If you’ve catched on the news recently, you must’ve heard Arvind Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi, claiming in a press conference that he’ll make public transport in Delhi, such as buses and metro, free of cost for women, for making it more ‘safer’ for women to travel. I don’t know if it will happen someday or this is another ‘Modiji ne karne nhi diya‘ drama, but what’s more important here is that how gender equality, women empowerment and feminism have started to change their meanings to subjugation of men.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a feminist, and always will be. Feminism means equality of genders, and I stand by it. But these recent developments haven’t really been of those sorts. By making transport free based on one’s gender, the government seems to claim that women in a metro city such as Delhi aren’t independent. In today’s time, most women are working, making their own money, by running business or getting a salary. And, ofcourse, there are women who are unemployed, and are poor. But, aren’t their brothers and husbands too? There are unemployed men too in this city, Mr. Kejriwal. Don’t they deserve free transport?
And, Arvind Kejriwal seems to be talking about cutting the revenue of DMRC and DTC to half of what their present revenue, and increasing the load as more women will take free service. It sounds stupid enough to believe that it came from a person who cleared IIT & IAS, but didn’t bother to learn something from the commerce stream too. Naturally, the prices will have to be hiked. And, guess who’ll have to pay for that? Men. A daily wage labourer will be paying for a lady who’ll be travelling in metro because her Mercedes will drink Petrol worth much more than Rs. 0.
Yes, I know Arvind Kejriwal asked women who can afford the services to pay for it, but c’mon. This is India, we know most of them wouldn’t. Though I really felt nice to see a lot of girls on social media trashing this decision of Mr. Kejriwal too. This shows girls and women want equality, and this is nothing like that.
And, he claims that this move is for safety of women. Now, that is a pressing and important matter, I fail to understand how no cost of public transport makes it safer for them. It already is cheaper than any other kind of travelling means.
Plus, there’s already one whole coach only for women in every train, which is a good step for safety. But, there are also seats reserved for women in other coaches, and I’ve seen numerous times girls misusing those seats by displacing a person who’s carrying a heavy load or is certainly returning after doing some heavy physical activity. A person who requires that seat much more than those girls do.
I travel in Delhi Metro pretty often. But I honestly don’t remember the last time I got to sit. Infact, most of the times I let a metro or two pass by in hopes that I’ll be able to find space to stand in the next one. This situation will get a 10 times tougher if the cost is reduced to zero. People who will be paying for it will also have the toughest time to travel in it.
In short, I fail to understand what sort of step this is in Modern India. Whatever type of politics this is, it won’t increase his share of votes next year in Delhi Elections, given it doesn’t decrease it.
Looking forward to read your views about the same in the comment section below!
Peace!
Also Read: Delhi Metro on Instagram Highlights
Aarnav's Blog 
Thanks so much for the article.Much thanks again. Great. dckddddeeebe
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Yes, you can follow me at @aarnavg17 on Twitter. I’m very much active.
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I totally agree to this. Policies like these nowhere support Gender Equality whereas promoting causes like these are transforming into the domination of men. Crazy and senseless policies like these create imbalance in the society. On one hand, we can foresee independent women and on the other hand we’re applying policies like these.. quite a trash!
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Rightly put! Just some shameless politics.
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God bless you Aarnav for bringing your thoughts on paper. I fully agree with you and support your words. I also appreciate Sohanpreet Kaur’s suggestion to lower down the costs for every one.
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Thankyou! 😊
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This policy is purely for politics. It is not only going to increase pickpocketting issues, its going to lead to safety issues for women too. Instead of making the tickets free the govt could spend on enough cctv cameras at public places. And nothing comes for free. The cost of tickets is going to be beared by someone else. In the era of gender equality, this move looks foolish.
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Beautifully summarised exactly what it is!
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Crazy statements and unthoughtful policies will further create imbalance in the society at a later stage. The way now it is so difficult for anyone to remove reservations although it is not needed to many communities/people. But still many are benefited. Gender equality doesn’t mean ‘ONLY Woman empowerment’. We need to have a broader perspective if we really want ‘GROWTH IN REAL SENSE’. Our focus should not be towards any particular gender but we must adopt humanistic approach and support ‘humanism’.
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Yes, ma’am! Absolutely what it should be. In the name of politics and vote bank, most ministers are forgetting that they’ve to support humanism and not only what will get them power.
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I completely agree with your views. This looks like some gimmick to catch attention. In this age when we are marching towards gender equality, why this discrimination? Are we as women more privileged? Are we as women more poor? What do they want by providing free things? Don’t we want a society where we work hard to spend? Can’t we as women earn for ourselves? I think personally it will become more unsafe to travel as pickpocketing and lifting may increase and more crowded too!
Cum’mon there are better ways to show you care Mr. Kejriwal.
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I agree. Thankyou!
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I agree with your views. We Should be thriving for gender equality and not discrimination by being favourable to one without any criteria. Me
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Yes, absolutely!
Can you reveal your name though? 😅
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I totally agree. This has nothing to do with Feminism. In my opinion, feminism is giving women equal rights and protecting them from being deprived of things just because of social hierarchy. But this is nothing like it. This is projecting a wrong message which is hurtful. Our CM is out of mind on this one!😡
We need safety not such pity!
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Exactly!
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Its seems everyone is hurt with this decision as the Twitterati has exploded too… Hope sense prevails and Delhi will guide India onto a path free of freebies and such propagandist steps…
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Yeah!
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Right! Instead they can just lower the prices for everyone.
Most of the Government schemes treat people as disabled, like they cannot do anything. Instead of making them beggars, people should be made capable.
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Exactly! At the age where women are increasingly becoming capable of depending on themselves, they throw this policy!
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