A young girl lost her life in New Delhi two days ago, allegedly at the hands of a jilted man. How can young people deal with stalkers and obsessive lovers?
Women are often at grave risk from obsessive admirers who become violent when their advances are rejected. Sometimes a stranger tries to follow you home from the railway station or bus stop.
Sometimes you receive anonymous e-mail and/or multiple social networking requests from a persistent individual even when you have made it abundantly clear that you are not interested.
At other times you get 'blank' phone calls, which continue even after you've switched cellphone numbers or approached the police. Sometimes people pay a heavy price for such unwanted attention. Like Ramchanphy Hongray, the teenaged girl who was strangled and later burnt to death in New Delhi on October 25, allegedly by an IIT scholar. Acid attacks, stabbing incidents, kidnapping, rape -- we've heard the horror stories before and so long as misguided, psychotic youth continue to believe their jilted love is cause enough to ruin someone else's life, we'll continue to hear of them. How do you deal with these potentially dangerous situations?
What are the steps one can take to protect oneself and ensure safety?
If someone is stalking you, how do you deal with it in a manner that can bring the unpleasant matter to an end without any devastating effects? Please share your experiences and suggestions with us. Post your comments on the message board below. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
