Issues around menstrual cycle have taken over every major political decision in India. Women on periods are seen as troublemakers in their own vicinity. Many battles have been fought around restrictions imposed on menstruating women.

Alas, if a woman needs a sanitary napkin she will have to ask for it among a closed group of friends, whispering or using code language to not let anybody else find out. How often have we seen shopkeepers packing sanitary pads in black polythene bags to hide it from the eyes of our respected society. I believe, it becomes all the more obvious that if you spot a black polybag, it means it has a sanitary napkin inside it.

If you are travelling or even going to the office, make sure you are carrying your own supply of pads because if you dare to forget, there is no way you will get sanitary napkins, especially during odd hours. We have heard about public places putting up vending machines for accessing food items and water bottles yet the most inherent need of a woman is ignored.

A passenger Vishal Khanapure who hails from Kalaburagi in Karnataka helped her friend get sanitary napkin and pain killer tablets by using Twitter platform. Vishal’s friend, an architecture student was travelling via Hospet Passenger train from Bengaluru to Bellary when she got her period.

The train leaves Bengaluru at 10:15 pm and reaches Bellary at 09:40 am the next day. While it was leaving Yesvantpur station, Khanapure tweeted Indian Railways and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railway and Coal seeking help.

Photo; Vishal Khanapure/Twitter

Speaking to TOI, Khanapure said, “At 11.06pm, an officer reached my friend and confirmed her requirements and took down her PNR details and mobile number. At 2 am, when the train reached Arasikere station, officials of the Mysuru division were ready with all the items she had sought. We are all surprised by the quick response,”

Officers of the Mysuru division confirmed the incident and said that such requests were often made to them through tweets or on 138 and that they are always ready to help the passengers.

Meanwhile, to assist women in locating sanitary napkin vending machines, city-based youth from Kolkata have come up with a mobile app that will inform women about the location of such vending boxes.

Thank you for the immediate response

Really I'm wondered, char saal main kitna badal Gaya hai Hindusthan!.isse kehte hai "acche din" I'm really really very happy4 @indianrailway__ @PiyushGoyal @PiyushGoyalOffc @mepratap "ek aur Baar modi Sarkar" @RailMinIndia @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/heCHWEkeYB — Vishal Khanapure (@Vishal888782) January 14, 2019

The app is available for download since last Saturday and has been named as Bandhan Sanitary pad app. Also, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) installed sanitary pad vending machines and pad incinerators in community toilets on Friday, the Telegraph reported.

The vending machines, which have a capacity of storing around 25 napkins, dispenses one pad after the insertion of a Rs 5 coin.