A viral video has been making the rounds on social media showing a man watching something on his phone and evidently masturbating in Delhi's metro train. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) requested that passengers behave responsibly and insisted that such matters be reported immediately.
While some passengers recorded the indecent act on their phones, others were seen moving away to sit elsewhere as the man continued to indulge in the obscene act. Why did people come up with only these two reactions? Didn’t anyone feel the necessity to call him out given that a metro train is a public place?
Man Masturbating In Delhi Metro
The Chief of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, called the incident "disgusting" and "sickening." Further, the DCW chief issued a notice to the Delhi Police and the Delhi Metro to ensure the strictest possible action is taken against this shameful act.
The Delhi police has registered a case. The DCW has sought a copy of the FIR and a detailed action taken report by May 1. Meanwhile, certain netizens revealed that they believed that wearing revealing clothing on the metro was comparable and was as heinous an offence as masturbating in public.
Masturbating is a very normal and natural act, but it is not something to be done in a public place without even an ounce of shame or thought of what impact it might have on the people around. What if it was a woman in place of this man? Wouldn’t people have hurled abuse and created a scene? Was it because he is a man that no one dared to stop him?
I’m not trying to say that if a man masturbates in public, then a woman can too. Masturbation is a very private activity that is supposed to be done inside four walls, and that applies to everyone. That being said, why are we not calling out men when they indulge in inappropriate behaviour in public?
Some people say that sex is a natural urge, and men who are high on testosterone have a higher sex drive. Well, urinating and defecating are also natural urges. But do we see men blatantly emptying their bladders or bowels in public? When that natural urge can be controlled, shouldn’t this also be controllable? Oh right! I forgot that male entitlement prevails in our society!
How much longer are women going to live in a society that normalises men flashing at them, groping them, and masturbating in front of them in a public place? Almost all women who have travelled on public transport have been harassed at least once in their lifetime. This has been happening to our grandmothers, mothers, and us. It’s as if being harassed on public transport is part and parcel of life for women! Is that the kind of society we want to leave for the next generation? When are we going to stop letting men have that audacity and entitlement?
It's so disgusting to see the incident on video. I cannot even begin to imagine how nauseating it must have been for the people around him! Shouldn’t these men have a little bit of morality and conscience in them? While we are comfortable sitting behind a screen and demanding action be taken against him, would we have had the guts to confront him if we were there? All of us, including myself, need to ask ourselves, "Why don't we inherently feel the need to call out these offenders?
We have been taught by patriarchy that men will be men and that if you offend them, they will react by attacking you. So, we just move away from uncomfortable situations rather than confronting them. If one woman or man questions a perpetrator, he might react violently, but if a group of people question him, would he dare to attack? In most scenarios, people around the perpetrator outnumber him, but they prefer to just avoid the situation rather than challenge it. Shouldn't we all, as a society, have a social conscience?
Suggested Reading: Public Transport Harassment: Do Women Think It’s Still A Persistent Issue?
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