RPCV Nancy Hall put off by 'predatory Delhi male'
Tourists put off by 'predatory Delhi male'
By Ashok Easwaran, Chicago, Mar 22 (IANS) :
A US tourist who visited India for "spiritual rejuvenation" has vowed never to set foot in the country again, thanks to her experience with the "predatory Delhi male".
But in southern India it was an entirely different experience, said Nancy Hall.
Hall, who broke away from a group of friends visiting Nepal, told the local media that she often felt like a hunted animal during her sojourn in the Indian capital.
"It is not just the physical grabbing one faced in railway stations and public places, it is the leering looks and the lewd comments. It is as if they were rightfully demanding sex. Thankfully, I could not understand many of the comments," Hall recalled.
She spent two weeks in New Delhi, after a hurried visit to the Taj Mahal and the palaces in Jaipur. She had planned to conclude her eight-week trip to India with visits to the Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Humayun's tomb, but cut short her visit.
"I have had men lunging at me trying to grab me as they passed by on scooters," she said.
Even a visit to the railway station was a humiliating experience, Hall said. "When I complained to a policeman who was watching nonchalantly, he sneered at me and asked me to file a written complaint."
Hall, who has a master's degree in social sciences and has studied Indian history and classical music, says she visited the country at the urging of Indian friends.
Hall spent a few days in southern India and she had a "spiritually uplifting" experience visiting the temples. "I was treated with dignity by men over there and was totally unprepared for the horrific experience in Delhi."
Hall said her problems were compounded because she was staying alone in a budget hotel in Delhi. "I was terrified to go out by myself. But I had no choice, because the guest house did not serve food."
Hall, who enjoys trekking, said she had travelled alone to remote places, including Africa as a member of the Peace Corps.
"I have never felt so insecure. Before my visit to India, I had this impression of a land where the people were quite spiritual and compassionate. My Indian friends had told me so much of the close knit family in their country and I expected women to be treated with more respect and dignity."
Hall said she made the mistake of travelling in a Delhi bus once.
"No sooner had I entered the vehicle than I was grabbed by two men, while the other men (in the bus) seemed to think it was some sport. The whole thing made me physically sick."
"For a while I felt these men thought me fair game because I was a single white woman. But they do not seem to treat their own women any better," Hall said.
