I condemn the #BoisLockerRoom scandal
I closed my eyes for a second, just to get away from social media (“#BoisLockerRoom: Delhi schoolboy in custody over Instagram chat group sharing nude images of under-age girls”, www.gulfnews.com, May 5). The viral story from New Delhi, India, about sexist and inappropriate private chats being leaked from a group called #boislockerroom was spreading online. I closed my eyes for a second and asked myself: “Is living on Earth honestly worth it? How do women lead normal lives after something like this?”
I’m sure no woman is able to look at herself in the mirror and lead a normal life. They will look at their bodies with disgrace and pity. They will start believing what other people say about them.
A woman can willingly wear whatever she wants, according to her comfort and desire. A person’s reason for rape has nothing to do with how loose or tight a woman’s clothes are. The reason men rape a woman is because they don’t know how to respect women. They don’t know how this one act will affect someone else’s life. Because of this, many girls and women feel so uncomfortable posting any picture of themselves on social media, knowing that they might be a victim of cyber crimes or something worse.
To all the guys who once in their lifetime have done something similar to these boys in their group chat, look at yourself in the mirror. The person staring back at you has no heart. You disgrace me and everyone else. You’re the reason women cannot get out of their house, without having the fear that someone will say or do something to them.
You’re the reason girls are committing suicide daily, in India. You’re a disgrace to society.
I have no words to express how disgusting this was to read - pictures of the group messages being circulated online. These people could also be some of my male relatives or male friends. A humble request to all those girls bearing the repercussions of this scandal to just stay strong. It’s definitely not easy, but we have to do it. Don’t change yourself. Stay strong and don’t lose confidence in yourself, you’re worth it.
From Ms Danya Kashyap
UAE
COVID-19: Indians coming home
The Indian government’s plan to repatriate stranded nationals from the Gulf and other parts of the world is a welcome move (“India set for largest evacuation”, Gulf News 6 May 2020). The Kerala state government should follow Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) regulations and quarantine them for 14 days when they are back to Kerala. The first COVID-19 in India was reported in Kerala and the government handled it successfully, but now, thousands of expatriates are waiting for their return home and the Indian government and medical facilities should be more vigilant to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
COVID-19: Helping the elderly
I am thankful to the UAE government and the rules they have imposed in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic (“How to care for elderly family members during coronavirus? The Dubai Health Authority shares tips”, www.gulfnews.com, April 19). There is something I would like to suggest. My husband and I are both over 60 years old. Besides that, my husband has to go to work and mingle with his colleagues. I follow the #stayhome rule. Once a week we go shopping for groceries, following all safety proceedures.
Why not simply reserve certain opening hours of the day for elderly people? Maybe morning hours should be reserved for older people, so that they can shop for their necessities. If all of us follow the safety instructions properly, elderly people won’t face any higher risk.
From Ms Helga Kennedy
Abu Dhabi, UAE
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