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nti-Romeo talking to woman or go for a
squads, formed movie. Women activists have
soon after the called for disbanding the ant-
current NDA Romeo squads immediately
A Government in as it is encouraged by a state
Uttar Pradesh took over in which reneges on its Consti-
March 2017, ostensibly to pro- tutional duty to maintain law
tect the honour of women, and order. It attacks personal
has come to be viewed as a Rise in menace of liberty and privacy of citizens
big nuisance verging on state and the government of the
terror to police the moral anti-Romeo squads day must be held accountable
standards of the country’s for assaulting the dignity of
youth. It comes on the heels the people targeted by the
of such squads having Such crew had worked for years in the BJP-ruled squads and compensate the
worked for years in the BJP harassed persons adequately
ruled Gujarat, where it failed Gujarat, where it failed miserably following acknowledging that their
miserably following massive massive resistance and disenchantment of fundamental rights, guaran-
resistance and disenchant- teed by the Constitution of
ment of people. people, writes MY Siddiqui India, have been violated.
The state government, Allahabad High Court
rather than sort out myriad government, anti-Romeo if implemented properly, can judgment legitimising civil-
problems facing the state, is squads checked 34,49,646 bring down crimes against ian action if it were to protect
stretching the police force to persons from March 2017 to women. They maintain that women, has further encour-
protect dignity of women to July end, 2018. Besides, 2481 effective implementation of aged vigilantism and moral
deflect from the basic issues FIRs were issued and action women empowerment laws policing. If only the High
confronting the people. taken against 4329 persons. and sensitive policing could Court could have directed the
Anti-Romeo squads, Altogether, 15,69,145 persons be sufficient to assure women state government to present
intended to protect women were let off with warnings to of their safety and deter men a grievance redressal mecha-
from stalkers and eve- be careful in future. Squads from harassing them. Be- nism both for instances of
teasers, comprise police, also checked 12,616,18 public sides, anti-Romeo squads’ ac- sexual harassment of women
both men and women, in places. tion has shrunk public spaces and excesses committed
plain clothes and deployed On an average, seven for women and couple. by the preventive mecha-
at public places like schools, FIRs were lodged and 2,410 Performances of anti- nism, known as anti-Romeo
colleges, shopping malls, persons warned daily by the Romeo squads, so far, have squads, the commitment of
markets, parks, cinema halls squads. Guidelines for the revealed that Uttar Pradesh the state towards ending vio-
and bus stands. The squads squads provide that youth has not become any safer for lence against women and not
have been provided with provoking others to join women under the current encroaching upon people’s
ward-robe mounted cameras activities aimed at troubling state government. On the privacy and personal liberty
to ensure no one slips from women are provided with contrary, crimes against would have been established.
police net. counseling. Each anti-Romeo women have gone up mani- It also dilutes the primary
In 2017 alone, anti-Romeo squad comprises one sub- fold with worsening law and role of police to maintain law
squads in U.P. questioned inspector and two constables. order. A bad idea from the and order, peace and social
21,37,520 people for keeping It includes women as well. start, the squad has become harmony and intervene
out with girls, indicating how All police stations maintain notorious for striking terror. when there is a breach.
far moral policing has gone in separate records of crimes People complain of a feel- The Constitution is the
today’s India. Worse, it turns against women with weekly ing of state terror among only bedrock of true Indian-
out that of those questioned, review to check such crimes youths as they are harassed, ness engraved therein. We
9,33,099 were warned and , 1, and progress achieved. tortured, made to shave their must cherish the freedoms
706 FIRs lodged against 3,003 Anti-Romeo squads are heads and do sit-up for eve- postulated by the Constitu-
persons. These happened in viewed with skepticism by teasing. Trigger happy squads tion. It is time the country
less than nine months fol- women activists as assaults also extort the youths. men and women resisted
lowing NDA Government’s on their personal liberty and Anti-Romeo squads, per- the pernicious menace of the
inauguration in the state. individual honour. In their ceived to legitimize moral po- anti-Romeo squads!
According to official opinion, there are enough licing, amounts to giving state
figures from the state women centric laws, which the right to stop man from letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 9 www.Tehelka.com