Opinion Rape of Spanish tourist in Dumka has shaken my confidence as a solo woman traveller
Is travelling alone for leisure, as a woman, an invitation to trouble? “Will this hotel or homestay be safe?” “Should I take a late-night cab to the airport?” “Should I take an overnight bus or train, or not?”
A police team at the spot where a Spanish national was allegedly gangraped in Dumka, Jharkhand, Sunday. (PTI) 
In a country where women’s safety is a perennial concern, travelling alone is an act of rebellion. Often, the excitement of exploring the unseen and unheard is tainted by past experiences of unsought glances and comments. At worst, one has to put up a fight against unsolicited advances. But why should a woman always be prepared to put up such a fight? Why should she always have her guard up?
“Something has happened to us that we would not wish on anyone”. Last week, a Spanish vlogger reported that she was gang-raped in Jharkhand’s Dumka. The woman — who has almost 2 lakh followers on Instagram — also put out a video message. “Seven men raped me, and they have beaten us and robbed us, although not many things (were taken) because what they wanted was to rape me. We are in the hospital with the police, it happened tonight in India…They attacked us, beat us, put a knife to our necks, and said they were going to kill us,” she said in Spanish. The woman was on a bike tour with her husband. When the incident occurred, they were camping because they could not find a hotel.
Along with outrage, insensitive comments flooded social media after the incident was reported. Some implied that the couple “should have known better”, and avoided venturing out to a deserted spot.
As a solo woman traveller in her thirties, the incident shakes my confidence yet again. Is travelling alone for leisure, as a woman, an invitation to trouble? “Will this hotel or homestay be safe?” “Should I take a late-night cab to the airport?” “Should I take an overnight bus or train, or not?” The second-guessing can be overwhelming.
A 2018 Thomson Reuters Foundation survey, which ranked India as the world’s most dangerous country for women, ahead of Afghanistan, Syria and Saudi Arabia, was severely criticised by the government. However, last year, another international survey by The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security placed India in the 128th spot in a list of 177 nations.
But experiences say more than numbers. A few years ago, during an impromptu trip to Prayagraj, an auto driver asked me, “Why are you travelling alone? It’s not safe”. It was about 11 in the morning. But the question was not surprising. Nothing untoward happened on that particular trip, but in my years of travel, oglers have often made their unpleasant presence felt at bus stands, railway stations, coffee shops, or other places. Walks on the beach have been disrupted by men seeking attention with a random “hello”, raising the volume until they are snubbed. Goa may be a tourist hotspot, but that does not mean a female traveller can enjoy solitude without a care.
Last year, after reaching Haldwani in Uttarakhand, I approached the women’s cell at one of the local police stations to inquire about cabs to Nainital. It was 7:30 pm. There were no government buses scheduled till the next morning, I was told. The woman police officer looked concerned. She asked a question I have come to expect: “Why are you travelling alone?” She took my number and told me about a local cab stand. Her concern was not unreasonable. But the question, coming from a police officer, was unsettling. Tourists only get a slice of what locals experience every day. Women reclaiming space in small towns after sunset is still unheard of.
While exploring Kerala last month, I made friends with a traveller from Tamil Nadu who shared similar experiences. She was travelling solo for the first time. She was unnerved when she was repeatedly asked why she was not accompanied by her husband as co-travellers noticed her wearing vermillion and a nuptial chain.
When I returned to Delhi after that trip to Haldwani and took a cab home, the driver made an unannounced stop near a tea vendor. It was past midnight. He returned after 10 minutes. I was angry. I argued with him over the “just a tea break” response and warned him that I would report it on the ride-hailing app. But I was relieved that the ride resumed. As a woman traveller, I realised, there’s little freedom without a sense of safety.
swati.bhasin@expressindia.com
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