Safety and Justice

The girl standing next to me on the bus was in tears. She was trembling so much that I had to hold her. As I turned fully to support her, I noticed the guy standing behind her had a villainous smirk on his face. I also noticed that he was standing too close to the girl and inappropriately touching her. Overcome with rage, I raised my hand and slapped him hard on the face. What followed was a free-for-all. The guy was taken to the police station. I accompanied the frightened girl to her home.

This incident made a big impact on me. I narrated it to my father, a police officer, who patiently listened to me. Dad also counselled me on do’s and don’ts when facing such situations.

Eve-teasing and sexual harassment at all places have always irked me. I have seen the helplessness of women in such situations, mainly because of cultural norms. Giving in or keeping quiet is taught to girls in our patriarchal society.

The bus incident ignited a spark in me. I have seen my father firmly handling cases of eve-teasing, cheating or other crimes.

My mind had pictures of being a police officer and fighting against criminals, especially in women harassment cases. Throughout my childhood and teens, I have been very active and more of a tomboy.

Fortunately, gender discrimination did not exist in my family (including my extended family). So I never had any inhibitions in socialising with boys. My values and upbringing taught me to be self-reliant and independent. So fighting sexual harassment was the objective of my life and joining the police force was my dream.

However, over time, I discovered other ways to handle sexual harassment and gender discrimination. I realised that misogyny and thinking processes need to be changed. Though it is not an overnight change, but a drop in the ocean could also be a valuable contribution.

I took a Master’s degree in Child Development and Family Relations. During my academic years, and even later, I got associated with several socially aware individuals. I participated in workshops, seminars and other activities which added to my knowledge and understanding. I could make my own contribution to fulfil my objective in life.

My dream of becoming a police officer took a different route to fight sexual harassment.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”–Martin Luther King Jr.

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