Eve-teasing has again become a big issue in the IT Corridor. This time, with female techies proving to be the target of eve-teasers, they have started moving along with their male friends or in groups along the stretch where the miscreants gang up during the peak hours.
The residents’ associations and individuals in the area have taken up the matter with the authorities.
Earlier, educational institutions and parents of school-going girls had set up a committee over the issue which consisted of parents and teachers. As per the recommendations made by the committee, a mass petition was signed by hundreds of people, including parents, students and teachers, and it was submitted to the Kazhakkoottam police.
Now, a few incidents have come to light, but most of the eve-teasing cases go unreported. There is no age group for eve-teasers in the IT Corridor. In spite of conducting lectures in various residents’ associations during certain programmes by the police regarding the importance of filing complaints whenever a harassment occurs, the residents fail to register cases.
‘’Techies feel it is very important to stop the harassment which, otherwise, could lead to bigger crimes against women here like those in Mumbai and Delhi,” said Navya Sivan, a techie.
“Reacting is the only solution,” said Sanu, another techie hailing from Palakkad. “There has been some improvement, with young girls showing the courage to react. But school students are still reluctant to approach the police,” she said.
Eve-teasers have become a real nuisance at bus stops and the pocket roads near Technopark. In the latest incident, that took place on Friday, a gang of eve-teasers threw stones at a girl who was on her way home from work in the evening. Fearing the gang and as she was alone, the girl couldn’t react.
“Ignoring them only seems to encourage them to continue with their acts. We have been in Kazhakkoottam for the last three years and this is the first such experience. Nowadays, things are getting worse here,” said Reshmi, a techie and the friend of the victim.
When contacted, Kazhakkoottam CI Vinod said that the police had intensified patrolling to ensure the safety of girls after getting the mass petition and the situation was under control then. “We have not received any individual complaints so far. In most cases, the victims are scared to lodge a complaint thinking that they would be further harassed. We will look into the latest incident and take strict action against the culprits,’’ he said.
--------------------------------By Lekshmi Mohan
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Hit-by-Male-volent-programme-again/2013/08/26/article1751875.ece
Eve-teasers have become a real nuisance at bus stops and the pocket roads near Technopark. In the latest incident, that took place on Friday, a gang of eve-teasers threw stones at a girl who was on her way home from work in the evening. Fearing the gang and as she was alone, the girl couldn’t react.
“Ignoring them only seems to encourage them to continue with their acts. We have been in Kazhakkoottam for the last three years and this is the first such experience. Nowadays, things are getting worse here,” said Reshmi, a techie and the friend of the victim.
When contacted, Kazhakkoottam CI Vinod said that the police had intensified patrolling to ensure the safety of girls after getting the mass petition and the situation was under control then. “We have not received any individual complaints so far. In most cases, the victims are scared to lodge a complaint thinking that they would be further harassed. We will look into the latest incident and take strict action against the culprits,’’ he said.
--------------------------------By Lekshmi Mohan
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Hit-by-Male-volent-programme-again/2013/08/26/article1751875.ece