- New Delhi (IANS) -- Before stepping into a public bus
in the Indian capital, think twice: you could be robbed or molested in
broad daylight, even as co-passengers look on in silence.
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- An ineffective police force, and indifferent and scared
commuters seem to have turned the
- 10,000-strong fleet of buses unsafe in this city of 15
million where the vehicles are the backbone of public transport.
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- Four brazen instances of robbery and molestation on buses
grabbed headlines last week.
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- Said 30-year-old Chitra Saha: "People here are born
spectators. They won't do anything unless the victim is someone close to
them."
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- On September 1, two brothers died after being stabbed
by robbers on a moving bus in north Delhi.
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- On Thursday, armed robbers hijacked a bus and looted
passengers. A day later two girls were forced to jump out of a moving bus
to prevent some youths with knives from molesting them.
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- In another incident the same day, passengers were robbed
in a moving bus in broad daylight.
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- "The fear of losing one's life is so much that no
one tries to help. Everybody wants to see himself safe," said Ramesh
Chandra, a regular bus traveller.
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- A cold shoulder for a co-passenger in trouble is nothing
surprising for the Delhi commuter.
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- Psychologist Vandana Ghura said: "Life here has
become very mechanical. People don't have time to get involved in things
that don't affect them directly. This is unfortunate and shows the degradation
of our society.
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- "But this is also a reflection of growing disparity
in our society. Unemployment and poverty are forcing people do such daring
things. Youths are getting more and more frustrated."
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- Many who have reacted in the past to incidents of molestation
say it is in vain.
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- "I have suffered a lot in buses. I stopped reacting
to all the harassment because people generally turn against the victim
rather than the assailant," said Saha.
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- "Co-passengers stare at girls with dirty smiles.
'Look, she has been molested' is the attitude. Others remain silent. Nobody
comes to help. Not even police."
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- Bus conductors often do not help. And those who want
to help shy away due to lack of support from people around.
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- Bus conductor Manohar Sigh said: "If any such thing
happened in my bus, I would definitely react. But I need cooperation from
other passengers."
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- An angry college student, Pallavi Mohanty, said: "Girls
in Delhi are used to it. We have to live under restrictions. We don't feel
secure about seeking help from the police. Hooligans rule this city."
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- When the robbery took place on a moving bus Thursday,
police wasted four hours to decide which police station would register
the case as the bus crossed four police pickets while it was being robbed.
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- Said Deputy Commissioner of Police Tajinder Luthra: "We
have asked plainclothes policemen to travel in buses and nab these elements.
How will we know unless people report such incidents to us?
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- "Police cannot do anything unless people help us.
Public awareness is needed -- be it robbery or harassment of women."
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