We claim very proudly that as an adult, we are independent. The real question is how much ‘free will’ do we have in our country? Can we go out with a ‘boy’ or a ‘girl’ friend late at night? Is it fine to give a hug to the opposite gender? Can you kiss the person you love in public without fear? I know the answer to all of them is a ‘NO’.
And while these may seem as over the top issues, there are some people who do not even have the liberty to enjoy a simple meal with a friend of opposite gender. Curious? Let me elucidate.
A 22-year old man in Muzzafarnagar (UP) was brutally assaulted and paraded naked by his girlfriend’s family for the crime of dining in with the girl in a restaurant.
The boy was then paraded naked for a kilometre to the hospital where girls father works as a ward boy.
The girls family alleged that the boy was trying to harass and molest the girl and they intervened to confront him (By tearing his clothes and beating him mercilessly). The boy denied the molestation allegations and said,
“These are false charges. I know the girl and we have been friends for a while. Her family attacked me”.
The relatives of both the parties reached the hospital and created a havoc there. The police managed to break the fight but the tension prevailed.
https://youtu.be/Wh5-hg484y4
The circle officer Harish Bhadori quoted to the TOI,
Honestly, I do not remember a single time when I was not judged while walking the street with a boy who was just a friend. Befriending a person of opposite gender is still a taboo in most parts of the country. And especially if they belong to another caste or religion, who knows when fisticuffs can turn into a violent attack. Remember, Ankit Saxena? Sad.