'Proud' Bengaluru mother shares how her daughter chased away hecklers: '2 boys on a bike...'

Poornima Prabhu said the incident had happened 800 metres away from their home in an area where everyone knew her daughter. (Image credit: Poornima Prabhu/X, Unsplash)

A woman in Bengaluru has shared how her daughter, who is in her twenties, managed to scare away two eve-teasers on a bike. Poornima Prabhu said that the incident happened only 800 metres from their home and that she is proud that her daughter chose to stand up to the hecklers.

"Last week my 20+ daughter was waiting to cross the road about 800m from our home in Bengaluru when two boys on a bike heckled her," Prabhu wrote on X. "Her first reaction was to walk away but then decided to take action. She shouted at them and ran towards them. They took off on the bike as if the devil was pursuing them."

"I'm so proud of my girl because at her age I'd have looked down and walked away as fast as possible," she added. "This was in an area where almost everyone knew her. That's what got her goat.... if I can't walk in peace here.... what's the point? There were so many people around."

To deter people from asking if her daughter was dressed appropriately, Prabhu shared in a follow-up tweet that she was wearing a long t-shirt with sleeves and ankle-length trousers. Urging women to follow suit and speak up against harassment, she wrote, "Do not keep quiet, don't let your silence encourage such creeps."

Several people lauded the daughter's bravery but when asked if she was not concerned about possible retaliation, Prabhu said, "We have told them (her children) clearly about the how, when, what of reacting.... and how to keep themselves safe. Unless such people understand that girls are not going to take it silently, they will get emboldened even more."

Several social media users appeared to agree with Prabhu.

"So I've done this way back in the 80s. kicked and punched fellows bothering us on buses, and screamed back at hecklers. Generally, I think we were a little more bold, or maybe the repercussions would not have been as bad as we hear now. But good on you for raising your daughter right!" commented X user Radhika (@rads).

"Absolutely ma'am!" added Naturally Sudhaish (@NaturallySudha). "Keeping quiet doesn't get us anywhere, it is about giving expression to the natural reaction that upsurges in such situations! Kudos to your girl."