Keep Mysore Safe For Women!

Please please support this...  Petition by Anuradha Ganesh Mysore, India     I just signed the petition "Mysore Police Commissioner: Gokulam Women Say Hands OFF! Help us end molestation/harassment of women." on Change.org. It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link: http://www.change.org/petitions/mysore-police-commissioner-gokulam-women-say-hands-off-help-us-end-molestation-harassment-of-women Gokulam is a popular destination for yoga students from abroad who study at the various yoga shalas in the area. If the harassment and molestation of the women in the area during all hours of the day continues, the environment will become even more unsafe for women, fewer people will to come to Gokulam and India, and the reputation of the country and its culture will be damaged. "Ladies are attacked by men on scooters, groped, slapped in the face, and pushed about, and exhibitionists jerk off in front of them. A yoga student was nearly raped on her way to the 4:30 yoga class one morning. The neighbors rescued her at the last minute." These despicable event are most frequent during the busy seasons of October to March, every single year. Visiting a foreign country to practice yoga in a beautiful neighborhood such as Gokulam, only to come face-to-face such violence is shocking, frightening, and traumatic for both foreigner yoga students and local female residents. It is just wrong. We are continuing to do what we can on our end to make the environment safer, including: (1) raising awareness within the community about the risks to walking around alone or even with someone, (2) holding discussions with the yoga community on culture-sensitive behavior and attire, (3) promoting self-defense tactics, and (4) communicating with the yoga schools to change class timings and to provide other safety-promoting services to students. Please help us by increasing police patrol of the area to end this unacceptable criminal behavior and abuse, and to make Gokulam safe for ALL women.