Why in news?
The setting up of “anti-Romeo squads” was one of the election promises in Uttar Pradesh.
What is the purpose of these “squads”?
- They were meant to curtail eve-teasing and provide greater security to women.
- It is aimed at taking action against boys who are found outside girls’ colleges, and are involved in eveteasing and molesting girl students
- But couples were stopped just for being spotted together, though the squad admittedly had no legal jurisdiction to stop them.
Why it is bad?
- If the police can’t tell the difference between molesters and amicable couples, the squads disperse humiliation, extortion and violence on innocent young people in public places.
- It violates citizens’ rights and dignity
- It brings back medieval repressions especially at a time when walls between the genders are breaking.
- They make it unsafe for women to step out with men of their choice, inhibit families and foist retrograde notions about the sexes meeting.
- Earlier accusation of “love jihad” to describe mixed-religion marriages as was aggression targeted minorities. It included references to an incident of alleged abduction, gangrape and forced conversion of a Hindu girl to Islam in Kharkhoda area of Meerut.
- The current move has expanded hatred towards all young people.
- It is also against the concept of minimum government.
Source: The Indian Express
