CCTV footage of girl molested in Bangalore makes us sick to the stomach

#NotAllMen perhaps, but there are certainly many more out there lurking.

One more footage that has emerged shows a woman being groped, molested and robbed in another dark alley of Bangalore on January 1.

The CCTV footage shows how two bike-borne men stopped and molested her and pushed her to the ground after robbing her. While the woman resists, bystanders watch the episode in silence. No one comes to her rescue even after her assailants flee the scene.

The incident, which happened in the Kamanahalli area in Bangalore, comes to light at a time when the Karnataka government and its police are facing flak for the horror story that unfolded in Bangalore on the new year's eve, with mass molestation of over hundreds of women happening on Brigade Road and MG Road.

Even though the police said they have been sifting through the CCTV and other video footage (even after three days of the incident) to identify and take actions against the culprits, no suo motu case has been registered in the mass molestation incident.

The new video shows how unsafe are the streets of our country, especially for women, but what is more infuriating is the reaction of the bystanders who chose to merely look on.

To add insult to injury, political leaders and police forces are getting away with victim blaming.

After the Bangalore Mirror reported that unruly mobs started “pawing, molesting and passing lewd remarks” on women who had gathered on the city’s MG Road and Brigade Road on new year's eve, Karnataka home minister G Parameswara said, “...youngsters were almost like westerners. They tried to copy the westerners, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing. So some disturbance, some girls are harassed... these kind of things do happen.”

Parameswara was not alone in judging the victims. Samajawadi Party MLA Abu Azmi too joined him with his bizarre and grotesque "it was bound to happen. They were wearing short dresses".

A few custodians of men’s rights also trended the hashtag #NotAllMen on Twitter to absolve themselves of any responsibility or future blame for crimes against women. The hashtag, incidentally, has trended on many previous occasions to counter feminism across the world.

The defence put up by the#NotAllMen bridage against any generalisations was totally uncalled for when the entire country is grappling with rising crimes against women.

While it seems difficult to talk sense into the victim-blaming politicians or an inactive police force, to all those men (of course, not all) who turn a blind eye to such brazen assaults: If you can't condemn it, at least don't trivialise the issue. Just shut up!

Also read: All who blame women or West for sexual assault perpetuate rape