By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net,
That was a black Tuesday, when Soumya became a name in all our homes, when Soumya became the symbol of the un-safety in Kerala for the female gender. 23-year old Soumya was attacked by a man in the ladies’ compartment of the Ernakulam-Shornur passenger train in the night of February 1. To escape his attack, Soumya jumped out of the train (or was pushed out). The attacker namely Govindachami followed her and brutally raped her. The girl was found lying on the rail with her head seriously injured and was taken to hospital the same night. But she died on February 6. Soumya left Kerala, and Keralites live on with their shameful heads down.
The incident created a big uproar in the state. The police arrested the assailant immediately. State government announced a financial compensation of Rs 3 lakhs for the family of Soumya and to provide employment in government service for one person in the family. Several PILs were filed at the Kerala High Court regarding the safety of female passengers in trains. The HC directed the state government and the railways to submit a detailed affidavit, according to reports. The state Human Rights Commission directed the Railway Divisional Additional Manager to present before the commission in person on March 21. State Women’s Commission talked about the scope of any legal action against the railways. The opposition parties attacked the government which could not provide safety for a girl even in the ladies compartment of a train. The state government and the central Railway Ministry put the blame on each other. Cultural and intellectual thinkers gave out their worries about the situation of women in Kerala. Newspapers wrote editorials. Channels organized talks on the fate of the female gender.
Soumya has become a blot on the conscience of the Kerala public. People hoped and prayed that the fate of Soumya may not be repeated. But hopes seem to be in vain – several cases of assault against women were reported though barely a month has passed after the train incident shook the state. Attempts were made to offend girls in the Ernakulam South Railway Station early this month. Co-passengers helped a girl when a man tried to offend her in a train running between Ernakulam and Kannur. In Wayanad, a lawyer was arrested for sexually assaulting a married woman. The mother of two children was threatened by the lawyer saying he had her naked photos. Another incident reported from Wayanad said of a nine-year old girl who was sexually assaulted with the help of relatives. The girl who is now reportedly with the Child Welfare Committee refused to be sent back home. In Kottayam, a drunken man was caught trying to assault a foreign woman. Police arrested a man in Kozhikode for trying to kidnap a girl studying in sixth standard. In a shocking incident in Alappuzha, attempt was made to offend a three-year old girl. Women’s organizations held protests demanding the arrest of the31-year old offender.
A 63-year old was arrested in Kannur for trying to assault a 11-year old girl. In Thrissur, a man was arrested for allegedly trying to offend a five-year old. In another incident in Malappuram, three men were found with mobile cameras near the girls’ toilet of a school. Two men were caught by the police, but the third one with the mobile phone is yet to be caught.
To add to these cases, a final year female student was found to have kept a mobile phone having camera in the ladies’ bathroom of an engineering college in Kollam. When women face problems, we are forced to believe it is not always men behind them. In the highly controversial sex scams in the state, women also were allegedly involved in trapping the victim-girls. As if these were not enough, some girls fall prey to fake love affairs and get ready to leave their homes with their ‘lovers’. By the time they realize their mistake, the so-called lovers must have drained them of many valuable things in their lives. Cases have been reported in which such girls were sexually abused by many or handed over to sex rackets. The attack on Soumya took place at a time when the Kerala atmosphere was rotting with the new revelations in the ice-cream parlor sex scandal case in which a well-known politician is said to be involved.
Women’s safety is questioned not just in trains, but in other public transport like buses and autorikshaws and even when walking on public roads. Pinching and scratching in buses are commonplace and the tiny safety-pins live up to their names coming for the help of women to deal with such abuses. Eave-teasing in schools and colleges, work places and other public places is another way of women harassment. One of the most important thing associated with all such issues is that majority of the women subject to these abuses refuse to respond or complain, which gives a free hand for the abusers to continue with their manners. Sometimes, those women, mostly young, who respond are looked down upon by other women who silently suffer as if the abuses were inevitable for those women coming out to the public sphere. The media, mainly films and advertisements, which portray a market-oriented depiction of women, indeed add to the negative attitude towards women.
The state Home Minister last day informed the Assembly that 194 civil police officers have been appointed in the 97 trains running in Kerala, with two policemen and two policewomen in each train. Patrolling was strengthened in the night trains. Soon after the brutal incident, the Railway Protection Force had strengthened the security in all trains, and ensured policewomen in the ladies’ compartments. A 24-hour helpline of the RPF has begun and passengers can call the RPF control room on 9995040000. State government decided to increase the number of policewomen for the service of the railways. However, it has been reported that women passengers now preferred to travel in the general compartments. They feel safer in the general one than those exclusively for ladies.
Several suggestions have been made to overcome the problems faced by women now especially in trains. Now the ladies compartment is at the end in most of the trains which keeps the compartment isolated from the others. When trains stop in small railway stations, the ladies’ compartment will be outside the platform and this creates difficulties especially in nights due to lack of proper lighting outside the platform. Changing it to the middle of the train surrounded by general compartments could be helpful. Another suggestion is to give a different colour to the ladies’ compartment so that it is well differentiated from the others. The emergency alert number of the Railway Protection Force (9846200100) should be written in a visible manner in all the compartments. Both the railways and the state governments should work together to ensure safety and security in trains by the proper presence of state police and Railway Protection Force.
Police stations should have such an atmosphere in which a woman can go and complain against abuses. Proper awareness should be provided to both men and women about the importance of reporting such bad incidents to the police. In order to reduce the occurrences of offences against women, what is needed more than anything else is a change in the mindset of both men and women that women too are individuals who have the right to lead a respectable life. The media can do a lot to propagate this attitude and positive thought especially through films and other channels.