city.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (retd), Mohlai

violators benefitting from judicial laxity

More than the UT police, it is responsibility of the Administration to ensure safety of women and control spurt in crime against women in the city. Not enough has been done to instill fear in minds of habitual offenders. When, special grant for increasing safety of women released by the Centre is lying unused since the last three years, the inference is obvious. The police have been able to solve most rape and molestation cases in the city. Unusual delay in rigorous punishment for crimes against women has emboldened criminals to take advantage of the prevailing laxity. Judiciary must also get proactive.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Deploy cops outside girls’ institutions

Schemes to check harassment of women should be effectively monitored implemented. Teams of dedicated policewomen must be deployed in civil dress outside girls’ schools and colleges. These teams must be shadowed by policemen to deal with eve-teasers and crimes against women. Introduction of special women-only buses for educational institutions, deployment of more women constables in pain clothes at public places, awareness drives, sexual harassment panels in all organisations, more CCTV cameras, easy access to the IT cell to register complaints pertaining to growing social media and online crimes are the need of the hour. There should be fast and effective process to nab men harassing women at public places.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh

Women security must be top priority

It seems that the police and the tricity administration are not taking any lessons from such incidents reported from other places. Had there been a police plan to avoid such an incident, the particular case involving a woman journo’s harassment by a pervert and that too in the barricaded PU campus would have never happened. The police administration is always boasts of proper bandobast in place to maintain law and order, but such incidents expose their false claims. The security of tricity citizens in general and women in particular should be the top priority of the police. The police should ensure 24×7 vigilance on all roads through patrolling vans, CCTV systems and putting check barriers particularly during late night hours. The police have to gain confidence of residents regarding their safety and security through their action and not by just issuing statements in the media to publicise their capabilities and efficiency.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Look for gaps and fill them

The Administration is lagging behind when it comes to women’s safety in the city. Security must be beefed up at secluded and sensitive places. More policewomen must be deployed in civil clothes to nab miscreants. Too much greenery and forest areas gives an opportunity to offenders to commit crime and disappear. Women become victims of lewd remarks, eve-teasing and stalking in markets and busy places. This shows negligence on part of the police system. Miscreants have no fear of the police. The Administration must look for gaps and work for the safety of women in the city.

Abhilasha Gupta, Chandigarh

Cops must remain alert all the time

It is true that our city is not safe for women and children. There are many issues like snatchings, carjackings and molestation among others. The police should increase patrolling in the city. Hidden CCTV cameras with audio should be installed in the city. There should be security in markets, hotels and restaurants. Cops should not be lazy and remain alert all the time.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

educate people to behave

Spate in incidents of violence against women, including sexual harassment, has worsened the present scenario. The recent incident of a woman journalist assaulted by a pervernt at the botanical garden in Panjab University raises questions over women safety. It’s quite common to hear people abusing at top of their voice even in the presence of women. The need of the hour is to involve the whole community and educate them about values and culture, to treat women as equal and maintain their dignity. Every parent should tutor his/her child from an early age to respect women. The government should strengthen the present laws dealing with violence against women, intensify police patrolling in the city, fast-track court proceedings to deliver justice within stipulated time, involve residents and make them understand their responsibility towards society and provide escort to women working in late night shifts to curb incidents of heinous crime against them. Also, Panjab University should deploy more security personnel at gardens and playgrounds especially during morning and late night hours to increase women safety on the campus.

HJS Gill, Chandigarh

QUESTION

Chandigarh claims to have become the first city of the country to implement the Street Vendors Act, 2014, in its letter and spirit. Places like the Sector 17 Plaza and Sector 19 are now free of nuisance vendors were creating earlier. However, relocation and rehabilitation of vendors is still an unresolved issue to much extent. Do you think the Chandigarh experiment needs to be replicated in the city’s neighbourhood?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to

openhouse@tribunemail.com