More equal

I might be picking up a contentious subject, but it's been on my mind..And it comes soon after my colleague Prachi Malhotra extolled the virtues of the women's compartment in the Delhi Metro. My point of view is going to be a study in contrast.

True, just seeing women of all shapes, strata and styles standing cheek by jowl in this “exclusive” compartment proves its popularity. But come on. Haven't we been talking about equality for decades now? So why are we availing of sops like this? After all, there isn't/aren't any exclusive men's compartment(s) that the Metro has put on track. Words like “condescending” and “objectifying” don't seem misplaced when we look at the male perspective in that case?

Educated, well-heeled women shout from rooftops about equality. Why then does this very set so happily ask for concessions in the same breath? Isn't it a way of admitting there is a handicap that needs some succor? As far as I know, in no other country does the subway/tube/Metro have a “Ladies Only” compartment that trundles down the city. Are we then saying that women in our country need the protection of a certain exclusivity? Or, that this is the only way to deal with lecherous Indian men?

Granted, Delhi is not a particularly safe city for women. Granted, in the name of push, there is pinch. Granted, there are several instances of sexual harassment that have been logged while traveling by public transport. (According to a Thomson Reuters Foundation global poll in 2011, India is the fourth most dangerous place in the world for women). But don't we need to deal with them on the same turf, rather than standing with aplomb on a pink signage painted on the platform floor, that says “Women Only”? This isn't exactly a case of visiting the lavatory, where privacy is, well, expected. And what happens when you step off the women's coach and walk the streets of Delhi?

To top it all, there are women who step in and out of the “General compartments” too. In fact, there are some seats reserved for them there...Wonder what happened to “grab” in such mixed company. Some maintain they get on board such compartments when they are escorted; read: by father/brother/uncle/boyfriend/husband. Come on, how long will you need the protection of a man in your life to negotiate the world? Or, worse, how long will you live in a cocoon by taking refuge in “Ladies Only”? If things get out of hand, there is always the Metro Police to seek help from. We pay taxes for services like this. Also, why keep the men deprived and, therefore, depraved. The more they see of you, the less the novelty (perhaps).

You guessed right. I never travel by the women's coach. I like to believe there is an equal world out there.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog are that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of The Sunday Indian)