The President’s daughter has shown the way in outing the name of a cyber villain who used a social media platform to send her lewd messages. In another case, an NRI from Canada came to Chennai to lodge a police complaint against a close relative who sexually abused her more than four decades ago. She realised that there were vulnerable young children around the perpetrator who could become victims of abuse.
She was also spreading the message about why women should no more suffer in silence over sexual harassment and allow perpetrators to find other victims, because their nefarious activities have not been exposed by those they have struck. Both, Ms Mukherjee and the Canadian, have conveyed to Indian women the importance of standing up to men who are accustomed to getting away with their crimes. The current environment with the spread of social media poses a huge threat to very young people who are least equipped to face the pressures of cyber harassment and cyber stalking.
Of course, the authorities are more receptive these days in dealing with cyber complaints. And yet, more must be done, and quickly, if the criminals are to be brought to book in time so as to lessen the chances of their hitting on other victims. The social media platforms are certain to be more responsive to such issues than in dealing with the standard complaints of politicians and celebrities who are trolled for their views or for just being famous. Sexual harassment can be the worst of crimes as it is likely to leave psychological scars. As a society we must do more to stop the modern day perverts from spreading their evil.
