A woman has sparked a discussion on women's safety in public transport after alleging that she was repeatedly harassed by men while travelling on a train in Bihar. Sharing her experience in an Instagram post, the woman, identified as Annu, said that the incident left her feeling unsafe throughout the journey.
In the post, the woman claimed that the incident took place while she was travelling from Siwan to Patliputra by train in the general coach. She said that she had climbed onto the upper berth and fallen asleep when a group of elderly men occupied the seat below her after the train reached Chhapra.
"While I was asleep, one of them repeatedly stretched his hand up from behind and kept touching me. I politely asked him, 'Uncle, please keep your hand down,' but he ignored me. Instead, he started trying to touch me from the front, making me feel extremely uncomfortable," she wrote.
The woman alleged that although the man briefly stopped after she objected, he soon resumed touching her. She said that she moved as far away as possible on the berth, but another elderly man also allegedly reached up and touched her.
Feeling unsafe, she said that she left the coach and moved to the next general compartment, only to find it completely overcrowded. She then sat outside the AC coach, where she claimed another uncomfortable encounter followed.
{{/usCountry}}Feeling unsafe, she said that she left the coach and moved to the next general compartment, only to find it completely overcrowded. She then sat outside the AC coach, where she claimed another uncomfortable encounter followed.
{{/usCountry}}The woman alleged that a young man, who introduced himself as a staff member from Adarsh Pariksha Kendra, approached her and claimed he could help her clear an examination in exchange for a small amount of money. She claimed that he repeatedly asked for her phone number despite being refused several times.
"He insisted, saying, 'Just save my number as a brother-it might help you someday.' I still refused, and thankfully, he got off at Dighwara. Only then did I finally feel a little safe," she wrote.
Concluding her post, the woman questioned the safety of woman while travelling. "Are girls even safe while travelling on trains? What kind of mentality do some men have today?" she wrote.
HT.com has reached out to the woman. The article will be updated once a response is received.
Social media reactions
The post has since gone viral, prompting users to express concern over the safety of women on public transport and urging authorities to take action against those responsible.
One user wrote, "This is truly disturbing. Harassment is not limited to one gender, and this incident proves that anyone can become a victim. I'm glad you trusted your instincts and moved away. Everyone deserves to travel safely without fear or discomfort. I hope the authorities take such incidents more seriously."
"I'm truly sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience. No one deserves to be treated that way. At the same time, I hope that if you're ever in a situation like this again, you find the strength to call the person out loudly and publicly. Predators often rely on their victims staying silent, and exposing them in front of others can stop the abuse and protect others as well... I hope you, and everyone who faces such situations, feel empowered to confront this kind of behavior without fear. People who harass others deserve public shame and accountability not silence," commented another.
"Women's safety is still a distant dream i guess," wrote a third user.