It came as a blessing in disguise! All the ladies were happy that they will have a comfortable journey. The coach is comparitively less crowded. But, I was particularly upset about a ladies coach, considering that I would not be able to catch a glimpse of hunks around... It was rare to spot a hunk though! As time passed I realised that the ladies coach has more reasons to be upset about.
I started getting use-to the comfort, and finally away from the uncomfortable gaze of those unpleasant men,who find it macho to pass that knowingly unknowing gesture. I remember fighting back, where the entire gamut of men reply, lar ke aayee hai ghar se (she must have fought with her family memebers)! or Kuch to nahi kiya usne madam (he did not do anything, Madam). or the guy hinself shouts maine to kuch nahi kiya, kya kiya maine bolo? (I did not do anything, what did I do? can you tell me?) Yes I do tell them, I reply back, wanting to paste a tight slap on their faces.. Now, women are away from those insensible lot.
But don't assume that girls are good either. Its equally uncomfortable to listen to those aunties and and tolerate those ill-mannered girls, who refuse to move in to accommodate those standing on the platform, keep commenting about thenew generation girl-kind and what not! More so is the tendency to not letting others to deboard, but howling inside the train. No one is willing to leave their seat at the sight of an old lady. Men hoard inside the coach, and when you confront them, they fight back. there is no mechanism to complain about such lot.
And what about the general compartment! The decent men are offended, and the other lot has garnered a licence to misbehave. The moment you get off the train, they try and brush off, as if now that they have been segmented, they have every right to misbehave. If at all a female enters, they start taunting them that they should get into the women coach. Huh!!!
Also about those who were punished to sit-up for some 50 times or so.. That was all the more disgusting act. What makes the authorities to humiliate the violators of law, what can allow them to punish them do such an embarrassing act? OK, so they have got inside the women coach, but then don't we have decent ways to punish, charge fine, or whatever?
Why segment the two genders? Isn't it socially challenging us and a tendency wherein the two equal parts of nature should be sensitised to behave and travel cordially?
Author's Note: Now the authorities are planning to add two more coaches to the trains, lets see how the six coach fare! Also there would be a connectivity between Mandi House and Central secretriat, promising plans but humiliating Crowd Management Strategy... Sigh!
Ye hai India Meri jaan.
ReplyDeleteYahan sb adjust hone ke baad hi chalta hai.
v well said.wit every good thing comes bad things as well. even i miss traveling in general compartment and telling a guy to stand up from ladies seat.here we cnt tell anyone to stand nor they wil do it, not matter how much tired you are
ReplyDeleteDoubtless, you have raised a very relevant issue. "you 'need' a women's coach but you are unhappy about it and when some violator is punished then again you want the punishment to be noble". Do you have a particular solution in mind? ? Anyway, its a very good post.
ReplyDeleteno dear look at it the other way round... we should feel more elated that its only we the women who are so special every where in India... that we have separate seats, lines, coaches.... etc... remember all vip's get this gesture... so consider yourself one of them and take full advantage of ur being a women.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers to womanhood.. hip hip hurray.. hip hip hurray... hip hip hurray!!!!!!!!!!
no dear i guess all we women should feel elated and consider the posetive side of it, that its only we the women who are considered so special everywhere in India and get this chance for having special.. seats, coaches, lines etc... remember only the vip's get these special gestures all over the world... so lets give three cheers to WOMANHOOD hip hip hurray... hip hip hurray.... hip hip hurray!!!!!
ReplyDelete@ Sugat: the point here is not the need of a women coach, but do we really need to segment the two gender? I dont think so!
ReplyDeleteMoreover do you really feel that the offenders should be embrrased like that? I have serious disagreement on this, for a simple reason that each individual's self respect has to be taken care of! By nobel punishment I feel charging 1 grand will be sufficient to stop these men to peep into the women coach.
But I am against the concept of women coach only!
@ Khayati: Yes!! Three cheers to Womenhood!!
ReplyDeleteWomen are special, but why is this speciality segmenting the two genders??? I see it as a move which is socially challenging the society.
I would like to first say that even though it would have been socially desirable if women could travel conveniently (i.e. without being bothered by people having 'lack of ethics') in general compartments and a seperate women's coach wouldnt have been required. But creating a women's coach is easier than creating morals or punishing people from the point of view of metro authorities.
ReplyDelete"It is also financially beneficial to DMRC as more ladies are now willing to travel through metro rather than other means."
I agree that this has its own problems. But will a private corporation ever take into account social costs?
Regarding punishments, point taken. :)