Kolkata Woman Drags Molester To Cops: Redefining How Women Counter Harassment

Many of us who have travelled on public transport might have been harassed by random men. Most often, our first instinct is to move away. Seldom do we confront the attacker because we were never taught to do that inherently. If we had to choose between fight or flight, we would likely choose the latter. Here’s an incident about a woman who dared to fight and set an example!

A woman who worked at the Kolkata airport was returning home by bus on Thursday. She boarded the bus around 6.30 p.m. on the Barasat-Santragachhi route outside the airport and found a seat. The bus became extremely crowded when it reached Eco Park.

A 30-year-old man standing in front of the woman allegedly passed comments at her. When she protested and sought the support of fellow passengers and the conductor, no one backed her. When she tried to take a video of the accused, he molested her by attacking and touching her inappropriately. The woman immediately dialled 100 and complained to the police.

Woman Drags Molester To Cops

As the bus reached Nicco Park, she saw traffic police and asked for help. After the cops stopped the bus, the woman dragged the accused out of the bus and complained about the incident to them. The cops detained the accused and called the Bidhannagar South Police, who were alerted after the woman called 100. A team of officers arrived at the spot, and the woman gave a written statement and lodged an official complaint, after which the accused was arrested.

This is the kind of woman that each of us should be when the situation demands it. Freezing or flight might not save us in the long run. How much longer are we going to silently endure harassment? Sometimes fighting back is required. As a woman who has faced harassment on public transport, I do know that we instinctively freeze, but we need to train ourselves to come out of that mindset.

In this case, the woman tried to ask for help from people around her, but no one bothered to back her up. Women are often left with no other option but to fight for themselves. As modern women, we know that sometimes, in order to survive in society, we have to be bold and take the unconventional route.

The fact that no one comes to help a woman in distress is worrying but not surprising. Unless something bothers them, most people prefer to avoid getting entangled in any problem. In this case, would the people in the bus have continued to be silent bystanders if the woman was their spouse, partner, friend, sister, or someone they knew? Should we help out only if we know the person who is evidently in distress?

Although this woman had dealt with the situation boldly, one small part of her might have been anxious throughout the entire ordeal. She could have been scared and panicking inside. Why should women feel alone when they have to defend themselves? It’s true that facing challenging situations makes people stronger, but that doesn’t mean women need to be harassed to become brave!

What would have happened if this woman just moved away or got off the bus because a man was harassing her? The incident would have been just one of many cases of men harassing women on public transport. But since she chose to fight back, she has made headlines and set an example for numerous women across the nation.

Public transport harassment is a highly problematic issue that’s normalised in society. It's indirectly a way to tell women that public places aren't their domain and they are supposed to remain inside four walls. If they dare to step out, they are prone to harassment. If perpetrators are not going to reform and bystanders are not going to develop social conscience, women need to start taking care of themselves. If that means developing the guts to drag a man by his collar in public for misbehaving, let’s do it! Let’s change the narrative and encourage women to stand up for themselves!

Suggested Reading: Public Transport Harassment: Do Women Think It’s Still A Persistent Issue?