Delhi Police tips for women draw flak

NEW DELHI: Misguided and mistimed — that's the city's verdict on police's safety primer for women that was plastered at several places on Thursday. With the bus gang rape fresh in everyone's memory, the advice to women to restrict their lives — head home straight from school/ college — and to run scared — don't retort if you are harassed; dodge a stalker by changing buses and autos — has drawn sharp reactions.

Women TOI spoke to were unanimous that the police advisory is an admission of their helplessness to rein in stalkers and molesters. They said putting the onus for safety on women amounts to defending regressive male attitudes. The students' union of Lady Shri Ram College in its online group termed the advisory a "rib-tickling list of kya karein aur kya na karein for a girl to evade any potentially threatening situation".

The police hoarding titled 'Bus mein safar karte samay nimnalikhit suraksha upay aapnay' (safety tips for a bus journey) and 'chhatrao ke liye sujhao' (advice for girls) lists instructions such as, "do not stand at a bus stop in a dark, unlit place; don't board an empty bus; don't take a shorter, desolate route, but a crowded, even if longer, well-lit road; don't eat in the bazaar, etc".

Ranjana Kumari, director of Centre for Social Research, said such an advisory is not acceptable: "It's not only about putting the onus for safety on women, but also instilling fear at a time when they should step out with confidence. The instructions are restricting their mobility at a time when there are already a lot of restrictions from the family. Why are there no dos and don'ts for boys? The state has failed to protect girls and now police are putting restrictions. This is not how modern cities behave towards women".

Terming the instructions insensitive, president of All India Progressive Women's Association, Kavita Krishnan, said, "Such instructions in fact imply that the rapists have succeeded in infusing fear and restricting freedom of women. Those putting the onus for safety on women are defending the rapists."

The LSR principal could not be reached but an undergraduate student said: "These are ridiculous. Why can't they improve the transport system, bus stops, and make them safe instead?" The students' union also took a firm stand: "We are DEFINITELY not advising you to follow this list", adding, "this may give you your week's deserved laughter, but it is astonishing to see how we are told how to behave and there remains no big board issuing a warning to the perpetrators by the police. Agreed, some of the points do make sense, but it is utterly despicable to see how we are being censured for a crime perpetrated by someone else."

The post ended: "Read it, write to the Delhi Police. If the college authorities refuse to take action, we take matters into our hands."

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