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SLEEPLESS IN GURGAON
Gurgaon, August 10, 2007: About a decade ago, Gurgaon was the buzzword
in Delhi. People who were loaded, people who were young and people
who were looking for an oasis amidst the concrete madness that is
Delhi - they were all moving to Gurgaon. Its snazzy buildings that
housed India's hottest new sector - call centres - helped the matter
too.
A few years down the line, the 91 call centres operating in Gurgaon
employ thousands of youngsters, out of which 45 per cent are women.
Due to the unique timings in which call centres operate, both transport
and timings are a major issue. After the recent carjacking at gunpoint
outside the IBM Global Services office at Sector-18, IBM issued
a set of guidelines to its employees clearly listing out the dos
and don'ts while travelling to and from office.
The circular says that most victims of carjacking, loot and mugging
are those returning home "late in the night especially in Gurgaon
and adjoining areas".
Others are planning to follow suit. Says Sam Chopra, president, Business
Process Industry Association of India ( BPIAI), "We have noticed major
incidents happening in the BPO
sector situated in Gurgaon. Obviously, there is extreme anxiety
in terms of safety. The ratio of safety issues is larger in the BPO
industry as compared with other industries in Gurgaon. It's mainly
because 95 per cent of people work in night shift at BPO
centers."
Agrees Vivek Mathur, site director, Dell,
"There are challenges in Gurgaon
but nothing that can't be overcome with some careful planning. To
start with, security needs to be more visible in Gurgaon."
CRIME
FILES |
August 2, 2007
Top executive of a consultancy firm was abducted in Gurgaon.
Hours after the disappearance, his car was found gutted
near Convergys office on Delhi-Gurgaon NH-8. The police
is investigating the case.
July 30, 2007
In an instance of carjacking in front of the IBM office,
armed robbers forced a man out of his car and robbed
him of his valuables.
July 18, 2007
Armed robbers decamped with cash and valuables after
striking at the house of an NRI consulting engineer
in DLF-III, Gurgaon. They also stabbed one.
June 29, 2007
Burglars struck at seven different flats in Princeton
Estate in DLF Phase-V. They decamped with cash and jewellery.
May 18, 2007
Three members of a family were killed by their servant
at Sector 23A of Gurgaon.
Jan 2, 2007
A call centre cab driver physically assaulted a brother-sister
duo at night near the Galleria market in Sushant Lok
when they asked him to follow the traffic rules. |
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But are the advisories offered by various BPOs of any help? Answers
a call centre executive on the condition of anonymity, "The guidelines
say carry two purses so that a miscreant is confused or never carry
your ATM card with your pin number. Such safety guidelines are neither
feasible or practical. Also, there are guidelines that women should
be given self-defence training, but none of the call centres do
so."
Gurgaon has been in news for all the wrong reasons - carjacking,
thefts, robberies, murders and rapes. Obviously, residents have
been left scared.
Says Hari Chopra, member of DLF City RWA, "We have security guards
who go around patrolling DLF City but that is not adequate because
Gurgaon is a very open area. Fences have been removed due to the
construction of the Metro, so robbers
can enter any time." Neema Idnani, staying in Phase III, says, "When
we shifted to Gurgaon we kept two dogs because the security situation
was not too good here."
Emcee Ramneek Pantal shifted to Noida
from Gurgaon recently and feels safer there as compared to Gurgaon.
She says, "Just before we shifted, we had a robbery in our society.
This, when the area was patrolled round the clock. I feel better
that I have shifted out." People who stay there don't feel safe
leaving their kids alone at home. Socialite Timsy Anand says, "I
don't feel safe at my own home. Traveling from the malls to home
late at night is scary. Whenever I go out, I am constantly touching
base to know if all's well. I used to feel safer when I stayed in
Delhi."
Former cricketer Atul Wassan has been living in Gurgaon for the
last 10 years. "It is scary to leave your wife and kids alone at
home. I now have a 24-hour security guard. The police and RWAs should
do something."
The police commissioner of Gurgaon, Mahendra Lal, allays these fears.
"There is no increase in the crime rate in Gurgaon over the last
year. There have been robberies and thefts, but we have solved most
of these. We have increased police patrolling and presence in various
areas." But do residents feel that way?
Guidelines provided by BPOs
Women employees should stick in groups, and sit with other women
in cabs. Always carry important phone numbers e.g. police, employer,
any relative or friend whom you can call in case of any emergency.
Avoid following regular pattern of coming in / going out of your
workplace – change timings, route, place of parking etc. Remember,
there may be miscreants watching your movement/activities. Never
carry ATM cards along with PIN. Ensure that you do not lump all
your valuables (credit cards, jewellery etc) and cash in one handbag.
You can place your non-valuables such as comb, cosmetics etc in
the handbag but place your identity card, credit cards and cash
in another purse. In case there is a problem of parking, because
of which you have parked the vehicle far off, you should bring your
vehicle nearer office before it gets dark.
Source: The Times of India
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