India is a land of paradoxes. This is a country where the majority Hindus worship goddesses. It’s the same nation where female infanticide & gender discrimination still exists as a big social problem. In this land, one Facebook post on the gender divide and discrimination has gone viral.
Overheard in Metro.
Guy 1: Dekh ladies coach poora khali hai. Idhar side itna bhara hua hai, par fir bhi hume wahan jaake baithna allowed nahin hai. Khali padi hui hain seatein.
Guy 2: Haan yaar. Dekh, poora coach de rakha hai unko, wo bharti hain nahin, upar se humare coach mein bhi do do seatein de rakhi hain, hum baith gaye to utha diye jaate hain, bhale poora unka coach khali pada ho. Wo to bhar lein pehle!
Badass Aunty: Aap log paida hi nahin hone de rahe ho na beta, aur naseeb se paida ho bhi rahi hain to unko padhne likhne, bahar nikalne se rok rahe ho jee jaan lagake. Ye sab kaam band kar do, kokh mein maar dena, doodh mein dubo dena, rok tok karna, fir dekho na beta, metro ki seatein kya, office ki kursiyan, khel ka maidan sab kuch bhar dengi ye, par usi cheez se to darr rahe ho aap, hai na? Hai na beta?
This “auntie”, being an auntie, will drawl and speak her own mind (which by no way is incorrect) rather pointing the right reasons.
Starting 2 October 2010: The first coach just behind the driver’s coach is now reserved for women. Children up to 12 years would be allowed to travel in the coach. The orders were passed by DMRC after a survey conducted by Delhi government revealed that nearly half the women traveling in metro did not feel safe using the public transport. (Source: News 18)
One Arushi Jamar on Quora gives you the right answer, rather than just being badass. (Link: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-have-separate-coaches-for-women-in-our-metro-trains)
You can read a more balanced and sane discussion on Quora. Just scroll down to read the views of more sane ladies, who are not senile and do not have the habit of jabbering or drawling.
The coaches are usually packed. So much that you can smell the body odour of everyone around you. And imagine what happens when the metro applies sudden breaks. This is a very good opportunity for creepy men to try and grope women and act like it was the metro’s fault…
The ladies coach is usually less crowded, and even when it is, it is less uncomfortable to be sandwiched between women than men. And groping almost NEVER happens. (Creepy lesbians who’d like to grab you are rare in Delhi.)
So, the introduction of a reserved coach has taken the safety (and comfort) of female travellers to another level. Personally, I wouldn’t travel so much in the metro if not for the Ladies coach. The general coaches stink (especially in the evening) and the people there are staring at me ALL the time. Even when I’m not alone.
Another Quora user gives another sane rationale.
Yes, exactly my question. “For women’s safety”, well that’s the answer that you will hear.
Let’s suppose that there are rabid dogs in a neighborhood. The health of people is at a risk. Logic suggests that you’ll catch the dogs and keep them vaulted. You’ll most certainly not lock the people of the society in a cage.
But sadly, the authorities could not come up with a plan to vault eve-teasers and the like. And so they decided that it would be better if they segregate the entire women population travelling through the metro.
So why separate coaches, and why creating such a space? I reckon no one will enter a coach labeled “Reserved for Molesters”.
Sure, the solution seems perfect at this stage and the DMRC should be applauded for this attempt. The official rationale for women coaches was ‘decongesting the boggies’, but all father figures advise their daughters to board the pink carriage. Why is that? Because everybody considers is as legitimate and safe space for women. Unfortunately, the general coaches are not tagged with the same words.
And yes, continuing from my example stated above, it is practically impossible to catch all the diseased dogs in the nation. But this is a temporary solution. What is next? Reserved road commute options, compartments in trains?
But such attempts in segregating the gender only seems empowering. In fact, it is strongly held that it will pave the way for more negative outcomes. It encourages restricting women to limited spaces and even more violence. Instead, we should strive towards creation of a positive environment where both the sexes hold mutual respect, and not hold reserved seats.
— RS on Quora
Women deserve a separate coach in Delhi Metro. Surely not because they are minorities. Try (if you are a lady) entering the ladies coach on the Blue line towards Noida or the Yellow line towards Gurgaon.
Ladies, do respect the elderly. At least half the time male commuters in the Delhi Metro offer their seats to the needy/elderly/ladies. I have seen FEW girls vacating the seat reserved for the elderly. Over the span of years, I do not remember more than three such instances in total of more than 4,000 metro commutes.
