Alankrita Anand | The News Minute | July 13, 2014 | 09:28 am IST
Dear Ms. Shakuntala Shetty,
I learnt from today's newspapers and TV channels that the safety of girls and women concerns you so deeply. Being a young girl, I am touched by your attempt to get to the root of why rapes occur in Karnataka.
The newspapers also told me you recommended to the Karnataka government, a ban on mobile phone usage by school and college going girls and boys.
You clearly seem to care about how our "teenaged sensibilities" may be "corrupted" by the use of that "dangerous" device.
But Madam, as an 18-year-old, mobile-phone using college student, allow me to point out three things:
1. Your argument regarding what leads to harassment and abuse is absolutely flawed.
2. You fail to realize that as an 18-year-old, I want safety. But I also want my independence.
3. The mobile phone is a utilitarian device, not a dangerous one.
Let me elaborate on the third point here:
At 18 years of age, I have been using a cell phone for the last four years of my life. And if you argue that young girls get ‘lured’ by miscreants who strike up a conversation on these phones, I must say that I have been rather judicious about whom I speak to and have avoided anything that can even be remotely described as trouble. And contrary to your argument, it is my mobile phone that helps me keep these very miscreants away and makes me feel safe.
The mobile phone, whether a simple one, or one with hi-tech gadget, serves practical purposes. I might use it to play silly games and for meaningless chats with friends at times, but at the end of the day, it is a utilitarian device.
Here’s why:
1. As an student from Delhi college currently pursuing an internship in Bangalore, it helps me stay in touch with my parents back home.
2. When I am in college in Delhi, it helps me inform my schedules and plans to my parents.
3. When I am lost on the way, it helps me track the right way back to my home.
4. When I am alone in a dark and lonely or a‘risk-prone’ place, it reassures me with its emergency call option.
In fact, I am absolutely within my rights to say that I feel helpless on days when I accidentally leave my phone behind. And let me also tell you that the same goes for my male friends, the mobile phone is as important to them for reasons of security.
Moving on from the security aspect, here are some other purposes that my mobile phone serves.
1. It helps me keep in touch with friends, classmates and teachers. And before you say that your generation worked without it, let me remind you that in the 21st century, we are moving towards a paperless system.
2. If a class has been cancelled or if an assignment has to be submitted, the teacher simply sends out a text message to our cell phones. I understand that there were ways of disseminating messages back when mobile phones were not used, but if it makes things better-organized and easier, why not? See? Practical purpose.
3. My phone has a ‘panic app’ button, an application that enables an emergency call to my family and friends if I am in danger.
4. It is also a device with a GPS (Global Positional System) application which enables one to track my device, and thereby, me. Now does this help me invite miscreants or protect myself from them?
5. Besides these, my mobile phone also serves some other simple purposes: It is my alarm every morning, it is my torch, it is my music system, it has replaced my wrist-watch, it lets me play games.
Ms. Shetty,
Crimes occurred before the invention of the mobile phone too. Miscreants created mischief even back then. Rapes happened even then.
The solution lies in using the phone judiciously. But most importantly,remember that the solution lies in NOT sending such messages. Control the miscreants and not the victims. Can you do that, Madam?
As long as you can’t, I will continue to use my phone because I need to.
Thank you,
Yours sincerely,
Alankrita Anand.