Bangalore bandh to protest sexual offences evokes mixed response


Bangalore, Jul 31 (PTI): A 12-hour bandh in the country's IT hub to protest rising cases of sexual offences against women and children called by Kannada outfits today evoked a mixed response.

Commercial establishments in several areas remained shut while buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation plied but with fewer passengers. A section of autorickshaws stayed off the roads, which were mostly bereft of the usual hustle and bustle of a working day.

Government offices and banks functioned while most educational institutions declared a holiday.

Essential services were normal as they are exempt from the bandh called by "Kannada Okoota (federation)", an umbrella body of several Kannada organisations led by Vatal Nagaraj, which has called the dawn-to-dusk bandh call, also demanding "severest" punishment to the perpetrators of sexual offences.

Some of the shopping malls were closed, as also cinema theatres which cancelled morning shows.

Security has been beefed up with police, bolstered by central forces, mobilising "maximum amount" of force. No untoward incident has been reported, police said, as they patrolled the city and kept a close vigil in sensitive areas.

The bandh comes after the public outrage over the alleged recent gangrape of a six-year-old girl at Vibgyor High school that spilled into the streets and drew all-round condemnation with the government and police coming in for criticism.

Different Kannada outfits held demonstrations in several parts of the city, shouting slogans and carrying placards demanding that the rapists should be hanged.

A rash of sexual offences, including the rape of a 22-year-old woman in a car while she was with her friend and that of a 15-year-old nun at a seminary in Bangalore had led to public anger and rising concerns over safety of women in the city.

Facing public heat, police issued tough guidelines to schools for safety of children and government has tightened the Goondas Act to bring sexual offenders under its ambit.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Vicky D, Dubai

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    Some so called leaders like Vatal Nagaraj who is addicted to go on dharan is always ready with his topi & glass..
    Unless the government introduces sharia low for all the rapist, abuser will dare to commit crime..

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Fredrick Castelino, Udyavara

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    Because of bundhs our society will not change. Bundhs are problematic to poor people like labourers, daily wagers etc. There is no problem to rich people. Instead of this we should increase more and more moral education to children in schools as well as at home. This will definitely change the mindset of children.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • SMP_09, UDUPI

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    With all due respect to victim and victim family, just becoz teh incident happened in one of the renowned school it is being boomed so much for justice. Hope with all these protest even poor girls/children get some attention too. We live in such a bad society. I am worried about future generation

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Chandrashekar, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    Hi,
    Too much bandh not good practice, keep working more and protest.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • PEDDU, MANGALURU

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    MADAM JACINTHA !! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ! BUT AS ALWAYS ALL WOMEN BLAME AND PINPOINT MEN FOR THE BLUNDERS MADE BY WOMEN WHATSOEVER THE REASON !~

    NOW DON'T BLAME THE GOD

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, katapadi/Bangalore

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    Bundh is not the remedy to stop sexual offenses.Instead, find out the ways and means to expose the culprits publicly so that no body else will venture into this crime.Public should become more aware and active than finding fault with the government and the police.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • PEDDU, MANGALURU

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    PORN MAFIA IS BEHIND THE RAPE AND MURDER OF WOMEN !!!

    WOMEN SHOULD ALERT HERSELF WHEN FALLING IN A RELATIONSHIP !!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jacintha, middle east

    Thu, Jul 31 2014

    Women / girls are targets of sexual aggression everywhere, rape is one of it's forms and we make lots of noise about it. Many of us in our lives, practice a few forms of the aggression.

    Religious aggression - religious groups start with girls - what they should wear/not wear, where they should go/not go, whom they should meet/not meet. The restrictions are not for boys/men. I do not want to name the religions or the castes which do this.

    Commercial - (women are party to this one). Men are clothed fully for ages and they are considered to look good, gentlemanly,decent. But women? We dress them with minimum, transparent, extremely fitting cloths. In business dresses, in party dresses, in sports gear and everywhere. Isn't this exploitation too? Everything that is designed for woman is sexist.
    All of us are guilty. It has taken may be fifty years to bring it to this stage. And today we cry foul.

    Attractive girl is the one, who fulfill the sexist desire of man, others are gourammas! All those noodle straps - for girls from the age of 1 to 50? I have never seen a boy with noodle straps.

    So why are we all crying foul now? Because someone took a step further?

    Our movies? They rape the woman on screen (sometimes physically), but always visually.
    We are forced to go along a few miles for survival purpose, to be in the same society, speak the same language the others speak and understand.

    Today's platitudes are all humbug.
    Allow woman to dress safely, comfortably and accept her for her dignity, intelligence, ability and not for the spice she can add to man's desire.

    We have to take up this challenge in a social way, I don't think government and a bandh can do much.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [27] Reply Report Abuse

  • Be Whatever, Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 03 2014

    What about Porn!!women are not part of it?!!!

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


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