HEART OF PUNJAB: On mind of 1.4 cr women — Kolkata horror, their own vulnerability
The Kolkata incident is a grim reminder to the women of Punjab of their own vulnerability. The recent past has thrown innumerable examples of women being exploited even by those in the highest corridors of power.This week saw Punjab celebrate women through two very important festivals — one dedicated to women (‘Teeyan da tyohar’) and the other, Rakshabandhan. But amid the festive fervour was heard the collective cry of anguish and dissent from women, both young and old, against the barbarity of the Kolkata rape and murder case.
Be it small towns or big cities, women came out in droves in protest against the heinous rape and murder of a young doctor. In villages, farmer unions like BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), with sizeable number of women farmers, too, raised their voice against the crime that continues to shock the conscience of the nation. In big cities, civil rights groups held candle marches and protests. For once, the protesters had public sympathy, and not the usual dismissive attitude towards protests, considering the recent history of dharnas in the state.
The protests are reminiscent of the demonstrations held in the aftermath of the Kiranjit rape and murder case at Mehalkalan in 1997, or the case of a minor’s rape and her father Bant Singh’s brutal torture by her assailants that left him maimed at Jhabhar village of Mansa in 2000.
The Kolkata incident is a grim reminder to the women of Punjab of their own vulnerability. The recent past has thrown innumerable examples of women being exploited even by those in the highest corridors of power. Jasmine Rehill, a banker, hailing from Hoshiarpur, says, “If you have only been followed by guys or eve teased, consider yourself safe. In villages, there is an unspoken diktat that girls should not venture out after dark. My cousin, now 26, still does not go anywhere unchaperoned. But should women continue to confine themselves because men think it’s their right to misbehave or molest? We deserve our own ‘thoda sa tukda aasman ka’.” She vociferously demands “instant justice, like in many Islamic countries”.
There has been an outpouring of feelings on social media. Women have listed incidents of being chased by men, sexual overtures by men in positions of power, and a feeling of helplessness, and sadly, hopelessness. While they say that society demands women to contribute economically by taking up jobs, their own safety is always at the back of their mind.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows a 10 per cent increase in rape cases in Punjab between 2021 and 2022 — up from 464 to 517. Sources say that not all cases of rape are reported. Gurpreet Kaur Deo, ADGP, Community Affairs, Punjab, says that the Punjab Police are creating awareness and patrolling outside schools and colleges for the safety of women. “We have launched a Jagriti programme, where both boys and girls are educated about sexual abuse. Punjab Police Mahila Mitra is also a scheme to ensure that there are special help desks for women at each police station. We have undertaken 10,000 visits to schools across Punjab to create awareness and instil confidence among girls that we are there to help them,” she says.
However, it will take a lot more for women in Punjab to feel safe. The Kolkata incident continues to dominate the minds of 1.40 crore women of the state, overpowering the joie de vivre that the festival season heralds.
In Ludhiana, having come to her hometown for celebrating Rakhi, 30-year-old Manaman Kaur says she is not just outraged, but is also scared for the safety of her five-year-old daughter. “On the one hand, wider female literacy opens up the skies for young women, but on the other, when such incidents occur, we start building a wall around our daughters. Are we progressing, or going back to the dark ages?” she asks.
