‘Let fear stalk the stalker’

Kriti Malhotra is on her way back home from her workplace at IT Park. It's past 11 pm. "To what extent can you curb a woman's liberty to work or hang out during 'odd hours'? Predators will not spare you even during the day. All that we need is a swift response from policemen to a situation at night. Self-defence techniques can also be taught. The point is a stalker is a scared person already, and if he is not stopped in his tracks, he can be even more dangerous. The fear of law must follow him.”

Isha Kapoor works past midnight at a city hospital. “Commuting to work at such hours is not a problem because office provides us cabs. But we tend to avoid going out on our own during the night. I usually prefer to have my parents or siblings accompany me at night. If they are not around, I keep them informed about my whereabouts.”

Psychologists term stalking as a behavioural disorder not necessarily linked to mental disorder. “A stalker lacks self-esteem, social skills and empathy. That person shows low tolerance and suffers from mood swings. They may also exhibit anti-social behavior,” says Sona Luthra Narang, a psychologist. A predator may seek sexual gratification, control and violence. “In a society where men consider woman an eye-candy, such perversion is only a spillover. The other important aspect is respect is earned not demanded. That comes with good upbringing, a healthy family and workplace atmosphere. Laws can be made stricter with effective enforcement,” says Narang.

Apparently, there has always been much talk about the way women should dress. “Well, stalking incidents have nothing to do with a woman’s clothes. The problem is the patriarchal society which considers women as nothing more than an object of desire,” says Darshita Rastogi from Delhi. She had recently quit a job with an ad agency. Rastogi loved the job, but late-night working hours forced her to resign.

Anjitha Chepyala, DSP, Women and Child Support Unit, wants women to report such cases immediately. “Inaction or hesitation provokes a miscreant,” she says. “Many stalking cases are usually seen as a part of fun where men giggle and pester a woman.”