Woman alone: Easy prey

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">• April 24: A 26-year-old teacher molested by three car-borne youth on busy Sangam Vihar Road.<br /><br />• April 22: A 17-year-old girl abducted from the Najafgarh-Jharonda Road and photographed nude while returning home from school.<br /><br />• April 21: Four men in a Maruti van try to drag in a Mata Sundri College student at 7.30 am on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg.<br /><br />NEW DELHI: Three cases in four days: Just another week in the life of women in Delhi.In 2002, the Capital recorded 910 cases of eve-teasing, 842 cases of abduction, 423 cases of molestation and 383 cases of rape. On an average, the Helpline at the Crime Against Women’s Cell (CAWC) receives six calls a day. <br /><br />Many more women go directly to the centre for help.<br /><br />Can the Capital boast of any, just any, safe zones for women? Anywhere, where a woman can have fun by herself, without the safety of the huddle? <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Sunday Times</span> tried to find out...<br />Vimla Mehra, who heads the CAWC, says: ‘‘Wherever there are women, they are vulnerable.’’ Senior Delhi police officers admit it is safe for women to move around only in crowded places (see box).<br /><br />The Capital woman quite agrees. A check list of what she can’t do alone in 21st century Delhi...<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Eating Out:</span> Alone? You got to be joking. ‘‘A restaurant in CP is not for us, even in the afternoon. Only a cafe or a burger joint, meant for a quick working meal, is considered okay, but a restaurant is different. Even the waiter looks strangely at you,’’says Simran Nanda, a student of architecture. ‘‘Barista, McDonald’s or pizza parlours, however, are fine any time of the day.’’<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Connaught Place after-eight:</span> Avoidable. ‘‘I’ve lived in Chennai and Mumbai. I can walk along the main shopping malls anywhere, except Delhi,’’ says Vaishnavi Mathur, a young professional. ‘‘I ventured out just once to window shop in CP after work...an experience I’ll never repeat. From men in swanky cars to beggars on the pavements, everyone was interested. I felt as if I was walking the ramp in a bikini.’’ <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Catching a movie:</span> Definitely odd. Mohua Bhattacharya, 35, tried twice and decided it wasn’t worth it. ‘‘Seeing a movie is supposed to be relaxing. But, whether it’s buying the ticket (‘ek hi bas?’ said the clerk), waiting in the lounge, or sitting alone — the discomfort overshadows the fun.’’ The daring ones would venture into the multiplexes only. Aditi Mukherjee, professional, says: ‘‘Delhiites, even educated ones, have a purdah mindset. A woman has to have a protective covering: A companion. So two women are okay. One is not.’’<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Driving back after 10 pm:</span> If you are working late or visiting friends, driving back alone becomes a necessity. It’s a freedom a lot of women are willing to take risks for. But...‘‘I only wish there were no red lights,’’ laughs Kavita Choudhry. ‘‘I’m ok when I’m zooming past. But when I stop at a traffic light I feel very vulnerable. The car next door almost always has a man leering at you...’’<br /><br />But it’s better than taking an auto or a bus, concur most. Says Shruti Sharma: ‘‘I travel by bus often and I’m always watching out, trying to figure out what’s going on in the guy’s mind — will he try to paw me, will he make a crude remark, will he get off at my stop. I’m always tense.’’<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Buying liquor:</span> A woman! Single! She must be game for anything! So women in general don’t buy liquor alone. ‘‘At the most, I buy a Bacardi Breezer. It’s not looked upon as a loose woman’s drink,’’ says Nidhi Rohtagi, a lecturer. ‘‘Sometimes I laugh at myself, I wonder if I’m still in the dark ages.’’<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Pubbing:</span> No way, say the girls. Ahuti Gora’s sums it up: ‘‘I did it once as a dare — while my boyfriend sat at another table. One beer was all I could order. Before I was through half a glass, I had two ‘admirers’. That’s where my boyfriend took over and my dare ended.’’<br /><br />So, that’s Delhi. A Capital Shame.</div> </div>