Mumbai: "It's a weird misconception that women who walk the streets of gedi route imply that they want to be stalked," says Varnika Kundu in an agitated tone.
Varnika was allegedly stalked and harassed by Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief's son, Vikas Barala, in the early hours of August 5 on sector 8-sector 7 (well-known as 'gedi' routes) in Chandigarh.
‘Gedi’ routes in Chandigarh are a set of roads spanning from sectors 8, 9, 10 and 11 with the core being around DAV College. The word gedi means "rounds" and that's how the name of the place was derived since people make "rounds" through the route.
"Historically, gedi routes were places where people would meet and socialise. We went there to chill because one knows that you could meet at least 25 people you know," Kundu adds.
However, over the years, the definition of the word changed to what now designates stalking women. It also includes the youth, mostly students, driving around in cars and motorbikes, performing stunts.
"I am not sure how it changed, but the men – not all men – now think that a girl walking alone or wearing certain kind of clothes is giving him a signal to stalk her," Kundu says.
Kundu, a disc jockey by profession, was driving home when Barala and his friend Ashish, in a white SUV pulled up, started driving alongside her car and even tried to block her car from moving ahead.
"My hands shaking, my back spasming from fear, half in tears, half bewildered, because I didn't know if I'd make it home tonight," Kundu said in her Facebook post describing her horrific experience.
On the day, Kundu, along with her father, lodged a complaint against the two men. The accused were arrested the same day, but released on bail soon after.
Kundu went on to share her experience on Facebook as "a sign of warning to other women that Chandigarh was not as safe as they thought it to be." Little did she know that this would turn out to be a larger fight and would make her the face of women empowerment.
"The case is happening and I will fight till the end. This is much bigger than just my case. It is about all those women who have been in worse situations than me," she says.
Overwhelmed by the online support, she says that she is proud to be a catalyst for women who take charge of their own lives. "My aim of fighting this case is to encourage women to speak for themselves and I already see it happening," Kundu adds.
A few days after the incident, Haryana BJP Vice-President Ramveer Bhatti blamed Kundu for being out late in the night.
"Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves,” Bhatti said.
Following his comments, dozens of women condemned Bhatti's remarks and took to social media to creatively shut down the minister. They posted photos of themselves, out in the night with the hashtag 'Ain't No Cinderalla'.
Daughter of former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, Sharmistha Mukherjee also posted her pictures encouraging women of all age groups.
If I'm out at 12am, it DOES NOT mean I'm to be raped, molested, chased. My dignity is my right 24X7 #AintNoCinderella pic.twitter.com/6SN0I5NbSN
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) August 7, 2017
29-year-old Kundu likes to refer to herself as the "daughter of a supportive father" rather than a "daughter of an IAS officer".
"I am not special. This comes naturally to me. I will fight till the end. I want to make other women aware that they too can be this way," she says.
Seventy years of Independence and India still remains a majorly male-dominated society, but women today are not giving up, and fighting the misogyny.
Incidents of stalking are not new in Chandigarh. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2015, 13 victims in Chandigarh had reported incidents of stalking.
Stalking was declared a criminal offence in 2013 after former President Pranab Mukherjee signed an ordinance to help laws dealing with sexual violence against women.
Kundu, a woman of confidence, is still as fearless as she was. "I am not scared of stepping out in the night because of certain thoughts of men. It would be ironic if I tell everyone to be fearless and I sit at home," she says.
Barala and his friend were produced in court on Saturday and were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
