Harshita Giri, 19, college student in Bhopal. She says girls have no freedom.
At a recent function to distribute free smartphones to students of a government college in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, BJP MLA Pannalal Shakya said if girls “stop making boyfriends”, there will be no crimes against them.
1. Do you agree with the MLA?
No. Why should girls be blamed when they are victims? Why should they be made to suffer more than they already do? Why can’t boys be asked to stay home? It will solve all problems. Why can’t boys be asked not to have girlfriends?
2. Are girls still discriminated against?
Yes. All this talk of equality sounds fine but girls always find themselves at the receiving end. They have no real freedom. They are told not to step out and remain at home while boys face no such restrictions.
3. Do girls get to marry whoever they like?
No, they don’t. Love happens, you can’t do anything about that, but when it comes to marrying girls to a person of their choice, parents put their foot down and eventually have their way. The boy may have potential, he may be preparing for some examinations but parents won’t approve of the match because they want someone who is ‘settled’. Then, of course, they look at caste.
4. Why are crimes against women on the rise?
Because there is no system in place. Why can’t police patrol areas where girls are vulnerable? Like the Swachh Bharat campaign, there should be a campaign to stop crimes against women.
5. How can women be made to feel safer?
By avoiding comments like those made by the MLA. Don’t girls abroad have boyfriends? I don’t think leaders there go around saying such things. They do their bit to improve security, not blame girls.