Bollywood celeberities like Preity Zinta and Swara Bhaskar are of the opinion that women face uncertainty and fear, they are harassed all the time and that the entertainment capital of India, which has reportedly recorded a sharp rise in rape and molestation cases in 2013 as compared to the previous year, is no more safe for them.
Here is what the celebs have to say about safety of women in the Maximum City:
Preity Zinta: We need to look for remedial solutions to the horrendous atmosphere of uncertainty and fear that women have to face. Otherwise we will become more and more self-centred. We'll react to a crime only when it happens in our home. In five years, there will be 500 others awful crimes against women, one more gruesome than the other. Are we supposed to just give up and only hope that those close to us don't get affected? Or are we supposed to hold candel light vigilance after every such incident and then return to our normal lives? I am really quite lost on this issue now. I don't know what to do. Let the safety of woman be a state issue. It's time to bring changes in governance. What we are witnessing is the death of the system. Only a miracle can revive it.
Swara Bhaskar: Do I feel safe in Mumbai? Yes and no. Yes, because it is easy to get around and commuting is easy at any time of the day or night. And no, because I've been molested and harassed more than once in Mumbai. Very honestly, Mumbai is as unsafe the rest of India. If you are a girl you've got to learn how to deal with it from a young age.
Sophie Chowdhary: When I moved from London to Mumbai with my mum, we were convinced Mumbai is one of the safest cities in the world for a girl. Not anymore. The crimes against women in this country have become horrific. The fact that there is scant respect for law and order means women are seen as soft targets. When I bought a home, my main concern was security. But at the end of the day whom can we be safe with, who's to be trusted? There are ghastly stories of women being attacked by watchmen and by their own house-help.If you are single and a girl you have to be on your guard constantly, and that's awful.
Richa Chadda: Though Mumbai was until recently considered the safest city for women, I have to confess I don't feel safe all the time. But then, do I feel safe in any other city? That's the question.
Amrita Rao: The city is not safe at all for any working woman who steps out of her home. When I am shooting, we have bodyguards to protect us from unwanted attention. But there are days when I want to hang out with gal pals. And we don't know where we can go without guys ogling, jostling, staring and making us uncomfortable. We certainly feel unsafe in the city. Recently, I happened to raise my voice against a woman being thrashed by a rickshaw driver. A lot of injustice happens to women in this country between midnight and 5 a.m.
Sonal Chauhan: Safe in Mumbai? Not at all! We hear of a rape incident every second day. Every girl whether living with family or alone has to worry about what dangers lurk for her when she steps out and when she gets home. We aren't safe anywhere.
Minissha Lamba: It's a tricky question. I feel safer in Mumbai than I do in any city in India. Still, one can never be too careful.
Tannishtha Chatterjee: I feel less safe than I did five years back.
Shilpa Shukla: I feel safe where I am and wherever I go.
Tapsee Pannu: I don't feel unsafe in Mumbai."