Post the Mumbai gang rape incident; tinsel town ladies feel the city is unsafe for women

The gang rape of 22 year old photo journalist in Mumbai has saddened the entire country and many Bollywood celebs feel that the city is no longer safe for women. Shabana Azmi: This ghastly incident is a wakeup call for all Mumbaikars who revel in calling our city the safest in India. The new rape law has not instilled any fear because of lack of faith in law and order. We need to tackle rape at many levels. There’s a deep rooted misogyny and sexual assault is used as an instrument of control and power so that women are denied freedom. Juhi Chawla: Until now I was always proud of Mumbai. It was always vibrant and yet safe. Buzzing with activity at all hours, alive and throbbing with excitement. This news comes as a shocker. I hope the victim will be healed and fine. I felt worse for the fact that she is a photographer, so she may be connected to our film industry. I can’t imagine how painful and traumatic this must be for her and her family. Very tragic. I hope those beasts who did this are severely SEVERELY punished. So severe that the next potential rapist would stop short in his tracks. Lilette Dubey: Shocking shocking shocking. We always prided ourselves in Mumbai for being safe for women. But it looks like even after the Delhi incident we’ve learnt no lessons. Such is the nature of the beast that it won’t change. The anti-rape laws are not detrimental enough. I am almost tempted to believe castration is the only solution. Pooja Bedi: Mumbai is definitely not going to be a safe city for women if we don’t send out a loud, stern warning to potential rapists. We need swift sentencing through fast-track courts. The harshest and severest punishment must be meted out to these rapists. Even after 8 months in Nirbhaya’s case there has been not one sentencing even though it was so brutal and horrific. Rapists are obviously going to get emboldened. Reema Kagti: I don’t feel Mumbai or any other place in India is safe for working women. Richa Chadha: Mumbai is one of the safest cities in the country. In the light of event, I feel doubtful of that though. Last week a foreigner was attacked violently on a local train. However, we can't focus this debate on city-specific assaults. The issue is not where it happens, but that it happens at all. The problem is with the Indian chauvinist male, who believes any woman stepping out of the house is meant for him to use and abuse, be it a student, or a working woman. Let's not lock up our girls ,let's teach the boys some manners. And let's have strong laws in place that act as a deterrent for these beasts. Sophie Chowdhary: When I moved from Mumbai to London, I felt proud to say I’m living in the safest city in the world. Today the joke is on me. I am shamed at what is happening in Mumbai. For an atrocity of this magnitude to take place in broad daylight is shocking. Rape occurs in every part of the world. But it seems most gruesome in India. What fuels these attacks is the lack of fear for the law. Mumbai is not what it used to be even 5 years ago. Gauahar Khan: It’s getting riskier by the day to stay in Mumbai. The city had a reputation for being safe for women. But with a shameful incident such as this women would think twice before moving around freely. I hope Mumbai becomes safe for us again. Dia Mirza: The question we should all be asking ourselves is not about Mumbai alone. But is India safe for women? Our men need emancipation. Our laws and the conviction for crimes against women need to become much more stringent and timely. Men who perpetrate crimes against women should be punished swiftly and severely. Raima Sen: So far I thought Mumbai was safe for women. But now after this incident I am not so sure. Raveena Tandon: Mumbai is not safe for women. So far I felt it was because of the growing number of slums in the city. But crime against women is on the rise for no given reason. I don’t think it’s safe for a lone woman to travel in Mumbai on public transport after dark. Tapsee Pannu: How is anyone sure that this was the one rape that happened. There might be so many others which are not reported. And we thought it was just Delhi I feel the day this country’s men are educated to respect women and stop treating them as mere objects, the rape incidents may come down. Urmila Matondkar: It is very disheartening and extremely upsetting. But why should we restrict our concern to Delhi or Mumbai? Anywhere in the country measures should be taken to secure the safety of women. Gauri Shinde: I don’t know what to say or feel any more. I am shell-shocked. This is not the Mumbai I knew. What has happened to the city? Amyra Dastur: I am absolutely horrified. I enjoy going out in the night. I never expected Mumbai of all the cities to be home to such a horrific incident. Now I am scared of going out in my own city where I’ve lived all my life. All my love and prayers for the victim and her family. Celina Jaitley: I cannot believe something like this can happen in my beloved city. No matter where I went in the world I used to so proudly speak of Mumbai being one of the safest cities in the world for women. Now comes this horrific incident. I am appalled and disgusted. The biggest culprit is the legal system. It does not instill fear in the perpetrator. Punishment for rape does not even qualify as punishment and the time taken to “punish” the rapist is laughable. Now when I look back I shudder to think back to all the times when I dropped my young hairdresser at the nearest cab at 4 am after pack up.” Neha Dhupia: We used to always be proud of being safe in our city. But now it’s all changed with the demographics changing and people coming in from all over. There is just no restrain to the rise in crime against women except harsh punishment. Clearly it is disgraceful and disturbing. But this incident should wake up the spirit of Mumbai. And we should in some influential way punish each one of the criminals. An incident like this makes me sad and angry no matter where it happens.