Despite being the capital of the country, Delhi has always been considered as the terrific place to live for women. Brutal rape cases, molestation issues and pickpockets take place in the city time to time. Women were figured out as the major victims of pickpockets summing up nearly 91%.
In order to tackle the issue, DMRC has now decided to allow women passengers to carry knives, lighters, and matchboxes in Delhi metro to protect themselves from molesters.
A lot of people applauded CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) for such bold decision, it is later observed that there will be several repercussions in the long run. Though the carriage of this weapons helps the generous ones for their own. Previously, Delhi Metro officials didn’t allow the passengers to carry knives irrespective of their gender. The premises in Delhi metro were free from sharp objects and inflammable substances, both of which can be extremely dangerous if they end up in the hands of the wrong person.
The statement allows women to handle knives which mean that one-fourth of the population in Delhi Metro can travel in the metro with knives in their purses. Now, the situation worsens when the weapons get passed and are in wrong hands. Earlier CISF caught several gangs of pickpockets consisting of both men and women whose modus operandi is targeting individuals with valuables and coercing them into giving up their valuables.
The legalising of weapons might give green signal to the gangs letting them commit the crimes more than they did earlier. Secondly, just because the knives are allowed so the women can protect themselves against the molesters doesn’t mean that they’ll be used for the same.
Coming to the statistics, a sharp increase in the number of women criminals in the past years is observed. The National Crime Reports Bureau’s data shows that the number of women criminals in India has increased from 5.4% in 2001 to 6.4% in 2009. In 2014, 1,94,867 women criminals were recorded for crimes ranging from rape to murder.
This decision made by DMRC is quite biased on considering the crime commence. Criminals emerge from all genders, and assuming that women are not capable of committing such violent crimes is sexist. The discretion can be wrong at times and it also gives room to women to misuse the power.
Various cases were registered in recent days, where women are misusing the edgeless laws, an art of taking advantage through poorly labelled sections in our constitution, such as Section 498a which even lead the Supreme Court of India called it “legal terrorism”. Here, many filed cases on their husbands to extort money.
After considering all these voids, one can assure that this decision mad by DMRC can be another foolish move in long run.