Siddharth Srivastava's Blog

Kolkata murder should not have happened

The gruesome rape and murder of the young doctor in Kolkata has deeply affected us all. We as a nation have repeatedly failed to protect our daughters, sisters and now the young doctor. There have been calls to overhaul the judicial system and institute quick and stringent punishment to the perpetrators of such crime. Parents have been urged to focus on the right upbringing of sons.

I would like to highlight one aspect that perhaps differentiates the situation here in the West (I currently live in Switzerland) and India. And that is public safety.

Psychopaths and ‘sick’ people abound here as well, the so called developed world. Economic and infrastructure development has not meant that all minds are equally sane.

Multiple stabbing incidents are reported from UK, including the recent killings of three young girls at a play school, that led to countrywide riots and protests.

The US is struggling to control mass shootings at schools, malls and public places. A young boy tried to shoot Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The West, however, is far ahead in creating public and private spaces that are equipped with technology and other measures, that act as deterrents to execution of crimes.

Would the young doctor in Kolkata met with the same fate had there been cctv cameras; or entry into hospital premises was controlled by computerised IDs; or there was a proper resting area for doctors on night duty? Think about it.

Over the recent past three young people in India drowned in a basement at a coaching center in Delhi; a young boy fell and died when he stepped on a badly constucted manhole; a young girl died when an iron gate fell on her; two young engineers were mowed down by an overspeeding Porche driven by a drunk minor in Pune.

Such incidents happen with sickening regularity and are soon forgotten when the media moves on to focus on the next tragedy.

The solutions, I believe, need to be found by pinning responsibility. The system is focused on finding poor scapegoats, victim shame women and not act against those who are really responsible: the instututions, police, municipality, judiciary, the rich and in the unfortunate Kolkata murder, the hospital management that failed to provide the security needed for a young female doctor to go about her profession.

Think about it.

@ the Louvre, Paris🇫🇷

The Olympic flame was lit at the Louvre, Paris, recently. We visited the Louvre, where the most famous and expensive painting in the world, Monalisa is housed. It was a different world at that time, when the Covid virus had completely disrupted normal life.

Thermal Bath in Budapest, Hungary🇭🇺

East Europe is underrated as a tourist destination. Beautiful, safe, cheap, countries such as Hungary also score, especially during summer, when tourist traffic and prices are at their peak in West Europe.

Train ride in Switzerland🇨🇭

Swiss trains are a marvel . They are efficient, state-of-the-art, safe and clinically on time. They are expensive for sure, but there is perhaps no other rail system in the world that traverses mountains, lakes, gorges, slopes, villages, towns, the way the Swiss do it.

Best view of Lisbon, Portugal🇵🇹

Lisbon is one European city that I found to be closest to an Indian one, whether it is Mumbai or Bangalore. People are friendly, food is great and there is no language barrier as English is spoken.

Snowshoeing in Switzerland 🇨🇭

Winter activities in Switzerland take various forms. The most popular, of course, is skiing. But, there are many ways that the Swiss like to enjoy winter, one of which is snowshoeing, which essentially translates to hiking in winter. But, one needs to be careful while walking on snow and cold conditions.

Re-visiting Taj Mahal, Agra 🇮🇳

I have seen the Taj Mahal many times. The grandeur of the monument is such that one can see it again and again, and never cease to marvel its magnificence.

Summer hike, Switzerland 🇨🇭(3)

We had heard a bit about vast expanse of wild flowers that are a special feature of summers in Switzerland. In the past, we did get a glimpse, but nowhere near what we got to see in Emmental, the comparatively low-lying part of Switzerland.

Summer hike, Switzerland 🇨🇭(2)

We had heard a bit about vast expanse of wild flowers that are a special feature of summers in Switzerland. In the past, we did get a glimpse, but nowhere near what we got to see in Emmental, the comparatively low-lying part of Switzerland.

Summer hike, Switzerland 🇨🇭(1)

We had heard a bit about vast expanse of wild flowers that are a special feature of summers in Switzerland. In the past, we did get a glimpse, but nowhere near what we got to see in Emmental, the comparatively low-lying part of Switzerland.