I am writing about this incident to you all since I know that some of you are in a position to do something about it. This happened to a lady friend of mine recently, about 2-3 weeks back, on a trip to Thanjavur. She had heard a lot about the Saraswathi Mahal and its collection of manuscripts and decided to check it out. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of going there alone. While she was on the upper floors of the Mahal, she noticed a couple of guys who went out of their way to try and get close to her or even dash against her. She ignored this initially but when one of the chaps started making obscene gestures towards her, she quickly rushed down and spoke to the person in charge at the counter on the ground floor. To her surprise, instead of coming to her aid, this person asked her "What did YOU do" seeming to imply that it was my friend's fault that those men had behaved thus.
What have we become as a society? Where women can't even walk through an old heritage site without having to put up with such boorish behaviour? Why would any other woman want to visit Saraswathi Mahal if this is what awaits her? I beseech those people who know somebody in charge of Saraswathi Mahal tobring this incident to their notice and to create appropriate safeguards for people. Saraswathi Mahal is supposed to be a showcase of our culture and not a safe spot for hooligans to harass women.
Arun "Very Depressed about the state of Affairs" Krishnan
There are animals like this prowling all over the world.Thugs like these should be punished severely.Unless our country becomes safe women should take care of themselves.Let them not go anywhere alone,particularly to new places.
what else to say?law is impotent in India.Only god can save us
I guess what was galling to me was the fact that this happened at a place of historic interest, inside a museum. Surely, things ought to be more secure there than outside?