Eve-teasing: Residents call for women-run helpline

CHANDIGARH: Even in the face of as many as 28 calls complaining about eve-teasing on the toll-free number 100 of the control room so far this year, police claim to have a largely crime-free city. The irony is that many victims keep brushing such incidents under the carpet due to fear of eve-teasers.
City women are of the view that cases of eve-teasing ranging from passing of vulgar comments to those involving inappropriate touching often end up in girls ignoring the issue with the fear of reliving the trauma.Girls are afraid of taking action as they feel nothing would come out of it. Most of the times, they are reluctant to disclose facts relating to the ordeal, said psychologist Adarsh Kohli.
If there exists a helpline number in relation to cases of eve-teasing, operated by women, girls would feel more comfortable in coming forward and relating their problem, feels entrepreneur Anu Saboo.
There is a helpline number for women and child protection, 1091, which could be dialled in cases relating to eve-teasing as well. However, according to a survey, women at the rate of one in every 15 say they are aware there is a helpline but they don?t know if that works in case of eve-teasing nor are they aware of its functioning. ?For eve-teasing, we receive all the calls to our control room number 100,? said UT SSP SS Srivastava. On being asked about making a helpline for eve-teasing public, he said, ?If the need arises, we might publicize the helpline number already existing via FM or other local media popular among youth.?
The fairer sex are of the view that girls would actually do away with the idea of ignoring issues if they come to know that their problems would be dealt by women. Such facility will not only be more effective but might also bring to light many cases which a girl probably not be able to share with male cops, said Puneet Bedi, principal, MCM DAV College.
?The idea of female-run helpline is good. However, I would look forward to finding out if our women police force is competent enough to deal with it. The eve-teasers get a kick out of their acts. However, once they get to know they might be taken to task, the rate of such crime would probably fall, said Adarsh.
Besides, women cops in plain clothes should be deployed around college campuses, feels student Shambhavi Anand.