We’ve got too many yahoo males

You are a woman. Your pocket is picked. You manage to catch the pickpocket and hand him over to the police. The fellow could be put behind bars for up to three years, writes Nivedita Khandekar.Heard in Lech Republic

You are a woman. Your pocket is picked. You manage to catch the pickpocket and hand him over to the police. The fellow could be put behind bars for up to three years.

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Another fellow says something lewd to you in a packed bus, touches you and maybe even feels up...

IF you report him to the police, and IF you pursue the case, he won’t be jailed for more than two years. Sexual harassment in public — what we call eve-teasing — is considered a lesser evil than stealing.

That explains to an extent why men in Delhi aren’t afraid to harass women.

What’s the way forward then?

* Women need to react boldly to men who harass them. Slap them, by all means.

* The police also need to get strict.

* Boys need to be taught manners.