“More Worried About Perception Rather Than The Ground Reality Of Rape”: Actress Richa Chadha To NCW Chief Rekha Sharma

Actress Richa Chadha has taken to social media to criticise the response of National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma to a post highlighting instances of sexual harassment in India. The Gangs of Wasseypur actress’ comments come in the wake of a series of posts discussing the prevalence of sexual aggression and harassment experienced by women in the country.

The initial post that sparked the conversation was made by David Josef Volodzko, a writer and editor who shared his observations of sexual aggression during his time living in India. Volodzko recounted incidents involving himself and other female travelers, shedding light on the pervasive nature of harassment in Indian society.

David Josef Volodzko wrote: “The level of sexual aggression I witnessed while living in India for several years was unlike anywhere else I have ever been. Once a total stranger, a British woman, asked to sleep in my bed and pretend to be my girlfriend on a train ride because a man walking by in the hall had licked her foot and she felt unsafe. I introduced a female friend to a young Indian man and instead of shaking her hand, he groped her breast, and when she became angry he became extremely hostile and I thought I was going to have to fight the guy. I never met a female traveler who had not been groped or assaulted or worse, even if they had only been in country for mere days. I love India. It is and always will be one of my favorite places in the world. But I have advised female friends who asked me not to travel there alone. This is a real problem in Indian society that warrants more attention and that I hope will improve in time.”

This is NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma’s response to someone sharing a personal experience of sexual harassment of a woman on a train.

Rekha Sharma is more worried about perception rather than the ground reality of rape, perhaps she doesn’t get time to read the newspaper. Do tag… pic.twitter.com/27hz2MsEBU

— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) March 3, 2024

Reacting to Volodzko”s post, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma questioned whether the incidents had been reported to the police, suggesting that failure to do so amounted to irresponsibility.

“Did you ever report the incident to Police? If not than you are totally an irresponsible person. Writing only on social media and defaming whole country is not good choice,” Rekha Sharma wrote while reposting the writer’s observations.

Sharma”s response drew criticism from actress Richa Chadha, who accused the NCW chief of being more concerned about perception than addressing the ground reality of rape and sexual violence in India.

Chadha highlighted the disconnect between Sharma”s response and the urgent need to address the systemic issues contributing to sexual harassment and assault in the country. She urged Sharma to pay closer attention to reports of rape and sexual violence, emphasizing that as a public servant, Sharma”s responsibility extends to addressing the concerns of the citizens she serves.

“Rekha Sharma is more worried about perception rather than the ground reality of rape, perhaps she doesn’t get time to read the newspaper. Do tag her in the future, when you come across news of rape and sexual violence, so she is aware. Rekha Sharma is a public servant and her salary comes out of your hard-earned income via taxes. accha laga? Jai Hind.”

All the conversations emerged after a 28-year-old Spanish travel vlogger reported an alleged rape incident in Dumka, Jharkhand, on Friday night.