Sensitisation at grassroots required
Though the importance of policing cannot be denied, making tricity safe for women needs to be addressed at other levels too. The fear and insecurities created by the pandemic are a major trigger, leading to venting of anger and frustration. Despite societal changes, we are still predominantly in a patriarchal setup. To counter this, we need sensitisation and awareness drives at the grassroots level, for which the police and the civil society needs to work in tandem.
Renu Mathur, Panchkula
Public spaces & transport should be made safer
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), one in three women has experienced some kind of physical or sexual violence. To eliminate this problem, simple measures like shifting a bus stop, installing streetlights or constructing public toilets can greatly improve women’s safety in tricity. Public transport is crucial for economic development and should be made safer at night. Raising awareness is the first step to building support and mobilising key stakeholders to work to reduce and prevent violence and the threat of violence against women and girls in public spaces. Art is one powerful way to bring attention to harassment. Technology is having a profound impact on women’s ability to raise awareness against sexual harassment, report assault and unsafe areas, share personal stories, and mobilise across tricity. It helps to empower women to stand up for their right to safe public spaces.
Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh
{{/usCountry}}Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh
{{/usCountry}}Track criminals hiding in plain sight
Firstly, the major reason for crimes against women is the presence of criminals and inimical elements who hide in plain sight in the civilised society. Other reasons are many, but not nearly as significant as this, the most overarching one. Consequently, targeting them and bringing down them to book should be the society’s highest priority. We have technology and means to do so, but lack the single point, undistracted focus that is at the heart of any strategy to counter this looming menace. A highly planned city as Chandigarh tricity has only so many places a criminal can breed and slink away to after perpetrating a crime. Such areas have been identified and sanitised previously too, what’s needed is a will to completely eliminate criminals once it’s clear there’s even a shadow of doubt something may have been done that can be termed as crime adjacent. Any delay or half-hearted measure can only delay the inevitable showdown that civilised society needs to eventually have with criminals.
Ajay Dogra, Panchkula
Virus not the only enemy
Imposing night curfew to control the spread of Covid-19 infection has created more problems than it was meant to solve. Rape of a female passenger by an autorikshaw driver in a place like Sector 17 during curfew hours, is the crime that could not possibly occur if there was no curfew. Murder of two women in Maloya and Mauli Jagran last week, can also be somewhere attributed to the fact that criminals could easily get away with the crime without the possibility of any witness around. UT administration will do to review the decision or else ensure additional police patrolling and proper illumination at all the secluded places in the city.
SC Luthra, Chandigarh
Promote gender equity
Violence against women is the manifestation of historically unequal power relations between man and woman. Successful prevention requires political commitment and leadership for implementing laws and policies efficiently to promote gender equity. Police and the judicial system are unfortunately not as active and prompt as desired for the delivery of justice to the victims. Most of the crimes in Chandigarh, in the recent past, were committed by three-wheeler drivers and persons from other states. Police should do well to get a fresh verification of three-wheeler drivers, tents and PGs done. All religious and educational institutions should promote respect for women and girl children. Parents should also educate their children against crime and criminals.
Kidar Nath Sharma, via email
Self defence classes for all
Self defence is a means by which we can protect ourselves from those who would do us harm. It entails simple things like using our body parts, things in our possession like keyrings etc as a means of defending ourselves. Self-defence is for everybody. Today almost everyone from teenagers to grannies, to office executives and retired couples, need at least a basic knowledge of simple self-protection measures. Learning martial arts can be very rewarding at a personal level, but for most people. People who have little physical skill can easily absorb and use the basic forms of self-defence.
B S Handa, via email
Better infrastructure
Incidents of violence against women and girls are increasing and continue to plague roads, public transport facilities and places of recreation too. To make tricity roads safer for women, the administration needs to improve the streetlight cover in the city, introduce women-friendly transportation facilities, bring more CCTV cameras, equip all public transport with GPS-tracking and increasing policing. Sessions on prevention of sexual harassment should be held for both men and women. Also, we need to make girls and women self-sufficient to protect themselves in case of any eventuality.
Prabhjot Nagpal
Instill fear of law in criminals
The society must stop viewing women as the weaker sex. Self-defence classes will go a long way in helping women protect themselves. Besides, the age-old patriarchy must go and women and girls must be encouraged to speak up against form of harassment. Policing must be strengthened and law enforcement agencies must also play an active role in bringing to book the perpetrators so that women and girls feel more confident about speaking out about such harassment. Stricter punishment can help instill the fear of law in the criminals.
Abhishek Kumar, Chandigarh
Keep tabs on cab, auto drivers
Chandigarh administration has failed to curb the menace of crime rate against women in the city. Dense forest areas, with no streetlights and no cop deployment, give ample opportunities to the criminals to commit crime. Security should be beefed up at secluded places and special light arrangements should be made to avoid such incidents. During winters, night patrolling should be beefed up and cops should be deployed at every one kilometre. Illegal occupants, migrants, and squatters should be checked. ID cards with their background written on it should be made mandatory for auto and cab drivers. All public transports should be connected to a centralised system to keep track of the drivers to safeguard women against crime in the city.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Policies for women’s safety
It is unfortunate that women are considered to be objects of desire as a result of which heinous crimes of murders and rapes are committed by the unscrupulous elements. Policy rejig is needed to dent this menace. Efficient police patrolling at night must coupled with police and law enforcement agencies working together.
Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar
Women safety is a basic necessity
Chandigarh has a woman MP and a woman mayor, yet still women’s safety becomes an agenda only after some untoward incidents occur. Women safety should be a priority for the lawmakers. Better street lighting, better CCTV coverage, panic buttons at public places etc should be created. Police too needs to up the ante in this matter.
Kampreet Gill, Chandigarh
Night patrolling needs to be strengthened
Crime graph is vertically rising in the tricity. Rape, murder, carjacking, snatchings are happening daily. Not only women but children, elderly and individuals are victims. Senior police officials and administration officers should supervise night patrolling. Forest guards should be deployed 24 hours in forest area as most crimes are committed there.
Navjot Singh Chhabra, Mohali
Harsher punishment for crimes against women
Women have been suffering atrocities from partners, strangers etc. It is high time that we find ways to protect women from heinous crimes like rape and murder. We need more cops on the ground, especially women cops, to make women feel safer. Also, we need harsher punishments for those perpetuate crimes against women.
Kundan Lal Sharma, Mohali
Hold cops accountable
The three recent crimes against women that took place in the city must enrage us all. A city that cannot ensure safety for its women is of no good. There must be exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of crime. Law and order seems to have gone out of order in the city. The in-charge of the police station concerned in the area must be held accountable for crimes on streets. Dark spots in the city also need urgent police verification and the drivers of all autos and cabs must be given strict orders to ensure the safety of their passengers. Time to time workshops for them can prove handy.
P Mehta, via email
No lessons learnt from the past
The recent cases of crimes against women, are not the first case. In the past too, many such crimes, involving auto drivers, have taken place. But nothing was done to check such criminals. Why don’t autos have GPS systems like cabs. Most autos are run by migrants, who feel that they can flee to their hometown easily after the crime. Introducing women-only buses for educational institutions, deployment of more women constables in plain clothes at public places etc will also help. Also, registering of complaints must be made easier for women.
Advocate Vijay Malia, Chandigarh
Intensify night patrol
UT is facing a rise in crimes against women. To check it, police should intensify night patrol on bicycle or on foot in civilian clothes. As the three cities are clinging to each other with multiple entry points, their police should also work in tandem. All dark areas should be illuminated properly. Police and citizens through Residents Welfare Association should work together to eliminate the crime.
Sqn Ldr Manjit Singh Johar (retd.), Chandigarh
Political, administrative will to bring change missing
Police and administration make many policies to tackle women’s safety issues but sadly, are able to achieve precious little as the problems at the grassroots levels has not been addressed. Every few months, we come across cases of rapes and murders. When such a crime takes place, initially, there is a lot of hue and cry but slowly, it dies down. Unless there is political and administrative will, nothing much will change.
Aarti Verma, Panchkula
Policing needs to improve
To make city safer for women, police should keep patrolling external as well as internal roads all the time. Hidden CCTV cameras with audio should be installed on the city roads. Secret nakas should be conducted. Police helpline should be made operational. Only vigilant cops should be recruited by experienced recruiters. There should be security in markets, hotels and restaurants. Cops should not be lazy and should remain alert all the time. Cops should investigate the crimes properly.
Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh
Plug loopholes in system
The recent rise of various forms of crimes against women in the tricity area has raised many questions regarding the safety of women especially during night. The primary reason of course is the poor policing but we cannot overlook other reasons also behind all such crimes. The criminals are aware of the gaping loopholes in all the existing laws towards protection of women. There is no fear of police and other law enforcement agencies in the minds of the criminals. At the family level, we need to inculcate values in boys regarding extending respect to all females in the society. Moral education in schools can also help towards drilling values in our society. All women should also be taught skills to defend themselves in case of assault.
Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Keep safety tools like pepper spray handy
Police is not alone to blame in this issue. Well-lit roads and CCTV cameras on every road can help curb crimes against women. Girls should also carry some kind of safety tool, for example a pepper spray, a small knife or something with which they can attack their attackers. Women also need to equip themselves with self-defence techniques. While venturing out at night, it is good idea to share your location with a trusted confidante so that help can arrive quickly in case of some trouble.
Ishita Nara, Panchkula
Round the clock surveillance
Crime against women has increased in tricity. It is high time that separate women police cells be opened in each police station for speedy trial of women-related crimes NGOs and social organisations should also be involved in carrying out night patrolling. Lastly, high definition CCTV cameras be installed and round-the-clock surveillance for early detection of crime in tricity must be imposed.
Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali
Field staff must be increased
Crimes against women are a matter of concern not only for the Chandigarh administration, but all of India. Crimes against women like rape, eve-teasing and domestic violence are increasing every year. Each time, the administration demands strict against the accused, but in maximum cases, they are unable to punish all those guilty. More field staff has to be deployed and CCTV cameras must be installed in every sector and village.
Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh
Admns must put plan in place
The three incidents of horrific crimes against women reported from tricity in the past week are truly horrifying. It seems that police and administrations of tricity are not taking any lessons from the past and if proper action plans were in place, these crimes could have been avoided. The security of citizens of tricity, especially women, should be the top priority of the police and to ensure that, there has to be 24X7 vigilance on all the roads through patrolling vans and CCTV cameras must be installed in every place.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Patrolling must be intensified
The rising graph of heinous crimes against women has put the nation and society to shame. It is obligatory to make public spaces safe for women at all times. The forest areas in Mauili Jagran and Maloya are especially unsafe, as the streets are poorly-lit. Police patrolling must be intensified and the municipal corporation(MC) should install streetlights at the earliest. Registering autorickshaw drivers should also be made mandatory. While the strictest action should be taken against the culprits, it is imperative to change the patriarchal mindset of the society at large.
Usha Verma, Chandigarh
Auto drivers must carry id cards
The police department is totally failing to control crime, even during curfew .The authorities of tricity must form a sub-committee to control crime and the police must be instructed to perform their duties properly. Auto drivers must carry their identity cards and display the owner’s details on the vehicle. Vehicles should be impounded if the driver does not provide documents Police patrolling needs to be increased in the winter nights and they should conduct inspections at vacant plots and forest area.
Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali
Women must be cautious
Apart from police patrolling being increased, women must also be cautious. They must not wait at secluded dark places and avoid taking lift from unknown people. If they take a lift in case of an emergency, they should take a photo of the vehicle and forward to any friend immediately.
Inderjit Singh Sidhu, Mohali
Admn needs to wake up to women safety
It has once again come to the fore that the city is far from safe for women. What is more shocking that no arrests have been made for the cold-blooded murders. If the administration is serious about making the city safer for women, it needs to go for a complete overhaul of the police force. Patrolling needs to be stepped up in and around the vulnerable spots across the city. The authorities concerned need to identify the dark spots and order installation of streetlights around forested areas.
Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh
Reader of the week
Self-defence is the best weapon
The three crimes – two murders and a rape – that took place in the city in the last few weeks bring out the loopholes in the system. Cops need to be stationed, not just at crowded spots, but also in secluded areas where such crimes are most likely to take place. Women should arm themselves with pepper spray etc while venturing out at night. Knowledge of self-defence techniques will be an added benefit. Such lessons must be compulsorily imparted in schools and colleges. Police should also promote women safety apps, with which help can be called for with the click of a button.
Omika Sachdeva, via email
Experts
Safer streets
We have identified dark spots in the city and written to authorities to install streetlights there. Night patrolling has also been increased and all calls to police control room, especially reporting crimes against women are immediately attended. A night-drop facility is also available with Chandigarh police.
Shruti Arora, ASP, (South), Chandigarh
Awareness
Women safety apps, installation of CCTV cameras, awareness regarding the safest routes to travel at night, and self-defense techniques can help ensure women’s safety.
Harjeet Singh, Mohali senior superintendent of police
Action
Police have taken every precaution to ensure that there is a check on crime rate. We have installed CCTV cameras, lights at dark spots, have made women aware. But still if any such heinous crime happens, then it is dealt at priority by police force. Any crime against woman is taken very seriously and immediate action is taken.
Mamta Sodha, ACP, Panchkula
Community policing
Community policing is needed and each neighbourhood must hire at least a chowkidaar at night so that women feel safe. RWA members must also contribute more as the police and authorities are already doing a lot. CCTV cameras can help make neighborhoods safer.
Manoj Kumar, associate professor of sociology at PGGCG- Sector 11, Chandigarh
Mindset change
Authorities must increase patrolling in suburban parts, where most crimes take place. However, this is a short-term fix. To tackle this problem, awareness needs to be imparted at school-level to change the mindset of people. The employers must also arrange safe transportation for women who work the night shift so that such incidents can be avoided.
Deepika Bahri, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Chandigarh Council president