A woman on Instagram claimed she was harassed by a group of kids while running in Avalahalli Forest near Bengaluru. She accused the kids of passing crude remarks about her body.
“When girls are taught to cover up more than boys are taught to respect,” Ritika Suryavanshi wrote. When asked if something like this has happened before, she told HT.com, “No never before," adding, "That’s why I was shocked.”
What does the video show?
Suryavanshi shared a video which opens with a text insert that reads “harassed by kids”. In the video, she goes on to say that when she was done with her 5k run and heading towards the exit, three kids, hardly older than 13, started commenting on her body and laughing.
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Initially, she ignored them, but later she said she confronted them. In her video, she further questioned their upbringing and the environment they grew up in.
{{/usCountry}}Initially, she ignored them, but later she said she confronted them. In her video, she further questioned their upbringing and the environment they grew up in.
{{/usCountry}}What did social media say?
An individual wrote, “Hats off to you for highlighting this issue! I mean, to teach them a lesson, you should’ve recorded them and posted them.” The woman responded, “I really wanted to, but they weren’t even teenagers, and I didn’t want to put their faces on social media. Unki puri life abhi baaki hai (they have whole life ahead of them), and social media can cause lifelong trauma.”
Another added, “I’ve faced a similar situation. It’s alarming how, beneath a surface that looks 'normal,' society is being shaped piece by piece without any real scrutiny. One thela wala saying something misogynistic is not just him, but probably his nephew, who looks up to him as well. There’s a severe lack of genuine education, yet people seem oddly content, saying things like “next generation toh yeh nahi karegi (Next generation won’t do this).” What they forget is that not every family passes on the same values. A large part of India remains unchecked, spreading hate and nonsense both online and offline.”
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A third commented, “Proud of you for standing up. Society pays more attention to teaching girls than boys. The HYPOCRISY.” A fourth expressed, “I am sorry you had to face this.”
Ritika Suryavanshi is originally from Bihar. She told HT.com, “I moved from Bihar to Delhi NCR in 2018 to pursue my graduation and completed my studies at Sharda University, Greater Noida. I then worked in Gurgaon as a Content Specialist and Video Editor from March 2021 to January 2023.”
She continued, “In April 2023, I joined a Dubai based influencer marketing company as a Senior Marketing Manager. where I worked until March 2024. After that in April I relocated to Bangalore and began freelancing as a content creator, working with both international clients in Dubai and Indian brands. So used to travel to Dubai every 15 days.”
She recalled, “In March 2024, I left my freelance work and have since been working full time on my own page.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)