CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN INDIA (ISSN 2231-2137) : VOL.

2 : ISSUE : 4 188

EVE-TEASING
Manjusha Kharole, Asst. Prof., R.K.V. Womens College,Amalner,Jalgaon








Abstract:
The social problem of eve - teasing is studied as reflected in autobiographies, biographies and memoirs
written by Indian women.

Eve teasing has been defined as follows:
Whoever to the annoyance of others, does
any obscene act in any public place or sings, recites
or utters any obscene song or ballad or words in or
near any public place shall be punished
1

One statistics has revealed that during
January-July 2008 period only, about 13,000 women
became victims of eve teasing of different forms
across the country. This figure counted only the
reported cases.
2

There are actually cases which go
unrecorded. This makes the problem much more
serious, then is actually represented by the statistics.
Yashodhra Gaikwad a teacher by profession
in Mazi Me narrates an incidence of eve-teasing of
one of her adolescent girl student.
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3

It means Suddenly one day small-big pebbels
started coming in the classroom. When I sent the
boys out to check, they said, The boys of seventh
standard of this school had entered eighth standard in
Rajwadi school and these four five boys come for
Supriya, and they call her outside.
Such cases are sure to harm the adolescent
girls reputation in class and in the school. There is a
myth that girls like to be teased. Myth remains a
myth. Constant eve-teasing gives rise to bottled up
anger and frustration in the girls, as they are unable to
do anything about it. If she takes any action gossip

hungry people can turn the case against her,
maligning her reputation. Malka Pukraj States how
angry she used to be on account of being teased and
had to bear silently:
We soon returned from the walk, just as I
was about to climb the stairs of our house, I heared
someone say, Yaar, do you have any money? From
across the road another boy shouted back the same
answer. My blood boiled.
We started going back to the garden. When
we reached their shop. We would lower our eyes and
walk pass silently.
4

Adolescent girls have to commute daily for
schools and colleges. Incidences of eve-teasing
occurring on daily basis become very troublesome.
They start dreading the moment. It is not a
phenomenon where you get used to it over a period
of time. Indian society is such that if the girls
complain about it to their parents, they would not be
allowed to go out of their homes, for schools or
colleges. Their activities out of the house will be
stopped for no mistake of theirs. In Child Widows
Story sister describes how the daily journeys to
college became hell because of eve teasing.
The daily journeys became even more
troublesome as time went on. It became a regular
thing for the boys from other colleges to stand on
pavements to catch a glimpse of the border of her sari
as she went past.
5

If one thinks that eve-teasing is an urban
phenomenon, then he/she is sadly mistaken. Eve-
teasing is common in rural areas too. Some how it is
thought to be an unharmful act. Lord Krishna also
teased the rural maidens when they went to fetch
water or bathe in the river. Todays rural girls also
CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN INDIA (ISSN 2231-2137) : VOL. 2 : ISSUE : 4 189

have to get out of the secure environments of their
homes to work in the fields, to fetch water and to
wash clothes on the river banks, collecting firewood
and fodder. It is while carrying out these jobs; that
they have to face unwanted male attention. Phoolan
Devi narrates such incidences clearly in her
biography Indias Bandit Queen:
Then Suresh Chand, the second son of the
sarpanch, began following me around when she
(mother) was not around he would make obscene
gestures, winking at me and showing me money,
when I went to the well, he would whistle and flirt
with me in public, throwing pebbels at my pitcher in
fun.
6

Since the term eve-teasing gives a very light note
to the abusive act ,it is not taken very seriously by the
society. However, it has become so common that
people around do not find it worth protesting, but the
fact remains that eve-teasing is torturous, frustrating
and at times irritating. Adolescent girls are not able to
do their routine job properly for fear of being teased.
How can they view and judge the world around with
their eyes downcast, when the teasers are around.
Ismat Chugtai narrates how difficult it was to the
adolescent girl to reach their hostel with the boys
collecting around to tease:
Inside the hall seated politely on benches,
the boys would be civil, but as soon as they came out
on the street their behaviour would be quite rakish.
Walking down the pavement on the other side of
road, they would recite couplets, laugh out loud for
no apparent reason, and else pretend to swoon over
each other as they went their way. The girls, eyes
soberly fixed on their side of pavement would return
to their hostels with great difficulty.
7

Justice Khan of Allahabad High Court has
made an observation with regard to the ever
increasing offence of eve teasing by pointing out that
Eve-teasing by road side romeos is fast on increase
in cities. Unfortunately no offence is so easy to
commit and so difficult to be booked.
8
Various
welfare organizations also complain about eve-
teasing of their wards, and how difficult it was to
send the adolescent girls to schools. Vijaya Lawate
who is a social worker by profession says in her
autobiography Sparsh Manavyacha:
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9
She further says, | | |-|| || |
|| | | -|||| ||-|||| +| r | ||-|
10

This translates as - When we were in Urali same
older girls suffered eve-teasing by hoodlums. She
further says, eve-teasing of some older girls of the
institute also started.
Eve-teasing is a grave social problem which
affects the all-round development of adolescent girls.
Some incidences of eve-teasing are also known to
have resulted in suicides. Adolescent girls might
remain disturbed for days ,months and years, because
of this harmful social phenomenon.
1.1. Reasons behind the social problem of eve-teasing
are studied as reflected in autobiographies,
biographies and memoires written by Indian Women.
Women in ancient India had equal status to
their male counterparts. However the situation began
to change with the coming of Aryans. It further
deteriorated with invasions by Mughals. Along with
other negative practices puradah system came into
existence. Women were not allowed out of their
homes. This could be one of the reasons for eve-
teasing. As men had alsways seen women in close
quarters, they are not used to seeing them move
around freely. Sister finds the same reason in her
Biography:
They were mostly young men who had
come up from mofussil- country places. In the
villages and small towns girls were not allowed to go
out after their coming of age, and these boys had
probably never seen a girl outside of their own
families. It was mere curiosity which made them
behave as they did.
11

Indian social set-up is such that it does not
allow free mingling of girls and boys after they attain
puberty. They are not even allowed to talk. Since the
boys cant talk to girls, they find a way with eve-
teasing to communicate that the girls are noticed.
Ismat Chugtai shares the same thoughts with her
friends, but can not make her friends change their
attitude:
I felt that if the girls spoke to the boys their
attitude would change. I told the other girls that the
CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN INDIA (ISSN 2231-2137) : VOL. 2 : ISSUE : 4 190

boys only wanted to be friends with us, they wouldnt
bite, but none of the girls agreed with me.
12

It is a general belief that it is the behaviour of
the girls or the way that they dress themselves, calls
for eve-teasing. Some guidebooks to the region
(tourist places) warn female tourists that eve teasing
may be avoided by wearing conservative clothing.
13

Vijaya Lawate says:
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||-||
14

It translates as-Then sarika went to Pune station.
Seeing her appearance, the boys gathered around her
and started to tease.
1.2. Needs of the adolescent girls regarding eve-
teasing are studied as reflected in autobiographies,
biographies and memoires written by Indian women.
Every female be it a girl or a woman, may she be
good looking or average looking, may she be fair or
dark, dressed conservatively or modernly, has to face
eve-teasing.
It is needed that eve-teasing should not be
taken lightly. The teasers should be arrested and
convicted. The victims do not complain as they think
that their names would be maligned or their freedom
to move outside the house will be curtailed. Her
studies might also be stopped. As Yashodhara
Gaikwad narrates an incidence:
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||r|, +|| ||||| | -| || |||| +| | +||
|| -| -| || +|| ||r|, +| |||| +|r| |||| ||r| +| |
|||||| | -| | ||
15

It reads as - The women further said, she is not to
be sent to school as there are boys who stand on the
Naka. Who knows what they might or might not say.
They are not to be trusted. Who will take the
responsibility.
It therefore, needs to be understood that eve-
teasing is not the fault of the girls. They should be
taken into confidence. and ensured that the
incidences would be kept secret and effective
measures would be taken against the teasers.
Eve-teasing needs to be taken seriously.
1.3. Attitudes of the significant adults towards the
problems and needs of the adolescent girls regarding
eve-teasing as reflected in autobiographies
,biographies and memoirs are studied.
Significant adults like parents are afraid of
their daughter being teased, because they think that
this will malign the name of their daughter and that
of their family too. All this will create obstacles in
her marriage, as no body wants a girl as a daughter-
in-law who has bad reputation, even though she is not
at all responsible for the act. Yashodhara Gaikwad
gives an example of a talk with one of her clients:
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16

Which means- She has to be married now. She has
been taught till now. I said, She is good in studies,
let her study. The woman said further, She is not to
be sent to school as there are boys who stand on the
Naka. Who knows what they might or might not say.
They are not to be trusted. Who will take the
responsibility? Even though she is older, she has to
be married. What can we do, it would atleast save our
honour. Brothers are often very watchful of
their sisters. Instead of giving protection to their
sisters from eve-teasers they find faults with the
behaviour of their own sisters and complain about
them at home. The adults in the family belive the
brothers, as he is a boy and his sayings should not be
questioned. The poor adolescent girls then is not
spared at home. Ajit Kaur blames her brother for
creating such difficult situations in her college life.
She says :
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17
CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN INDIA (ISSN 2231-2137) : VOL. 2 : ISSUE : 4 191

It translates as - If someone was talking to
me you would stare at me as if I have been caught red
handed, then you would go home and tell on me and
I would be cursed and scolded at home.
Teachers play a very significant role in the
lives of students. In India they enjoy a very
respectable position in the society. They also leave a
great impression on the young minds. Yet, teachers
also come from the same Indian society, and reflect
the same ideology in their thoughts ,deeds and
teachings. Teachers often discourage free talking
amongst boys and girls, which can give rise to eve-
teasing. Ismat Chugtai narrates an incidence in her
autobiography: He was confused, but as I gestured to
him again, he came up to the compartment window
with some trepidation. Will you fetch me a soda ? I
had barely asked when within seconds I found a soda
water bottle in my hand. As the train started moving,
one of the teachers accompanying us scolded me for
what I had done.
18

As the little girl enters adolescence, the
parents start fearing eve-teasing. They start putting
the adolescent girl under undue restrictions. In early
adolescene years the child is not yet out of her
childhood years. The child in the adolescent girl still
wants to play and is not able to understand the
restrictions. Restrictions are put on her playfulness,
her mobility, her clothes and even on little things as
wearing of bangles. Baby Halder was only eleven or
twelve when she wanted to play around but not
allowed to do so by her father:
Baba didnt alow me to wear bangles ; I
wasnt allowed to talk to anyone, to play with anyone
and often not even allowed out of the house.
19

Such attitude of significant adults viz.
parents, teachers and siblings - where fearing eve-
teasing they put undue pressures on the adolescent
girl. This may create fear for the parents, resentment
for the dominating sibling and disrespect for the
teachers. Instead of understanding that their daughter
is not the cause for the act of eve-teasing, they try to
curtail her freedom.
Playing helps in physical and motor
development, mingling with others aids in her social
development. Trying to deny her all this will hamper
her physical and social development. Every girl
wants to look beautiful. The desire gets stronger in
adolescent years, even that is denied to her by
significant adults in her life, who do not want to
understand anything.
References:
01. erasmus-in-india.blogspot.com/2006/07/bosharivale.html
02. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=139481
03. |||| || ||||| |||+|| | .
04. Song Sung True- Malka Pukraj - P. 119
05. A Child Widows story- Monica Felton- P.94
06. Indias Bandit Queen- Mala sen- P.49
07. Ismat : Her Life, Her Times- Sukriti Paul Kumar, Sadique- P.256
08. Crimes Against Women and Protective Laws- Shobha Saxena - P.216
09. || ||||||| ||||| -||| |
10. || ||||||| ||||| -||| |
11. A Child Widows Story- Monics Felton - P.94
12. Ismat : Her Life, Her Times- Sukriti Paul Kumar & Siddique - P. 256
13. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/eve-teasing.
14. || ||||||| ||||| -||| | 4
15. |||| || |||+|| ||| || | .`
16. |||| || |||+|| ||| || | .`
17. +| +||| ||| +| |
18. Ismat: Her Life, Her Times- Sukriti Paul Kumar, Sadique- P.257
19. A Life Less Ordinary - Baby Halder- P.12