9.30 AM on a weekday on a busy road- I was walking towards my office crossing the signal with other pedestrians and a middle aged man walks pass me and passes asks me– can I touch you ? and followed it with wolf-whistling. I continued crossing the road because I could not stop and the pedestrians with me stared at me and continued walking. I looked back to say something to that man but he sped away. I was hassled but helpless as well.

1.30 PM on a weekend – I was walking right outside my apartment talking over the phone, with 6 security guards standing behind me at the main gate, a middle aged man says something that I could not follow and touches himself inappropriately. I looked back and pointed it out to the security guards and they behaved as if they did not know what needed to be done. What can I even do about this? I don’t recognize that guy, nor a slight trace of him left after that incident!

8 PM on a weekday on a busy road– I am at the driver’s seat and slow down my car. A group of boys in a car next to mine shout aloud – “Hey baby you want to come with us?” I rolled up my windows completely and they just didn’t seem to stop. They continued hooting and in fact took their hands out of the window and were waving at me continuously to get my attention. Even after the signal turned green and the traffic didn’t stop calling me. I finally had to speed up the car and move as fast as I could to avoid any further embarrassment.

These are few of the many instances that I have shared with you.

Surprisingly, each time I was teased, I only ask myself a question- What triggered that inappropriate comment/action. Was it my saree? Or my full sleeves salwar kameez? There was no chance anyone could say I was not dressed decently.

I am forced to repeat my question, why was that comment passed?

The answer to this question is – It’s never about the dress it is always about the mentality.

Eve teasing is a persistent problem women face in their everyday life. Men enjoy passing dirty sexual comments, touching themselves inappropriately, touching women/girls when they pass by, hitting them in public at inappropriate places, winking, wolf whistling, cat calling, groping, throwing water at women walking on the road, riding the bike close to women, following women and chasing them for cheap thrills, singing inappropriate songs, etc,.

Street harassment is like “Little rape”. And because it is so, Eve teasing is also a punishable crime.

All “women safety” measures that we adopt are completely useless when it comes to eve teasing. There are separate coaches for women in metros, seats for women in busses, various campaigns like “scream”, “chappal marungi” etc., but have these attempts stopped regular offenders from continuing what they do?

I am sure we all have our answers.

The most disheartening turn to this issue is that there no mention of the word eve teasing in the Indian law.

On the contrary, Sections of the Indian Penal code uses the term- “a man found guilty” while defining the punishment of each offence.

If I were to ask a question to all readers right now, “When is a man ever found guilty?”

History is the proof that proving a man guilty is close to impossible. The Police do not respond to complaints promptly. Our judiciary is completely unequipped to take complaints for eve teasing and take immediate action against offenders.

In most cases, proving the man wrong becomes close to impossible as the offender will either will have a political connect or will belong to some rowdy gang against whom the police cannot take any action. In return the delay caused by the judiciary and the police complete embarrassment is faced by the victim.

Public harassment of women has become a fashion statement for our road Romeos. It is a symbol of power for them too.

There are instances where street harassment is a dose of daily entertainment. Women living around such Romeos are only silent victims.

It won’t come as a surprise to all of us, if I said, most cases go unreported. Habitual offenders are still enjoying their toast of daily entertainment.

Personally I am not sure why we even name street harassment as eve teasing. To a great extent we have trivialised sexual harassment by calling it eve teasing.

Is it because law does not specifically define it and offenders and get away? Or is it because law makers have never realised how ill the effects of eve teasing can be? Or is it because mothers or sisters or daughters of these law makers have never been teased and that is why they are still asleep and chose to ignore this social issue?

I am not sure if there will ever be safe streets for women to walk or if there will ever be an end. Looks like women have to fight back themselves to create a safer society for them to live in.

It’s a shame that we live in a society where these issues are either ignored or buried…………Sigh!….