Could not find any other way to link to the article, so uploading the PDF from the HT ePaper site and pasting the text below:
Before I get crucified here, I did not say that people who belong to the higher socio-economic strata of the society do not need guns! I'd said that VIPs etc. who enjoy protection in the form of armed guards (at tax-payer expense) do not need firearms to protect themselves, but they are the ones who's licenses are always approved.Page 2 Kolkata Edition 29th Decemeber 2012
Now she carries a knife in her handbag
Sudeshna Pal
[email protected]
Reshmi Ganguly, a 34-year-old employee with an IT firm based at Sector V, Salt Lake, returns home in the wee hours at least thrice a week. The day a woman was raped inside a moving car at Park Street in February this year Ganguly felt a cold fear. She started carrying a penknife inside her purse. The tiny steel blade, she feels, can be a tool of defence if she is attacked.
Ganguly, quite ironically, is not alone. Fear and rising concern for safety has forced a large number of women to give a serious thought to self defence. As a result, pepper sprays, key chains equipped with alarm and stun guns that deliver high voltage shock to attackers have found a booming market.
"I often face intimidating situations while returning home in my office car. I cannot always ask my male colleagues to escort me or drop me first. At times I wish I wasn't born a woman. Then, I would not have to live in this fear," said Ganguly.
A sharp rise in rape and attack on women across the state have skyrocketed the sale of handy but innocuous self-defence products. However, there are many prospective buyers who still do not know where to buy them and, most importantly, what would be the best weapon in an emergency. Interestingly, a small gift shop at Park Street, where the rape is still making headlines after 11 months, has started selling pepper spray.
"Sale of pepper spray has gone up three times in the last two months. We sell at least 40 cans a month. Though it is good for business the trend exposes the tremendous insecurity women of Kolkata are living in. Ironically, these products sell much more in Mumbai and Delhi," said Tapas Shaw, owner of the gift shop.
Martial arts schools are also witnessing huge footfall. "My daughter goes to college. I got her enrolled for a kick-boxing course as she learnt some Taekwondo when she was 8," said Minakshi Barua.
Interestingly, in comparison with other metros, Kolkata still lags behind when it comes to women opting for firearms for self-defence. The percentage of women having firearm license is still minuscule in Kolkata. Gun rights activists blame stringent government policies for this and want the license issuing process to be citizen friendly.
"The price of handguns, even the ones made by the Indian Ordnance Factory, is so high that not many middle class people can afford them. On the other hand those who can afford it basically don't need them because they belong to the higher socio-economic strata of the society," said Abhijeet Singh, one of the founder members of National Association for Gun Rights India (NAGRI).
"Carrying a gun may not be a choice all women would want to make. But they have to know that it is very much an option. Every woman in this country has the right to defend herself," said Singh.
Once again, thank you TC for bringing up the issue of arming women in the mainstream media
Cheers!
Abhijeet
and Best wishes for 2013