Celina Jaitly Speaks Out on Harassment and Victim-Blaming

Actor Celina Jaitly has shared her experiences of facing harassment during her school days and the victim-blaming culture that followed. She emphasized the need for society to protect women and stop holding them responsible for the misconduct of others. Her comments come amidst protests over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata.

Actor Celina Jaitly has opened up about facing harassment on multiple occasions during her school years, condemning the prevailing victim-blaming culture.

Jaitly’s remarks coincide with ongoing protests sparked by the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

In a detailed post titled 'The Victim is Always at Fault,' Jaitly underscored the urgent need to 'stand up and ask for our right to be protected,' stressing that women are not at fault.

She recalled how university boys harassed her as a schoolgirl, following her rickshaw and even throwing stones to get her attention. Despite these incidents, bystanders remained passive, and a teacher even blamed her for being 'too westernized.'

Another traumatic incident involved a man exposing himself to her while she waited for her school rickshaw. She internalized the blame, influenced by a teacher's remarks that she was at fault.

During Class 11, the harassment escalated with university boys cutting the wires of her two-wheeler. When classmates reported this, the class teacher blamed Jaitly, labeling her a 'forward type of girl' for riding a scooty and wearing jeans.

Jaitly highlighted how the psychological and physical injuries from these incidents were dismissed, asserting that victim-blaming views need to change. She called for protection and justice, proclaiming 'WE ARE NOT AT FAULT! #kolkatadoctordeath.'

Reflecting on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case, she lamented that the atrocities against women have continued, stressing the need for societal change to stop such crimes.

She criticized society for teaching women to avoid rape instead of teaching men not to rape, and highlighted the slow and painful process of justice for rape victims.

The actor joins others like Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan in demanding justice for the murdered doctor in Kolkata.