Bollywood actor and beauty queen Sushmita Sen has justified her Miss Universe title throughout her life. She has a huge fan following who call the doting mother of two an embodiment of woman power, grace and elegance. Sush touches a chord with the audience every time she speaks at a public forum. At a recent event, however, she said something that left many shocked.
Sushmita spoke about safety of women and highlighted how even celebrities, surrounded by their bodyguards, are not prone to eve-teasing. Narrating one such incident, the former Miss Universe said she was once molested by a 15-year-old boy.
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“In small cities, they (women) are surely unsafe because their news doesn’t reach you (media). But I am a woman, and I have been in the public eye for 25 years. So many times people think, ‘what would you know what happens to women in our country? You have bodyguards around you, all these facilities to protect you.’ Where you are eve-teased by two, we as women in the public eye, even with 10 bodyguards, are dealing with hundreds of men that have often managed to misbehave with us. And we know exactly how it happens in this country, trust me, in volumes,” Sushmita said.
The 42-year-old added: “But the difference is that at this age, the last time it happened was six months ago. I was at an awards function, you were there as well. A 15-year-old… 15! And because there were so many men, he thought I wouldn’t figure out who it was. That’s why I tell you, learn something regarding self-defence, it makes you very alert.”
“So I grabbed his hand, and I was so shocked when I pulled him up, that he was a little boy. 15 years old. Typically for a misbehaviour like that, I could’ve taken lots of other actions. But because it was a 15-year-old boy, I grabbed him by his neck, as if I was saying hello to him, I took him for a walk in front of the crowd and told him, ‘If I make a hue and cry about this, your life will be over bachcha.’ (He said) ‘I didn’t do’, I told him, ‘You did it, acknowledge it.’ (He said) ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Do you know your life would be over.’ (He said) ‘I promise it will never happen.’ ‘No, if it does, I’ve seen your face, now get out of here.’”
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“That’s the difference, I recognised in a 15-year-old boy that he’s not been taught that this kind of (behaviour) is not entertainment. It’s very big mistake. It can cost you the rest of your life,” Sushmita said.
Talking about adults indulging in sexual abuse, she said, “…they should be hanged without a doubt. There should be no understanding of mercy for it, start hanging them and you’ll understand what are the consequences, whether you are in a city or a village. This I strongly believe. And then we’ll think of mercy in a better place to live.”