By Zaima Khaliq
India minister G Parameshwara, has sparked outrage after suggesting that a mass molestation, that took place in one of the country’s busiest nightlife spots on New Year’s Eve, was due to women wearing westernised clothing.
Numerous women have come forward after being groped during the celebration in Bangalore, with local and social media reports spreading images of distressed women rushing from the crowd to seek help from authorities.
The Karnataka State Home Minister went on to blame western clothing and attitudes for the attack, adding: “They tried to copy the Westerners, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing. So some disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kinds of things do happen.”
Lalitha Kumaramangalam, chief of the National Commission for Women, has condemned the irresponsible remarks, adding: “Such remarks from the Home Minister is unacceptable and regrettable. I want to ask this Minister are Indian men so pathetic and weak that when they see a woman in Western clothes on a day of revelry, they get out of control?”
Police in the city of Bangalore say they attained credible evidence that many women were groped during New Year’s Eve celebrations and will implement the use of CCTV footage to pursue the alleged offenders.
“We had deployed 1,600 police personnel in the area for new year’s celebrations and around 60,000 people had come there that night,” a police inspector told Hindustan Times.
“We had the situation under control…. If such incidents did take place that night, we urge people to come forward and file complaints.”
However, accounts from the night appear to show a lack of police presence at the scene
Manisha Gupta told the Bangalore Mirror that she was groped on the way to a train station despite her friends trying to protect her.
She adds: “It was impossible to catch one person in that moving crowd. There were a number of girls there who were in a similar situation. I saw a few of them crying and running for help. It seemed futile.”
“The police were vastly outnumbered – like 20-25 to 1. There was no cheer; women were either worried or scared. It really was mass molestation. I wish the police had managed the situation better.”
Another victim gave her account of the harrowing night.
She explained: “People were pushing and shoving, touching, grabbing, groping and everything was happening on that street.
“It was not only to me. It was happening to other girls too. They were all scared.
“I felt helpless. Although I have hands and legs and I could abuse and slap them, I could not do anything. I didn’t know who was touching me and groping me.”
Abu Azmi, president of the Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra state branch, further highlighted the prevailing blame on women by stating that the dismissal of culture is linked to the increasing sex attacks.
He said: “In these modern times, the more women are naked, the more fashionable, modern and educated they are considered. And this is increasing in the country. This is a blot on our culture.”
“If my sister or daughter is roaming around on December 31 with random men who aren’t their husband or brother, I don’t think that’s right.”
“If there’s petrol near fire, it will burn. If there is sugar, ants will come.”
Sex crimes are a widespread problem in India. The National Crime Record Bureau said over 34,000 cases of rape throughout 2015 alone.
Authorities have been criticized for not doing enough
