'Suraksha' means Protection in Hindi. Some cases where women could have felt/been SAFE:
I – A Dream Cut Short –
Kalpana
was a peppy, happy-go-lucky girl who loved helping people. She rescued &
saved 25 young girls from trafficking. To take revenge for his loss, the
influential person responsible for the heinous act angrily barged into Kalpana’s
home with his goons. Kalpana hid inside her home. She desperately tried to call
her boyfriend, Sachin. Sachin, in reality, Sanjay Singhania, was an
industrialist, who had come to meet Kalpana in her building then and tell her
the truth of his identity and propose marriage to her. He rang the bell many
times. Not getting any answer, Sanjay left Kalpana’s apartment. Sanjay had left
his phone in the car. He saw Kalpana’s missed call and called Kalpana. Her
phone rang and her answer gave Kalpana’s hiding-spot away. When Sanjay arrived
on the scene, he found Kalpana had been stabbed. With an iron-rod, the attacker hit
Sanjay so hard on his head that caused him to suffer from lifelong short-term-memory-loss-
Anterograde Amnesia…Before losing his consciousness, Sanjay saw the villain
stabbing the iron-rod into Kalpana and Kalpana mouthing the attacker's name- ‘Ghajini’…
Scene
from the Hindi Film, ‘Ghajini’…
Heart-wrenching
to see that ‘Kalpana’ (role played by Asin) died without knowing that her
boy-friend ‘Sachin’ is actually ‘Sanjay Singhania’ (character played by Aamir
Khan), the head of AirVoice Mobile. Sanjay Singhania’s life got ruined. The
young lovers dream was cut short…
II – Alone at the Railway Station –
Geet
was haggling over the over-charging of the Mineral Water Bottle at the
Railway-Station when she realized that her train had left. She felt threatened
at Ratlam Railway-Station as she was followed by lecherous men, including the
Mineral Water Bottle Seller. The men looked like they were ready to pounce on
her. She went to complain to the Station-Master, who gave her these pearls of wisdom-
‘Zindagi, ek rail ki patri hai, ek inch ka bend aur meelo ki doori
hai,
Meri bhi kahi traine choothi hai, par un jamane me main MARD tha...
Matlab aaj bhi hun,
Magar tum ek LADKI ho!!!
Akeli ladki khuli hui tijori ki tarah hoti hai,
Pata hai tumhare saath kya kya ho sakta hai... '
(Life is like the tracks of a train, a bend of one inch can cause a
distance of miles,
I have also missed many trains, but in those days I was a MAN... I
mean, I'm today too,
But you are a GIRL!!!
A lone girl is like an open Safe/Treasure Chest,
Do you know what all can happen with you..)
Scene
from the Hindi Movie, ‘Jab We Met’.
Thank
God, Geet (role played by Kareena Kapoor) met Aditya (character played by
Shahid Kapoor) and both got saved!
III – Way Back from the Late-Night-Movie –
Husband
and Wife had gone to watch a late-night-movie. On their way back, unsocial
elements attacked them. They beat up the husband and raped the wife…
Scene
from the Hindi film, ‘Ghar’.
Husband
and wife roles played by Vinod Mehra and Rekha.
IV- Alone At The Station-
Shalini
felt totally lost and helpless as she was alone at a station in Australia.
Then, she was terrified to find an old man approaching towards her in that
deserted platform. Her heart was wildly pounding…
Suddenly, her friend, Aakash,
came running there. He had come back just for her! Aakash’s sudden appearance
took both Shalini and the old man by surprise. Aakash gave the old man a hug. “Did
she scare you?”, Aakash asked the old man!
Scene
from the Hindi film, ‘Dil Chahta Hai’.
Roles played by Preity Zinta and Aamir Khan.
V- The Night Bus-Ride At Delhi-
I
was doing my MBA at Delhi. One day, as I was working on my presentation, I got
very late at my Institute. My hostel-mates had left. I was to travel all alone
to my hostel that was a good 45 minutes away. It was 9 PM when I boarded the
Bus. The Bus was over-crowded with hefty looking men and there was hardly any
place to stand. Still, I took it as I wanted to reach my hostel before 10 PM.
The bus had just travelled a kilometer, when some policemen entered it. They
asked all the passengers who were standing to evacuate the bus. I was filled
with fear. “What? I have to get down with these men? Then, wait with them outside all alone, for another bus?” I was terrified
to even think this...
What Happened- All the standing persons disembarked. Perhaps the main
Inspector read my thoughts. As I started to leave, he said, “Miss! No need to
leave. You can stay…” That’s how I was the only person who was now standing in
the bus. Then, the policemen asked all the people, who were seated, to lift
their legs up. The policemen then peeped down and checked under all the seats.
It was a Bomb-detection exercise as Republic Day was 2 days later…
Note-
This is a true-incident that happened with me a decade before the Nirbhaya
incident…
VI - That Afternoon’s Hitch At Delhi-
My
Hostel-mates often took ‘hitch/lift’ to and from our MBA Institute. They
discussed the ‘smart’ or not-so-smart people who gave them ‘lifts’. I had
joined them 2-3 times earlier. But, this didn’t feel right to me. I was soon
the only person who took a bus to our institute. One afternoon, two of my
friends, Sony* & Mili* (*names changed to protect their identities) took a
lift. Two smart guys were there in the swanky car. Sony and Mili entered the
air-conditioned car and settled in only to realize that it smelled of liquor.
But, it was too late as the car had started moving speedily, and worse, they
heard the car’s central-locking sounds… It was unsafe with tinted glasses and
loud music blaring; little doubt that the outside world couldn’t see or hear
them…
What Happened- The car had to stop at a traffic-light and luckily there was a
Police-Van. Then, Sony insisted that the door be opened RIGHT NOW. The drunk men
probably got scared and obliged. Mili was nearly in tears while recounting the
tale of horror to us…
Note-
This is a true-incident that happened a decade before the Nirbhaya incident…
VII- That Night Auto-Rickshaw-Ride in Mumbai-
We
had been to Essel World, Mumbai. While returning it was pretty late. There was
a long stretch that had to be covered by Auto-Rickshaw. While travelling, I
found that the Driver was constantly looking into the mirror and checking me
and my sister out.
What Happened- I asked him to look at the road and drive. Though I am a
very peaceful and nice and sweet person, that night I felt I could bang his
head & punch his eyes...
Note-
This is a true-incident that happened with me a decade before the Shakti
Mills-PhotoJournalist incident…
VIII- Cynophobic in Kolkata-
We
were staying in Salt Lake, Kolkata. It is a nice green area with bungalows. One
weekend evening, as my hubby was busy working on his laptop, I had gone for an
evening-walk all alone. I picked up some 'Teler Bhaja' (Snacks Fried in Oil) and was returning home. God knows why I took a different lane that night… There
were two dogs that started following me and started barking. Probably they were hungry and eyeing the packet of Snacks in my hand... I have Cynophobia-
the fear of Dogs. Though it was just 7 PM, the roads were deserted as it was a
Sunday… Though I knew that in such cases I was NOT supposed to run, I gave
reason a toss, and actually started running! Soon 8-10 Dogs somehow joined in
and started barking and chasing me… I saw a high Gate that was locked and
climbed on to it and jumped to safety to the other side. On one side there were
8-10 Dogs that were growling like mad. But, was I safe on the other side of the
Gate? Whose premises had I entered? What if the Main door of the House suddenly
opened? God knows who stayed there… What fate lay in store for me?… So many
thoughts raced in my mind. Though I am such a positive and cool person, I felt
helpless that night…
What Happened- I
waited for what seemed like ages, silently cursing my poor counsel. Then, when some
people were walking on the same road and the dogs also dispersed, I gathered courage
to re-climb out of the locked Gate and hastily walked to the safety of our
home.
I
sometimes think I got spared as these were just hungry ‘Dogs’ that were
hounding me… I shudder to think- had it been worse-than-animal-‘Men’, the story would have
been different…
Note-
This is a true-incident that happened with me four years before the Park-Street
Rape Case incident…
IX- The Case Of The Empty Coach
in the Train-
My
daughter and I often travel by train from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar and back. Managing to book Rail-Tickets on the same sector is tough as
Puri happens to be everyone's favorite destination! One night, we boarded the Howrah
Mail from Bhubaneswar. I was surprised to find that my daughter & I were
the only 2 people travelling in the allotted Coach. As a frequent-traveller, I
found it pretty strange. Empty berths on trains in my sector are a rarity! I thought more people
might board it in the subsequent stations like Cuttack etc. But, it was not to
be… Not a single passenger boarded our Coach. I deduced that as it was festival-time, Indian Railways had added an additional Coach
and as luck would have it, we got allotted! When the TTE finally came, I
requested him to change our seats and accommodate us in another Coach. He said
that the whole train was full and not a single seat was free in any of the other Coaches! This Coach was indeed a last-minute addition! The
TTE asked me not to worry! He said he would sleep in our Coach! I usually never sleep on train-journeys
as I act as a Watch-Dog being concerned about our luggage! Also, I am paranoid after hearing about the incidents that my friends have faced on trains. As the rest of the
berths were unoccupied, the lights were off and the corridor was dark, I felt
even more unsafe…
Note-
This is a true-incident that happened with me two years ago…
X- The Purse-Loss That Proved Costly-
Miss Arunima Sinha was travelling in the train when hoodlums tried to snatch away
her purse. She protested and put up a brave fight. They threw her out of the train…Her legs had to
amputated…
 |
| (Click On The Image To Get A Bigger View) |
Life
is about enjoying the moments & getting to breathe peacefully, rather than
losing composure in the moments that leave us breathless. Not everyone has the grit and spirit of Ms. Arunima Sinha. Trouble can say
‘HI!’ anytime! Sadly, we have to face them when they take us by surprise,
rather shock, even when we have the least intention to interact. We can be
attacked anywhere (home, work, road...), anytime (morning or night) by anything
(adverse situations or wrong people). Unfortunately, such disheartening
incidents are prevalent and continue to make headlines and occupy news and
mind-space.
*DRUM ROLLS* Presenting The Smart Suraksha App !
The Smart Suraksha App is an
Android Application that aims at making women feel safe. At the press of a
single button, this app sends our message of help to five pre-chosen &
saved contacts and Police simultaneously.
In all the ten threatening situations listed above, the
SmartSuraksha App would have been a life-saver.
"I wish I/She had Smart
Suraksha with me/her"
 |
| (Click On The Image To Get A Bigger View) |
If
God forbid, in case we are cornered in a secluded spot, our screams for help
may go unnoticed. A woman can alert 5 of her contacts and the Police
simultaneously, simply by pressing a button, when seeking help at such a
juncture. In that terrible situation, it’s a life-savior at our fingertips- like rubbing Aladdin’s Magic
Lamp to summon Genie i.e. 5 contacts from our
list along with Police!
 |
| (Click On The Image To Get A Bigger View) |
The Smart Suraksha App ensures
that we are confident of our safety as well as aware of the safety of our loved
ones. An additional feature of this app is that along with our message for
help, it also sends across our location even if the GPS on our cellphone is
switched off. Thus, women can be reassured that there is help available at all
times. All they need is to smartly use the Smart Suraksha App!
I
downloaded the Smart Suraksha App to my mobile-phone
and these are my observations:
1.
A Smartphone is needed- App can be downloaded only in a Smartphone. Time to upgrade our phones
to be safe!
2. Smart Suraksha is compatible only with Android Smartphone now- Hope App is compatible in all available Smartphones soon.
3.
Smartphone should have sufficient battery-charge-
It’s smart to have charge in our
Smartphone- not battery critically-low that won’t allow us to use the phone or
the App! (Read more about my Phone's Battery Woes in - My Phone Taught Me!)
4.
I found I can add up to 5 or more than 5 contacts in my list–
Great! I can add the multiple numbers of my loved
ones as these days, many people like my husband, use 2 mobile-phones. I can add
both my Neighbour Uncle’s & Aunty’s phone numbers. Then, of course, the all-important Police number...
Had Kalpana (in Ghajini Movie) got Smart Suraksha, she could have added her neighbours who could have helped. Police could have reached and nabbed all the criminals, including Ghajini.
The couple (in Ghar Movie) wouldn't have been subjected to the torture had police come on scene in right time.
 |
| (Click On The Image To Get A Bigger View) |
5.
I can type an additional message while asking for help,
or simply using the App would send the existing Help message with my location
to my chosen contacts– During
crisis, we are under stress and simply sending the message with our location
details should alert our loved ones. We may not have the convenience/time to do
additional typing or may not be in a frame of time to talk/express.
6.
Location details are sent to my contacts as a link-
My contacts need to be using a Smartphone
too to access the link that has my location details.Saving landline numbers
won’t help as SMS can’t get through nor can links be accessed… But, even if I
save my Building’s Watchman’s mobile number, he will be unable to access the
link as he is not using a Smartphone. But, seeing the message, he will become
aware that I have faced danger at my home (he knows whether I am at home or
not)…
But, there have been high-profile cases of Watchmen committing crime like the Hetal Parekh- Dhananjoy Chatterjee case. Had Hetal got an access to this smart App, she could have been saved. Our neighbours can be alerted on time and can nab the guilty on the crime-scene itself.
7.
SMS charges are deducted for sending the Help-SMS to my
saved contacts– It’s smart to
always have sufficient balance to make calls, in case of using prepaid
connection. Postpaid connections are at an advantage-as we can send as many SMS
as we want!
8. Contacts must check their Phone often- The App is helpful as long as our Contacts check their phone regularly and attend to the SOS SMS. It will help us if we choose Phone-lovers, who are constantly updated with their Phone, as our Contacts! They can surely be reached! I feel if the App can send unique alarm-calls to the Contacts, it'll be more effective...
9. I need to save the Police-Number- If I am travelling to multiple cities, I
need to manually feed the number as per the city. Wish the App automatically allowed
updation of the concerned City’s Police number.
I am sure this will be
implemented in the future edition of the App taking GPS into consideration.
Also,
while travelling by Train, it will be a great help if the App would get updated
with the Railway Commando/Police-Force on that Train along with the Police on
the Railway-Station. Technology can help avert/immediately attend to disasters
like molestation or purse/luggage-snatching/theft. Then, Geet would have been more
at ease and felt under the umbrella of 'Suraksha' in the Railway-Station in the Hindi movie ‘Jab We Met’!
10. Smart Suraksha Cover needed for Women across the World- For women across the world, this App is a great necessity as Rape and crimes are prevalent everywhere.
Wish the App works all over the world soon. Then, Shalini (in Dil Chahta Hai Movie) will never feel threatened anywhere in the world...
Final Verdict-
The Smart Suraksha App is indeed
commendable for our times and a great smart step ahead.
With better ideas and technology, the future
versions should be more advanced with enhanced safety features!
The Smart Suraksha App will soon
evolve into ‘Smarter Suraksha App’ & then into ‘Smartest Suraksha App’ by incorporating our smart feedback and suggestions! Then,
the safety of women will be guaranteed further! Now, isn't that what we all want?
I'll love your comments. Please do share your thoughts below... 
