Are women still safe in Mumbai?
As parts of suburban Mumbai witnessed a shutdown and protests against the murder of Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Jadhav, the incident brought back unpleasant memories of October 2011 when two young men Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes were similarly killed by goons for the same reason-objecting to the harassment of a woman.
On Tuesday, Jadhav, a young gatpramukh of the Shiv Sena intervened in a fight between two local groups. A woman from one of the groups reportedly was assaulted by the other warring section. Jadhav objected to the molestation of the woman, which angered the assailants so much that they attacked him with sharp weapons and stabbed him to death. The incident and its aftermath-the not so efficient handling of the situation-irked Mumbai's Police Commissioner who, today, ordered the transfer of five officers from the area.
Even as the accused, including a minor, are behind bars, the high profile murder brings to light how unsafe Mumbai has become for its women. Once hailed as a city that offered its women total security in public places, India's commercial capital is fast becoming a hotbed of crimes against women.
When Santos and Fernandes were stabbed by goons three years ago, it shocked the city. But over the years, women have been increasingly at the receiving end of sexual crimes and harassment. Data released by the Mumbai Police in April revealed that crimes against women had increased considerably in the first quarter of 2014 as compared to the first quarter of last year with rapes and kidnapping going up in the city.
Be it the gang rape of a young photo journalist at the Shakti Mills Compound or harassment of a woman in front of her husband in a posh pub in Khar earlier this year or the rape and murder of a young professional in her house, there have been several cases of assault on women in recent times. In April, a tenant in Goregaon was gang-raped by her landlord's son and his friends while another woman, in the same month, was raped in Powai. Women tourists, too, have reported cases of sexual harassment and assault, further tarnishing Mumbai's image as a safe city. A police officer says that most of these crimes have been committed by groups rather than individuals. "It's mob mentality of a different kind where they feel they are safe just because they are in a group," he says.
Shaken by the increasing crimes, the police and city-based NGOs had launched measures to help women in distress. The Mumbai police has a helpline on which women can call and complaint while an NGO, Mukti Foundation, deployed baton laden marshalls in the local trains at night to offer protection to women. Residents of the city believe that the crumbling of community living is a reason for an increasing number of crimes. With little contact with neighbours, criminals feel they have a sense of anonymity in the city. "They feel that everyone is an outsider here so we will never get caught. When people lived as a community, there was constant contact and a support system," says Vinita Prabhu, a sociologist.
In Malad, where Jadhav was killed, it is reported that tension had been brewing between the groups for hours before the murder. Timely police action may have prevented the murder. It's probably time for the police to step up its policing if Mumbai has to go back to being a safe city for women.