Five days after Varnika Kundu was allegedly stalked by Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend, HT spoke to women disc jockeys (DJs) who share similar tales of being followed and how such instances are a common occurrence.
Sonaya Khanna, a DJ based in Delhi said, “Yes I have been tailed and followed a few times after my shows. I generally drive myself to and from work, as I don’t trust cab drivers late at night. I have been fortunate enough to have met police cars while I was being followed and they came to my rescue to leave me at home safely.”
She is in the profession for the past ten years. She has been a regular artist performing in the city clubs and nearby areas here.
“What happened in Chandigarh is very sad but then it happens almost everywhere and is a crime. I am being out at night does not give anyone the liberty to harass me. Also, we need to have an active helpline for women safety, I have tried calling the numbers mentioned on the internet and no one ever responds,” Khanna said.
“What men and boys on streets should realise that India has transformed a lot during the past three decades. Night life has become a part and parcel of one’s life because women employed in hotel industry, information technology, hospitality sector work till late hours in the evening and even past midnight. They return home alone at these odd hours,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}“What men and boys on streets should realise that India has transformed a lot during the past three decades. Night life has become a part and parcel of one’s life because women employed in hotel industry, information technology, hospitality sector work till late hours in the evening and even past midnight. They return home alone at these odd hours,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}Another woman DJ, based in Delhi, said on the condition of anonymity that, “Although it is unfair but I feel the problem lies with the clubs allowing stag (men accompanied by women) entries, which have turned out to be a source of problem on occasions. The stags are the one’s which prove to be the party spoilers and there is a need to have a proper profiling of the people coming to party. That is why I always prefer the organisers to encourage more couples when I’m performing.”
“I had also faced problems during song requests as people who are high would repeatedly try and come near the playing area. But now after four years of experience I have managed to control such situations,” said Dimple Phillora, a freelancer DJ based in UT. She has played in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Delhi.