By D Roopa

D Roopa is DIG Prison

Bengaluru’s infamous incident on New Year’s Eve got me thinking as a cop, as a woman and mother, and as a free citizen of the largest democracy in the world.Had this incident happened in New York or New Delhi, what would be the reaction of the people and the authorities? Would the reactions be different from those in mamma Bengaluru?‘Brand Bengaluru’ showcases a cosmopolitan, modern and broad mindset with egalitarian values unlike that of any other city, including New Delhi, which is more a face of federal India.But an incident such as this -- wrongful confinement and molestation of women in Bengaluru -- is totally unacceptable even for a traditional Bengalurean living here for years, as much as it is unacceptable for a newcomer or outsider. People gather at Times Square in New York in their thousands and feel safe, thanks to the “visible” presence of police standing tall in every nook and corner, patrolling on horses in this very well-lit area. Why can’t this happen in Bengaluru?Unless we develop a rational mind and a scientific temper, democracy and its two important pillars -- freedom and equality -- remain a farce.There are countries which have laws prohibiting open display of affection, drinking alcohol and wearing a certain kind of attire. When there are no such laws to ban the same in the nation, any attempt to prevent people from indulging in such behaviour, as mentioned above, would be a breach of the law. Period.However cosmopolitan it may be, Bengaluru still has a deep-rooted traditional Indian culture. Many of the people, including women, would not be able to relate to young girls clad in minis, partying in streets where the crowd predominantly consists of drunk males.But outraging the modesty of a woman is legally and morally wrong in a country which believes in “yatha naryaha poojyate tatra devataapi ramante”, which means “where women are worshipped, there gods reside happily”.In this specific incident, at the very first outcry for help from the victims, the police should have unleashed blows on the perpetrators. Were the police also in a moral dilemma? Do they also come from the same subculture which is different from that of the survivors? Or was there a subconscious fear among the lower rung of the police force who were present on the spot, that in case they come down heavily, they in turn, would be victimized for their actions as brutal and uncalled for?It is a very pertinent and important question that exposes another angle to the problem -- allowing all ranks of police to act freely and fairly as per law, without fear and interference.Many a time, police go soft on drunk driving on New Year’s Eve. They feel that they should not ‘spoil’ the party mood of the New Year and let it slide. These acts of ‘goodness’ by police helps neither them nor the people. Such acts of kindness only add to police ineptitude and wavering reputation.Police can neither act like a permissive parent nor a controlling parent. It has to be an agent of the law of the land only.(The writer's views are personal)