Are we raising our sons to be a burden on society?

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In a scene right out of a horror movie, a woman riding pillion on a motorcycle was harassed by a group of men in a waterlogged area in Lucknow. Videos from the horror show men splashing water on the man and woman on the bike as the man struggles to negotiate a waterlogged road. Then some men even start pulling the bike backwards. Finally, the harassment stops after the woman falls into the water from the bike and is helped up.

The images and videos are absolutely shameful and fly in the face of all these talks about women's safety and empowerment. It is stomach-churning simply to look at them. The woman could have easily broken a limb as she fell into the water. One can also imagine the psychological impact of this incident. The terror both must have felt as the asinine group splashed water on them and held the bike.

It also highlights just how vulnerable women are in these situations. On flooded roads, there is usually less light when it is pouring, people are rushing to get to high or dry ground or some kind of transport. There are groups of men dancing around at different junctures, seemingly enjoying the floods. While they can do so amidst themselves, women can and have become targets for harassment in fraught situations like these.

The police are on track tracing and arresting the culprits, a few have already been nabbed. Hopefully, there is sharp CCTV surveillance that can make this easier. There may be a few good eyewitnesses who can come forward. This needs very serious action as it is not just fun in the rain but a very serious crime, designed to intimidate, terrorise and brutalise. That is the crux of the matter and it is just fortunate that there have been no grievous physical injuries. The mental scars though may linger.