The growing menace of Eve teasing
Saturday, 6 November 2010
We are highly disturbed by the phenomenal rise in eve teasing. The stalkers seem to have become more and more undaunted. And all we have done so far is raising storms over tea cups, ‘Manbbandhan’ (formation of human-chain) is noted here and there and conducting of seminars terming the incident as a developing cancer in the society. Almost everyone seems to be shy of pointing fingers at the administration about its massive failure in tackling the menace. These eve teasers are only a handful of people who are mostly confined to localities.
How powerful are they that the government is struggling to size them up and put them in their place. Is it more difficult than tackling the rise of religious extremism? Is it more difficult than bringing to book those alleged criminals who committed crimes against humanity? We fail to understand as to how matters have come to such a stage? The other day a media report said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed police authorities of all the 64 districts to take stern action against stalkers and the eve teasers.
When the Father of the Nation and his family were brutally killed in one of history’s most heinous crimes, I knew then that we, as Bengalis, are in for trouble for decades to come. Remember the famous saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Time and again we have failed to read the signs of the time. If a rape incident involving some cadres having links with the student organization which is known to be an affiliate body of the ruling party is dealt with sternly and decisively with an iron hand, it would send cautionary signals to the eve teasers and stalkers. The truth of the matter is that that we have failed to recognize that eve teasing and crimes of similar nature are interlinked with one another. Can one tell us with a degree of confidence as to how many cases of rape or murder of women related to dowry etc., have been brought to justice? All we hear of are conflicting stories and sound and fury signifying nothing. Eve teasing must be viewed in the perspective of the overall rise in crimes against women all over the country. We feel that this is also linked to the existing poor state of law and order in the country.
The only way this business of eve teasing can be effectively dealt with, is that the police must be absolutely honest in nabbing these Draculas. Thereafter, justice must be meted out to those guilty. We must also at the same time ensure that the process is not corrupted by political pollution, driven by favour and nepotism.
Simultaneously, every effort should be made at the family level to revive some of our traditional value systems if we are to succeed in effectively tackling this menace of eve teasing. For all practical purposes most parents between the ages 45 and 55 have no control over their young siblings. Their life style does not permit them to spend time with their children, more so with the teenagers. They have become too busy with themselves. All they are interested in, is to help them get degrees and marry them off to some well-to-do young ones or prepare them to go abroad, hoping that things will return to normalcy with time.
No, it will not, if we sit with folded hands and merely hope for the best. We often come across parents rushing their children to schools like the hen leading her chicks. Families should do more than that, carry out a comprehensive programme of upbringing aimed at proper understanding and acquaint them with morality and ethics of life and living, and teach them the essence of dignity, honour and responsible behaviour.
No matter what, at the same, the curse of eve teasing cannot be successfully dealt with without the active and open support of members of civil society, the intellectuals, including senior citizens. Mohalla (ward)-based citizens’ committees should be formed to conduct frequent rallies condemning eve teasing and other forms of abuses and crimes against women. The rallies should also expose any undue involvement of political parties by way of attempting to provide shelter or protect cadres of political parties. This, however, does not exonerate the administration from carrying out their responsibilities.
Secondly, civil society movement and the government’s efforts must go hand in hand. About the police efforts, we would like to suggest that there should be, at least, one supervising authority Thana-wise to oversee police actions connected to eve teasing etc. He should preferably be from an entity not directly related with the police as such, but a specially trained personnel attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs with vested authority.
One could write volumes on the rise of eve teasing in Bangladesh. Frankly it is unmatched even by the scales in which the menace exists in any other Third World countries of the region. To be honest, the ball is now right in the court of the Home Ministry and the government at large. They must get the ball rolling –– rolling hard and fast. Take for instance, the recent death of a teacher and a young girl caused by the stalkers should be dealt with severely in a transparent way. No one should be allowed to protect or shelter the concerned criminals directly or indirectly. We have seen too many tall promises and empty rhetoric, now is the time to see some real action on the ground.
............................................
E-mail : chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com
How powerful are they that the government is struggling to size them up and put them in their place. Is it more difficult than tackling the rise of religious extremism? Is it more difficult than bringing to book those alleged criminals who committed crimes against humanity? We fail to understand as to how matters have come to such a stage? The other day a media report said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed police authorities of all the 64 districts to take stern action against stalkers and the eve teasers.
When the Father of the Nation and his family were brutally killed in one of history’s most heinous crimes, I knew then that we, as Bengalis, are in for trouble for decades to come. Remember the famous saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Time and again we have failed to read the signs of the time. If a rape incident involving some cadres having links with the student organization which is known to be an affiliate body of the ruling party is dealt with sternly and decisively with an iron hand, it would send cautionary signals to the eve teasers and stalkers. The truth of the matter is that that we have failed to recognize that eve teasing and crimes of similar nature are interlinked with one another. Can one tell us with a degree of confidence as to how many cases of rape or murder of women related to dowry etc., have been brought to justice? All we hear of are conflicting stories and sound and fury signifying nothing. Eve teasing must be viewed in the perspective of the overall rise in crimes against women all over the country. We feel that this is also linked to the existing poor state of law and order in the country.
The only way this business of eve teasing can be effectively dealt with, is that the police must be absolutely honest in nabbing these Draculas. Thereafter, justice must be meted out to those guilty. We must also at the same time ensure that the process is not corrupted by political pollution, driven by favour and nepotism.
Simultaneously, every effort should be made at the family level to revive some of our traditional value systems if we are to succeed in effectively tackling this menace of eve teasing. For all practical purposes most parents between the ages 45 and 55 have no control over their young siblings. Their life style does not permit them to spend time with their children, more so with the teenagers. They have become too busy with themselves. All they are interested in, is to help them get degrees and marry them off to some well-to-do young ones or prepare them to go abroad, hoping that things will return to normalcy with time.
No, it will not, if we sit with folded hands and merely hope for the best. We often come across parents rushing their children to schools like the hen leading her chicks. Families should do more than that, carry out a comprehensive programme of upbringing aimed at proper understanding and acquaint them with morality and ethics of life and living, and teach them the essence of dignity, honour and responsible behaviour.
No matter what, at the same, the curse of eve teasing cannot be successfully dealt with without the active and open support of members of civil society, the intellectuals, including senior citizens. Mohalla (ward)-based citizens’ committees should be formed to conduct frequent rallies condemning eve teasing and other forms of abuses and crimes against women. The rallies should also expose any undue involvement of political parties by way of attempting to provide shelter or protect cadres of political parties. This, however, does not exonerate the administration from carrying out their responsibilities.
Secondly, civil society movement and the government’s efforts must go hand in hand. About the police efforts, we would like to suggest that there should be, at least, one supervising authority Thana-wise to oversee police actions connected to eve teasing etc. He should preferably be from an entity not directly related with the police as such, but a specially trained personnel attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs with vested authority.
One could write volumes on the rise of eve teasing in Bangladesh. Frankly it is unmatched even by the scales in which the menace exists in any other Third World countries of the region. To be honest, the ball is now right in the court of the Home Ministry and the government at large. They must get the ball rolling –– rolling hard and fast. Take for instance, the recent death of a teacher and a young girl caused by the stalkers should be dealt with severely in a transparent way. No one should be allowed to protect or shelter the concerned criminals directly or indirectly. We have seen too many tall promises and empty rhetoric, now is the time to see some real action on the ground.
............................................
E-mail : chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com