Valerie Afonso, a student, said as a woman
she did not feel safe in Goa anymore. Once upon a time, she said Goa was
comparatively safer than the rest of India, but sadly, that was changing.
Strict measures she said needed to be enforced to ensure safety. The police
needed to be more vigilant, and not come under any influence.
Sabira Shaikh, a student of St Joseph Vaz
College, Vasco said the cases being reported indicate that Goa was no longer
the safe place it was perceived to be. The government she said was instructing
women as to when they could go out and when not to. She said “They should
enable the security system irrespective of the time and place the women travel,
there are several situations and places where women have to go for jobs, meetings
or any particular purpose. The government is no one to stop the people it has
to ensure proper security. With regards to the investigation on the recent case
which took place in Calangute, I think it was too soon and needs more clarity.”
MC Myra D’Costa an Event Host and
Freelancer who due to the nature of her job sometimes has to go home late was
blunt about the state of affairs. She said “As a woman, we always have been
told to conceal our thoughts. But over a period of a month, Goa has truly seen
a side that not only makes us insecure but also living in constant fear
thinking is we next? Work and the daily task has become a challenge with the
restrictions from family. Parents please train your daughters how to use Taser
guns, pepper sprays and to be brave and alert at such times and not have them
be afraid of something that’s not their fault”.
Alita Fernandes a freelance social media
marketer said with the events that had taken place within a matter of a few
weeks in Goa, it’s not easy to not be scared or worry when loved ones were out
and alone. She said “Honestly, these events have made us more aware that
individually; we have to take charge of our safety, be brave, alert, and
prepare ourselves better. I understand at times, standing up for ourselves is
easier said than done; that’s why we need to look out for each other too”.
Ms. Bandisha Parwar an asst professor at a college in the state
said “ As a woman every morning when we go through the newspapers filled with
headlines reporting cases of sexual assault, sexual harassment, rapes, violence
against women we feel threatened and unsafe. In a short span of time these
highly disturbing cases have highlighted the ineffective approach towards women
safety. Women are vulnerable towards the degrading morals of our society”. She
said she wanted the state government to take immediate action and prioritise
women safety in the state. She felt an efficient helpline system working
24x7focusing on issues related to women safety was important. The law she said
should give justice to the victims in a short period of time. The right and
freedom of every woman she said should be guarded as well as respected by our
government as well as by every individual of our society. True that.
Stefanie Lucas felt Goa was turning into Delhi. She said “Goa
was never like this. It is shameful to see rapes are increasing in our state.
Now every time girls want to step out of their house, we’ll have to think twice
before doing so. Instead of trying to control girls, please make Goa safe again.
It is the responsibility of every citizen including the government”.
Joann Fidelia Sequeira was blunt when she said “ I can say this
with guarantee that there is not one woman who can proudly say that she feels
safe and protected in our society. Over the past years we have heard about such
brutal cases of sexual assault and violence against women be it gang rapes,
domestic violence, acid attacks, trafficking, kidnapping, murders and the list
goes on. Women have to think twice before stepping out at late hours. There is
always a constant fear in our minds. And even if we go out we need to have a
male partner. And this is so saddening because we do not feel free to go out in
our own society. I think more than warning us women about dressing appropriately
or not to go out we need to spread awareness about women’s safety. We need to
educate people to respect women”. This she felt would only happen if there are
stringent laws against the offenders and if the rapist gets equivalent
punishment for the heinous and grievous crime they have committed. These laws
will only be effective if it is implemented in a time bound manner. The
Government she said needed to highlight and address these issues instead of
hiding it and instructing women to stay home. Appropriate actions such as
increased policing, quick filing of the FIR and prompt investigation, immediate
and strict action against the offenders, a special division dedicated to
women’s safety needed to be taken.
Dolcy Aruna Alvares cried out when she said “ I really do not
know where to begin. Goa, my beautiful state, was considered one of the most
beautiful and safest state in India. Not only did the domestic tourists flock
in large numbers but we were on the global map too. It’s a shame today that
every side of Goa is going to the dumps. And the reason for this is “Our
Government “. Lately we hear about rapes taking place and the latest one is
about a girl who was raped and murdered. It’s sad to know the government
(officials) was quick enough to give a statement saying the ultimate cause was
due to drowning and tried to hush up the case…now really? Do we buy this
story without proper investigation”.
She said as a woman she had roamed without fear but now Goa did
not look safe for her or other women or young girls. The government, she said,
played dirty and did not seem to get to the bottom of the incident and give
justice to the common man. She said everyone was asking if this was the Goa for
everyone and their daughter.
Someone who has spent her life fighting for women’s issues is
Sabina Martins. She said when they met with the family of the young girl who
was murdered; they learned the line the police was taking would lead it to not
being a counted as a murder and there was no sexual assault. They were moving
it as an unnatural death, as a suicide. Sabina said “From our experience, we
have looked at all the circumstantial evidence, this is a not a suicide. It is
a crime and this has to be investigated from their perspective. We often see in
cases, 2 reasons why FIR is not filed. It means a lot of work and it is a long
drawn out process. If it is registered, then it comes under crime against
women. This then gives a bad name to the state.” If cases were registered then
how would women feel safe. Cases she said had to be pursued and not left.
Bailancho Saad, of which Sabina is the convenor, said it was
important for proactive response by the police. She said they would pursue the
matter to get the medical report and yes they strongly condemned the
circulation of semi nude photos of the girl in social media which violated the
dignity of women and was a violation of human rights.
It
is a long road for women as they have to fight entrenched attitudes from
society and the authorities. Corrective action has to be taken now otherwise
this will not be a society worth living in.
