Blank Noise Bangalore meets this sunday November 18th at noon in Cubbon Park.
Make this the year of the Action Hero Pataka. Roll up your sleeves. Be there. It has been a while. email asap to confirm exact location. blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com event's on facebook too Focus- Local Action Heroes Building Action Hero Community in your locality. { local community _ address street sexual harassment }
*Bring along a potential new Action Hero could also be your neighbour *snack/ water/ and a sheet to sit on *ideas/ tools towards building community in locality * (also hot bissi samosas guaranteed)
What? Step By Step Guide to Unapologetic Walking posters. about: http://blog.blanknoise.org/2008/10/step-by-step-guide-to-unapologetic.html
When? Where? Every 2nd weekend in your city. your street.
How to? Simple! BUT needs time and a some running around; not that much running around if tasks are delegated.
Appoint Step by Step poster event in team + Action Hero in charge ( eg. Bangalore= Naksha) Get text translated to the local language of your place . ( eg. Vishaka Vinod + her uncle ) Get someone to write the text on the comp/ or source a printer who would be willing to do so. Find a local printer/ CHEAP printer. Raise funds to print. ( here's how you can also support us/ help us meet our expenses. to donate email us) Get posters printed- appoint one person to deal with the printer/ do the running around. Choose a specific location for the event/ map the location + interactions. Make glue ( eg Naksha made smelly but efficient glue with maida, carried it in little packets for everyone to use). Announce on the city specific google group/ facebook. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124202554296&ref=mf Make a calendar- share it online with your city Blank Noise googlegroup so that anyone can sign up / mark dates with details such as ' date/ time/ place' IMPORTANT-you need to give time for planning and making events happen. Sustain it!
This was one of the 'whacky',creative things to do and I enjoyed every bit of it:)
Secondly, this felt like 'self-assertive' feminism, simply trying to claim one's space and one' spersonal freedom in public places. No man-hating or blaming others. Third, this was quite action oreinted and 'being there' . Participating in person is a differently empowering experinece altogether as compared to discussing or talking about things (those are important too however).
I was doing much more service to myself than a social service or changing atttitudes of others. I was breaking free of my own inhibitions and questining what is 'appropriate' in public-like dancing in public without music; or what is appropriate because I am a woman-like lying on a park bench without meaning to 'get laid'.
I was changing my own attitude. I gained a little more confidance and trust within myself. There are some things I do anyways-like pouting etc. Now I would feel less guilty or responsible if some man stares at me for it. I just like to do it and I accept myself for it!
Apurva: It seems such a simple thing for me to go to the park and sit or read or sleep out there that I never even think about and take it for granted, . It seems to be a traumatic experience for you. I do not think I can ever understand or really connect to your experience in public places. Somehow, talking about it and seeing it happen before you are different things, I guess. I feel that we need to capture these situations in more than words...
Soumya:I distinctly remember that about 2 years ago i traveled through Cubbon park to office and craved to spend a lazy morning and afternoon just lolling about in the grass. The practical answer i would give myself was that i had to go to work... but somewhere i also knew it was because i didn't want to "invite" creeps or any "incidents". Today when I sat in the park and did nothing but watch people go by, enjoyed the feel of the grass and even dozed off for a bit, I wondered... why did i have to wait for being a part of blank noise to do this? what has changed in me for having done it?
Shreyasi:When I told my friends that so I’m spending my Saturday afternoon at a park, just lying down staring at the sky, oblivious to the people around me and listening to music, they thought that I had lost it. The most common reaction being a very sarcastic “yeah right”. Then someone said “Dude, Cubbon park isn’t really the safest place you know… there are strange creepy men so will you take care please”.
I think that was the reason why I wanted to do this. It is my space too… so why should I have to think thrice (read a zillion times) before I go there and do something that is only very normal to do in a park.Moreover, I didn’t know for sure. It was only assumed that the park, like any other public space, was going to be filled with letchy men trying to make you regret having come there in the first place. I was happy that my assumptions were wrong. Maybe so because I had my own set of guardian angels in the park who I knew were looking out for me. Maybe because I wasn’t subjected to the usual doze of comments and stares. Maybe because I was so engrossed in doing what I was, that I was oblivious to them, if they were there. But the best part was that I was relaxed enough to let myself get that oblivious!
I wore a kurta with a deep back. I wore a mask. I sat on a park bench n read. And somehow doing something as small as that felt like being free. Then soon enough it was time to challenge that... push it a little bit. I laid down on the park bench and put on the music. I allowed myself to shut my eyes. I could not allow myself to fall asleep! I think it was just the fact that no matter how comfortable I got I still was in a public space and I have learned to not trust them.
mongan iruna nayinte thalayil thenga veenathu pole malyalam is like a dog who was waiting for a coconut to fall on its head. (sent by Aathira)
agar mittha samne hai toh makhi toh zaroor aasi
How would you say it in your language?
"I NEVER ASK FOR IT"
I NEVER ASK FOR IT.
(in Deutsche): contributed by Ulrike Syha Ich habe nie darum gebeten. or Darum habe ich nie gebeten. I would prefer the latter.
(in French) : contributed by Roselyne Titaud and Barret Clemence je n'ai jamais demandé ça
(in Malyalam) : contributed by Nandini Raja njaan aavashyapettilla = I never ask for it.
contributed by Farid Jalal jyaan teere athinnu choichitilla = I have never asked for it.
(in Oriya) : contributed by Snigdha Sahoo mun kebe bi e sabu chaanhi na thili - i never ask for it
(in Gujarati): contributed by Niyati Patel hoon kyarey magti nathi - i never ask for it me kyarey aa magyu nathi - i have never asked for it mane aa joytu nathi - i dont want this
(in Bangla) :
contributed by Sunayana Roy
Ami to chai ni -- I did not ask for it Ami kokhunoyi chai na -- I never ask for it Ami e shob chai na -- I don't want all this
(in Marathi):
contributed by Poonam Vaidya मी कद्धी नाही हेचा साथी विचारल : mi kadi nahi hecha saathi vicharal= I never ask for it
(in Tamil) :
contributed by Miruna Varadarajan naan varavazhaipadu alla = i do not invite naanketpadu alla = i do not ask for it
contributed by R. Jai Krishna
naan ketkamataen = I never ask for it
(in Assamese) : contributed by Arundhati Banerjee "Moi ketiao chowa nai"......I never asked for it
(in Punjabi) : contributed by Jasso Rani mein maaf karna. eh kade meri galti nahin si= excuse me but it wasn't my fault. mein kadey mangya nayi = i never ask for it
mein bilkul pasand nahi= i absolutely dislike it akhir gur da ki kasoor= but why blame sugar? ( in reference to jithe gur uthe makhi* check image) istey meri ki galti= why are you blaming me?
contributed by Gujan Chugh Main eh taanh nahin si mangya= I had not asked for it
How was it implied in your language?
"She 'asked for it'?"
could be proverbs, statement, sayings from everyday conversations
"She 'asked for it":
1. Aap theek ho toh sab theek hai. (hindi) = if you are okay, then everything is okay.
2. ladki agar santo key beech par jayegi to santo toh bharka gain na? (hindi)= a girl can provoke the saints too.
3. agar mittha samne hai toh makhi toh zaroor aasi ( punjabi) = agar meethu sammey paduy che to makhi chokase avse( gujarati) = if there's something sweet , then it is obvious that the flies will be there too. gujurati version sent by Darshana Panchal
4. pennorumbettaal brahmanum (malayalam) = if a women wishes so, even Brahma cannote escape her advances. sent by Suman
5.ila chennu mullil veenaalum mullu vannu ilayil veenalum kedu ilakkaanu =this is actually kind of cautionary stuff for all mallu girls of all generations. if the leaf falls on the thorns or the thorn falls on a leaf, whatever may be, it is the leaf that gets torn off.
(well actually a warning kind a.hey girl, do not go and do things, and then later on complain about it. whether you do it or they do, you are the one to suffer. hence, make no room for any such incidents only) sent by Suman
6. ladki ki izzat kaanch ke jaisi hai. joh toot jata hai judta nahin hai = a girls modesty/respectablity is like glass. once broken it cannot be fixed. sent by Nita Patheja
7. "Dangling a carrot in front of a donkey". sent by Annie Zaidi
old telugu saying = never trust a woman who laughs loudly with her hair open
sent by the much harassed Vijay Sai
9. streeche paul vakde padle ki samajacha naash suru hoto (marathi)= the moment a woman steps out of line (breaks social mores), the social decay begins. sent by Pranav Joshi
10. andaman ki baarish aur aurat ka koi bharosa nahin hai= they say this in the andamans if they feel betrayed by women= the rains in andaman are unpredictable just like women. sent by Rani Kamal
11. ek miyan mein doh talwar= 2 women in a house will always create havoc. sent by Rani Kamal
12. jithe doh auratan hon uthe bhande kharakde hi hain= 2 women in a house will always create noise/ fight/ make trouble sent by Indri
13. "Beware of the 3 Ws in life- women wine and wealth" sent by Rani Kamal
14. aurtan ni gallan te nahin aana chahida. punjabi. statement = dont get into what women say. sent by Rani Kamal
15. "Ela estava mesmo a pedi-las" Portuguese for "She was really asking for it", commonly used when, say, a rape is associated to the clothes the girl / woman was wearing at the time of the assault.
sent by Joao Lemos
16. "woh muchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata; woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata."hindi= ('what is a moustache that can't be curled up, what is a girl who is not teased.')
sent by Mohnish
17. "Shei orokom meye" is the sense of nudge, nudge, wink, wink, you know, she's that kind of girl. sent by Sunayana Roy
18. "Jithe Gur uthe makhi"= where there is gur/ jaggery- there will be flies.
this is a colloquial saying in Malayalam which literally means this(situation) is like a dog who was waiting for a coconut to fall on its head. sent by Aathira
Starting with the most recent Mangalore pub attack we would like to build a list of incidents involving attacks on/threats to women under the pretext of culture, tradition and religion.
1-political parties/ religious groups/ individuals
2-nature of attack- who they attacked. why they attacked. you could also send articles/links explaining that.
3-when.date
4-location.region.
You can add to this list by adding in the comments section below or by emailing us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com
or if you are on facebook you could add it here: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1002230751699&mbox_pos=0#/event.php?eid=103986081520
Nandini report:
December 28, 2008:
Bajrang Dal activists attack a bus ferrying students on a study tour to Mysore, saying girls and boys from different religions can't travel togetherlinks: http://www.worldproutassembly.org/archives/2009/02/karnatakas_comm.html Mohnish Moorjani reports: Jan 29, 2009 Ram Sene 'Amnesia' Pub. Mangalore
Anubhav Pradhan reports: 14th Feb,2006 http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/15/stories/2006021523280300.htm The Shiv Sena staged a protest against Valentine's Day in Kamla Nagar, Delhi "dubbing the Valentine's Day as a marketing gimmick". The state unit of the National Panthers Party had come out against the Sena, and representatives of the same went around armed with chilly powder. There was sign of trouble in Connaught Place as activists of the two groups came face to face outside Wimpy's but timelpy police intervention prevented any untoward incident. 11th August, 2008 http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/11/stories/2008081161540300.htm Mr. Ram Dev Yadav killed his wife Geeta and her alleged lover neighbour Jitendra in the Dabri area of Delhi. The crime, committed on 29th July, came to light when the couple's 5yr old son Vicky narrated the gruesome incident during trauma counselling. nandini raja reports: October 30, 2008: Bajrang Dal activists attack two undertrials in Mangalore district sub jail; sixth such attack after its chief Mahendra Kumar's arrest on September 20.
December 12, 2008: Aggressive posturing at Baba Budangiri by parivar leaders and Hindu pontiffs
December 27, 2008: Hoysala Sene attacks Fuga bar in Bangalore, alleges illegal activities
December 28, 2008: Bajrang Dal activists attack a bus ferrying students on a study tour to Mysore, saying girls and boys from different religions can't travel together
January 6, 2009: B.V. Seetharam, editor of Mangalore-based newspaper Karavali Ale, who followed a strong anti-parivar editorial line, handcuffed and arrested in alleged extortion case. Prior to his arrest, parivar elements vandalise paper's office.
January 7, 2009: Laddoos distributed in some schools across the state on Vaikunta Ekadashi. Congress demands biriyani should be distributed on Ramzan.
January 19, 2009: An arrested dacoit reportedly confesses links with radical Hindu groups and admits to carrying out the Hubli district court bombing before the May assembly elections
January 25, 2009: Sri Rama Sene activists attack pub in Mangalore and molest and beat up women
January 25, 2009: Bajrang Dal activists attack a private party in Mangalore
October 2009- Feb 2010- gangs of men from various right wing Hindu groups such as Sri Ram Sene, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Rashtra Sena, Hindu Jagaran Vedike in Mangalore , Karnataka, assault Hindu women dating Muslim men. They also attack Muslim men and accuse them of waging a 'love jihad'; that is, according to them, a strategic love plan to convert the hindu girl to islam.
Blank Noise is a community of Action Heroes ( citizens as volunteers) committed to building safe cities.
You could volunteer your time. skills and efforts into building this collective. You could also propose a project idea by writing to us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com.
Being An Action Hero and working with Blank Noise is about
being self confrontational
tackling your own biases. questioning them.
asking questions
meeting deadlines
rolling your sleeves . getting your hands dirty
being a good listener
being enthusiastic
being patient
being persistent
being open
responsible
putting in that extra bit
about collective ownership
about doing small things
about making time
about putting yourself out there
about conviction
Got that?
Below is an application form for volunteers and interns.
# TO CREATE BLANK NOISE IN YOUR CITY . OR TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH BLANK NOISE FROM YOUR CITY- SIGN UP HERE( time period is not defined. could be one or a variety of tasks/ interests/ ideas)
# SIGN UP TO BE A BLANK NOISE INTERN ( time period 2 months) http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pXj9QqBrUiZ5RkZL89UmVew
If you have volunteered with Blank Noise in any way possible- do send in your photo
at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com http://www.flickr.com/photos/blanknoise/2514560156/
(flickr blog maintained by Dhruva Ghosh. Saptarshi Chakrabarty and Purba Sarkar)
We thank the following people for signing up as volunteers and interns: ( WE WILL BE WRITING TO EACH OF YOU SHORTLY) JAIPUR VIVEK KAKKAR JODHPURPRIYANKA BHANDARI AHMEDABAD KHUSHALI PUROHIT MEGHANA NAYAR KOLKATA PUSHPITA PRAMANIK ADITI. NEHA
LUCKNOW
MOHIT SHARMA
HIMIKA PUNE * SOLAPURVISHAL GAIKWAD VADODRA JYOTI CHENNAI
Over the years we have figured that there are over 1000 ways in which you could build Blank Noise. For now, we propose 2.
Every Sunday, 2 projects will be shared at Blank Noise.
Blank Noise This Place and Blank Noise Action Heroes.
Both spaces are slowly building up with your participation. Thank you!
For those of you who are new to this:
Blank Noise This Place:We ask you to go to the place where you experienced street sexaul harassment'- photograph it and send it to us. Along with the photo send in an account of what exactly occurred and where.
We will upload all photographs at
http://flickr.com/photos/blanknoisethisplace/
All photos will be tagged on a world map.
Let's Blank Noise This Place!
Blank Noise Action Heroes:is a separate blog, an offshoot of Blank Noise. This place collects and builds stories of resistance. We ask you to share your strategy. How did you deal with street harassment? How did you fight or respond to it?
All Action Hero testimonials sent in by you will be uploaded at
http://blanknoiseactionheroes.blogspot.com
Who takes responsibility for uploads etc?
Every city has a 2 week rotating set of 'lead volunteers' who make this happen. They send emails, put in that 'extra' bit to ensure participation. Last few weeks have had Dana Roy , Sunayana Roy from Kolkata, Suparna Kudesia from Delhi, Amrutha Bhushan from Bangalore, Nabila Zaidi from Lucknow. We encourage Blank Noise members from each city to sign up as lead volunteers towards both online events. Hope to hear from you soon!
Do you really think you 'asked for it' when you experienced street sexual harassment? How often have you found yourself blaming the pair of jeans, the salwar kameez, the skirt, the t shirt? Do you really think it is your fault when you are violated? Do you really think you deserve to be humiliated? Do you really think that it is only certain kind of clothes that result in women experiencing street sexual harassment?
We say NO. We say there is no such thing as 'asking for it' and we need you to prove that for us/ yourself.
How? Send in 1 garment you wore when you experienced 'eve teasing'. Your garment is your truth, your witness, your evidence, your memory. You can volunteer to collect clothes volunteers from friends, family, peers, associated and sent them in.
You can make this happen. It's simple- ask yourself and others around you to remember that one garment you wore when you were made to feel that you 'asked for it'.
Collect one, two or twenty, be the Blank Noise Action Hero from your city. town. locality.
What next? We propose to install these clothes on the streets of your city and collectively challenge the notion that women ask to be sexually violated.
Suren Vikash participated in this event by bringing back a bag filled with clothes- belonging to his sister, cousins, and relatives. This is to say that men can participate in actualizing this as well!
There will be a contact person per city- that could be you. want to volunteer?
If you wish to collect clothes on behalf of Blank Noise from where you are based, email us. We would be thrilled to have you taking on this responsibility!
The mailing address will be shared on email and will be city specific.
Please attach a note about what exactly took place.
Please attach the age of the person who experienced it.
Your identity will not be revealed if you do not want it to.
You could also photograph the garment and send it to us. We will share it on the blog.
If you have any other ideas on how you can participate- actualizing the event, fund raising, seeking permissions etc, write in now!
If you have already discarded that one garment to this project- we will be adding your name to this list below. If you have not been mentioned, please email us and we will add you right away!
some of you may not have the garment with you- for instance if the incident took place in childhood and it was a school uniform- in that case do desrcribe the garment to us, or send us something close to it.
The idea- When women experience sexual violence/ harassment/ or are 'teased' they are made to feel guilty for experiencing it. We are taught to blame ourselves for being 'dressed provocatively', for being in the wrong location, at the wrong time. Public perception and blame also assumes that a certain female stereotype gets assaulted for the 'right reasons'. The truth is that we have been receiving all kinds of clothes- school uniforms, saris, short skirts, asexual-shirts, jeans, salwar kameez. No matter what you wear, a no means NO. There is no such thing as 'asking for it'
Blank Noise challenges notions of time, place , dress and person. With I never asked for it- we challenge the notion that women actually 'ask to be sexually assaulted'
We take a stand and urge you to do the same. I never asked for it. Yes we want 1000!
NamitaSharma's tea stall is by the auto stand in Gariahat market, Kolkata. Every evening, eva long que lines up by her tea stall awaiting their auto rickshaw ride back home. During this stretch of time some people drink tea , smoke a ciggarete, snack a bit.
Namita and her colleagues welcomed Blank Noise as an idea. Her tea stall hosts the Blank Noise opinion poll which asks a simple but infinitely complex question- WHAT IS EVE TEASING? LOOKING? STARING? STARING AT BREASTS? TALKING TO BREASTS? ADJUSTING REAR VIEW MIRROR? PASSING COMMENTS? CALLING NAMES? RATING? WHISTLING? SINGING? MAKING KISSING SOUND? UNSOLICITED CONVERSATION? WINKING? BLOWING KISSES? UNSOLICITED PHOTOGRAPHY? TICKLING? TOUCHING 'ACCIDENTALLY'? GROPING? TOUCHING/NUDGING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT?/ RUBBING? FINGERING?SPITTING ON? STALKING? VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES) FOLLOWING. VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES) HONKING. VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES)PURPOSELY DASHING? GESTURES/ACTIONS/ MASTURBATION? FLASHING? OTHERS?? There have been innumerable debates on the blog in the past over what exactly constitutes 'street sexual violence'- Can it be in the verb of 'looking' or in the adverb of 'lecherously looking'. there are questions about what constitutes a lecherous look- and the ones who experience it will argue saying ' it's obvious. we just know!'
This is precisely the kind of discussion we want to further on the streets itself. More than for facts figures and statistics we attempt to use the form of an opinion poll to start discussions. The opinion poll also becomes a 'safe' way for people to testify and admit what they have seen or experienced.
The opinion poll is bilingual- for Kolkata it is in Bangla/ Bengali and English. We are getting them made in English with Urdu/ Hindi/ Kannada/ Telegu/ Tamil/ If you would like to volunteer with translations do email us asap! always at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com
By asking someone from your neighbourhood /locality to host the Blank Noise Eve Teasing Opinion Poll you are getting them involved in the process of taking agency, and also being an agent yourself. The opinion poll could also be in your college/ office/ apartment block/ market/ anywhere- email us- let's discuss your ideas
You will need to provide your local Blank Noise agent with 2 ink pads( red and blue) for people to put their thumb print.
In the next 2 weeks individuals/ Blank Noise members from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kolkata will receive the opinion poll charts. If you belong to any of these cities and would like get started - email us right away!
If your city is not mentioned and you would like start this process in your city, write in and we could have an entire bunch sent in to you. You could also be the opinion poll distributor for your city or town.
You will also receive an email with detailed instructions on how to introduce Blank Noise/ the issue of 'eve teasing' and how this process can be documented.
Coming up is an interview with NamitaSharma on her experience of hosting the opinion poll. The interview will be conducted by members of the Blank Noise Kolkata team.
We look forward to your emails! blurtblanknoise@gmail.com
Blank Noise Agents : people who are participating in Opinion Poll project to further discussion about 'eve teasing'.
Barkha Madhok- New Delhi- Will install the poster in her office.
Ashish Asgekar- Goa-will translate the opinion poll to marathi
Nabila Zaidi- Lucknow- will translate the opinion poll and distribute opinion poll sheets in Lucknow. She is also installing the poster at Avadh Girl's College.
Sharath V- Bangalore- has translated the text to kannada. The text has been further edited by Blank Noise bangalore.
Girish Pandit- edited Kannada text.
Meghna C edited the kannada text.
Soumya C. Shekhar edited the kannada text.
Nisha Chandwani - Mumbai added the word ' pinching' to the opinion poll list.
Siddarth Mukund Srivastava- New Delhi- is translating the opinion poll to Hindi.
Poorva Dutt - New Delhi is also translating the opinion poll text to Hindi
Eve teasing maybe perceived as a 'joke or a prank', but it is also recognized as a criminal offence. Aarti Mundkur, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, answers our questions on what one can do towards taking legal action when 'eve teased'.
1. All about FIRs and procedure to lodge one.
An FIR (FIRST INFORMATION REPORT) is the complaint that a person lodges at a police station, reporting the incident that is alleged to have occurred. It is the first information that the police receive regarding the commission of a Cognizable Offence, hence First Information Report.
An FIR can only be lodged at a police station. At every police station there is an officer designated as an SHO (Station House Officer) whose job it is to lodge FIRs. Usually, FIRs are lodged at the police station in whose jurisdiction (geographical area that comes under the purview of that police station) the offence has occurred.
It is preferable to lodge the FIR in the jurisdictional police station. If that is not possible, you will have state why, and the police will forward the the FIR to the concerned police station for investigation.
An FIR may be given in writing or orally. Your complaint in writing is reduced to the basic facts and put into a standard format of the FIR. You are entitled to read it make changes etc and also get a copy for yourself FREE OF COST. If you orally lodge a complaint, which the police officer writes down, please read it and make sure that it is accurate.
You have the right to lodge an FIR, irrespective of the circumstances that surround the particular incident. Clothes you are wearing or being out late cannot be reasons given to you for not lodging an FIR. In the event that the officer does not lodge your FIR, you can ask the Inspector of the police station to do so. If that fails, get in touch with the Circle Inspector. Finally, the office of the Commissioner of Police can also lodge an FIR and forward it to the concerned police station. So, in the event that the SHO refuses to lodge your FIR you can work your your way up the hierarchy, and ensure that it is.
It is not necessary that you should name the person you are accusing. It is very common to not know who the person is. If possible try and get a name or a good description. An FIR can be lodged against anyone, including public servants.
Procedure to lodge an FIR.
An FIR should have the following details-
1) a detailed description of the incident- date, time, place included.
2) If you know the accused- then his name and address. If not, as close a description as possible.
3) You must also put down exactly what happened. E.g. If you were felt up- how and where.
2. Do I have to report the incident only to another male officer?
there are all women's police stations that one can complain at. There is one close to the Corporation (Ph: 22290228/ 222 16242) However it is not mandatory for all police stations to have women officers.
3. How long does the whole procedure take? What am I getting involved in by lodging an FIR or reporting the 'eve teaser'?
Lodging of an FIR does not take very long, maybe a few hours, at the most. By lodging one, you are putting the criminal justice mechanism into motion That is, you are asking the police to begin investigating the incident that you have reported. It is then the job of the police to investigate, arrest, take down statements etc. You may be called by the police to identify the person/s they have arrested. The police then have to file what is called a chargesheet and then the case goes to trial before a judge, where you will be the primary witness, along with others, if there are any. It is difficult to say exactly how long this whole process takes. But one can safely say that it will be at least a few months- 4 or more, for the case to actually go to trail before a judge.
4. I think I was eve teased. This guy just looked at me in a way that made me feel sick. How can I take any action against it? I don't even know who he is. What constitutes as sexual harassment in the streets? What according to the law can be seen as 'eve teasing' or street sexual harassment? Is it looking, staring, and groping, stalking? What can police do to the perpetrator/ eve teaser? How is he punishable?
Section 354 of the IPC- requires that there be assault or criminal force used intending to outrage the modesty of a woman or knowing that it will outrage her modesty. A person found guilty can be imprisoned for a maximum period of 2 years, or with a fine, or both. So, under this section a 'look' may not be enough to constitute an offence. For more details look at Section 96 of the Karnataka Police Act.
Section 509 of the IPC is broader in its purview. It includes words, gestures, sounds or exhibition of objects with a view to insult the modesty of a woman. It also includes the words “intrudes upon the privacy of a woman”. The offence is punishable with a maximum imprisonment for one year, or a fine, or both.
In the case of both these provisions, it is difficult to say what exactly constitutes an offence. Courts have held that whistling, passing comments about a woman's body, singing songs etc, come under S.509. In any case, a 'look' that makes you uncomfortable may be very difficult to establish as an act that outrages your modesty.
Groping and stalking are definitely acts that come under the purview of both sections.
What is important is that neither section uses the explicit words eve teasing or sexual harassment. Although the latter is what the sections are trying to address. The focus is on the modesty of the woman.
6. Which police person can I complain to? Can I complain to the traffic police?
If you intend to initiate a criminal case you must lodge an FIR at the police station. The traffic police can assist you in reaching the police station or if they have witnessed the incident can be made witness. Sometimes it may be enough to create a scene by getting the traffic police involved and causing embarrassment to the man.
7. If I report him, how do I protect myself after that?
Its unlikely that you will need any kind of protection. Once he is arrested, he will have to get bail before he gets out of jail. You can ask the police for protection, if there are threats etc that are made. Bail may even be canceled if there are threats etc being made to the complainant.
Read all you can on our website about what we do. Make sure you're following discussions on our email group and comment threads on the blog. Get a group together: friends, relatives, anyone who is interested. Email us and we can send you material such as posters or fliers and help you get going. Often interventions are conducted simultaneously across multiple cities and it would be great if you could get a group together in your city in time to join the others. Make sure you are listening to the group and hearing other people's concerns. Make sure someone is taking minutes of the meeting.
Email us for a skype chat! here we are: blurtblanknoise@gmail.com
