When it comes to the number of women being subjected to violence on the streets of this tech hub of India, official figures conceal far more than they reveal, according to women's rights activists.
"For every single reported case, 10 or more lie hidden", says Jagdish.B.N. one of the founder member of Fearless Karnataka/Nirbhaya Karnataka(FKNK), a social group working for safety and security of women. Most of the cases of physical and verbal abuse on women on the streets of Bangalore were not reported, he added.
According to the figures available with the police here,170 cases were reported in Bangalore under section 354 of Indian Penal Code(IPC) in 2008. Around 180 cases were reported under the section in 2007. Section 354 of IPC refers to outraging the modesty of a women.
In what appears to be inspired by the pub attack Mangalore, three women have been attacked in the city over the past week. All three in their 20's and in "western clothing" were subject to varying degree of violence.
Some incidents like, on february 17 at 1.10 p.m in INdiranagar, when a young woman's car was closely followed by two men on a motorcycle. After a chase she sought refuge in an apartment building were she was concerned. One of the men continued to shout obscentities and move threateningly close. When she slapped him in self-defence he punched her. "Aggravated I shouted at him in kannada. He was stunned to hear me speak the language. He noted down my licence plate number and told the guard he would harm me later", she said.
Then on tuesday at 9pm, young filmmaker was attacked by four men High Grounds, post the MOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE. "At first, they jostled me and I told them to back off. They shouted obscentities in kannada. I yelled back in English, which seemed to provoke them. It grew into a foght when they punched me and said I 'deserved' it for wearing jeans and sleeveless kurta and walking alone at night.
Ram Sene gets support from Goa right wing organisation Indian Express, India. His views echoed by Congress and BJP with the latter terming after the Mangalorew pub incident, as bunch of crooks and criminals. Mutalik in his interviews expressed his intention to hold.
In memorandum submitted to Bangalore Police commisioner Shankar Bidari monday, FKNK has demanded that a dedicated 24 hour helpline be set up, exclusively for women in distress.
Bangalore has Vanita Sahayavani, a helpline dedicated to women. NGO Parihar runs the service along with a toll free telephone number 1091. But the helpline mostly deals with cases of marital discord and provides counselling to estranged couples.
WOMEN ARE KICKED IN THE GROIN, PUNCHED IN THE STOMACH, SLAPPED ACROSS THE FACE, GRABBED EVERYWHERE, ABUSED CONSTANTLY.
