Telangana, Dec 02 :
In the wake of the brutal rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao came up with a suggestion—that can best be termed ‘absurd’—to ensure the safety of women working in the transport department. He said women employees of the state transport department shouldn’t work on night shifts. While addressing a group of employees of the transport department in Hyderabad on Sunday, the chief minister said, “Just the other day, a lady doctor was killed. Are they humans? They are animals. So I am saying, let the women RTC (Road Transport Corportion) employees not be put on night duty,” NDTV quoted him as saying. Rao’s reaction to the crime came three days after the incident even as there is widespread protests within and outside the state against the incident.
The chief minister’s recommendation comes even as women working in various sectors, especially the IT sector, continue to argue that doing away with night shifts for women will deprive them of many job opportunities. Rao appears to suggest that women alone are responsible for their safety, echoing the sentiments of the Hyderabad police which had come up with 14 tips for women to ensure their safety in the wake of the recent rape and murder. The police had asked women to know the route when going to an unfamiliar place, avoid isolated areas, walk to the nearest shop or moving traffic if they find themselves alone, be ready to dial 100 always, seek help from strangers around in suspicious circumstances, talk aloud when confronted, shout for help and run towards crowded areas when in danger, among others, to ensure their safety. The Union home ministry too had said it would send an advisory to all states to take precautionary steps to check crime against women in the wake of Hyderabad incident.
