Kolkata: Citizens post cell numbers on Facebook to help women in distress

KOLKATA: In the aftermath of the gang rape and murder of a young veterinarian in Hyderabad, which has shaken the entire nation, a group of good Samaritans and Durga Puja committees in the city have shared their mobile numbers on social media, asking women in distress to give them an SOS call in case of an emergency.
From businessmen to college-goers, middle-aged men to teenagers, people from all walks of life and age have posted their personal numbers, volunteering to drive women home in case they find them stranded on road at night and feel insecure.Sakherbazar resident Soumen Mukherjee (41), also happens the assistant secretary of Barisha Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee, was one of the firsts to post numbers of seven of the committee members on his Facebook profile and the club’s page. “We have a team of 300 young volunteers who will be ready 24x7 with their bikes, cars and ambulances for women under threat or in difficult situations. They are ready to help senior citizens in medical emergencies as well. The women members of the club will also volunteer to help,” said Mukherjee. Swapan Pal (68), a retired government employee in Jadavpur and a member of Shyama Palli Shyama Sangha, said, “The duty of a club doesn’t end with only organising Pujas or blood donation camps. It is our duty to help people in distress. We have also joined the initiative of dropping women home at night in case of an emergency.”

While some welcomed the move, many expressed scepticism. “You have to trust someone as not everyone is bad. The initiative is similar to app-cab services. If we can trust them, why not these people?” said a student, Shreya Santra (21). But the likes of schoolteacher Rama Chatterjee (33) from Howrah did not feel comfortable at the thought of calling a stranger. “How can you trust a stranger? There have been many instances of crimes being committed in the garb of offering assistance,” she said.
While senior Kolkata Police officers appreciated the move, they told women to maintain caution before trusting strangers and call on those numbers. “KP has always asked women to contact us in an emergency. Also an SOP on a complaint by any woman has already been circulated to all police stations,” said Kolkata Police commissioner Anuj Sharma.
City schools and colleges have also joined in the effort to raise awareness on women’s safety and demand stricter punishment for rape and murder. “Rapists get away with a jail term. But can that compensate for the lifelong scar a survivor faces?” said Alini Sen, a Class-XI student at Loreto House, who along with her friends, plans to distribute pamphlets, demanding capital punishment for accused. Students at Presidency and JU took out marches, condemning the vet’s rape and murder. “We started to walk from the university main gate at 5pm to Esplanade, where we held a vigil and spoke on atrocities against women,” said Souren Mallick, general secretary of Presidency Univerity students’ union general secretary.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)