Tuesday, 20 August 2024 | PURNIMA BISHT | DEHRADUN
The recent gangrape of a 16-year-old girl by five men inside a bus at the Dehradun Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) has left people deeply shaken, with many questioning the safety of travelling by roadways buses. The incident has sparked widespread concern among parents and young adults, leading to a decline in trust in public transportation. For many families, the assault has highlighted the vulnerabilities of young women travelling alone, prompting a wave of cancelled trips and heightened apprehension.
A 17-year-old college student, Anjali Gusain, shared her own experience in the aftermath of the recent gangrape. She had planned to travel from Dehradun to Delhi by a roadways bus this Thursday to attend a function. However, her parents cancelled the trip, citing safety concerns. “My parents could not accompany me, so I decided to go on my own by bus at night, as it seemed more convenient and I have travelled alone by roadways buses before as well,” Gusain stated. “But after this incident, my father refused to let me go alone. He said I could only go if he could take a leave from work to drop me off. I could not argue more because, honestly, I was scared too,” she added.
Dehradun resident Ajay Bhatt echoed similar fears. “Sadly, assault cases are not uncommon in our country, but this incident at Dehradun ISBT feels too close to home,” Bhatt said. “I have two nieces and a specially-abled daughter. Every time I think of that 16-year-old child, I can’t help but imagine the trauma she must have endured. It is deeply shameful. I used to tell my kids to find an adult or older person if they ever got lost somewhere. Now, I am afraid to say that. I am scared for my daughter and I cannot even explain to her why,” he added. The assault has also reignited broader societal concerns about the safety and treatment of women and girls in society.
Housewife Sapna Negi from Mussoorie also expressed her frustration over how such incidents reinforce harmful attitudes toward having a girl child. She said, “Many people are already apprehensive about having a girl child in our society and incidents like this only strengthen the mentality that having a girl child is a liability. I have heard people say how the world is not safe for girls. My neighbour even said that she is happy that she has two sons and not a daughter, even though she once wanted a girl.” Negi said that such conversations show how incidents like this drain society and set it back, undoing years of struggle and progress in ensuring that females enjoy the same security as men.
