The recent observation by West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose *”I can’t say Bengal is safe for women”* has raised a storm of concern and debate across the state. His statement, made in reply to journalists, has thrown open new debates on women’s safety, governance, and ground reality for women across rural and urban Bengal.
Governor Bose’s statement was not just a political observation but a reflection of growing public concern. He spoke clearly upset, referring to recent incidents of harassment and assault against women, which have undermined public faith in security arrangements. “A society is judged by the way it treats its women,” he emphasized, urging authorities and people alike to think rather than politicize the matter.
The Governor’s words hit home, especially for women who traverse public areas daily with an unconscious sense of fear. From late-night students returning from evening classes to working women who ride crowded buses and metros, the fear of not being safe usually lurks at the back of their minds. The majority of women’s rights organizations and social activists welcomed Bose’s candid admission, claiming that this is what they have been highlighting all along, that cases of crimes against women often go unreported, and the victims barely get justice in a timely manner.
But his statement also invited hasty criticisms from the ruling party’s sections, who accused him of giving a negative image of the state. They averred that the state government made women’s helplines, police patrol, and special task forces more robust. But critics say that policy and practice differ on paper is one thing, practiced in safety another.
Beyond the political game of one-upmanship, Bose’s words struck an emotional chord. To most, it was not a grievance about governing but a plea to ensure Bengal safe in fact not in figures, but in ethos. The Governor’s comment has once more reminded everyone that safety for women is not a political issue; it’s one which reflects the human and the moral potential of society.
