A video recorded in Amritsar drew widespread attention online after a foreign traveller, Alex Wanders, was seen challenging a man who had allegedly harassed his wife, content creator Ameana, in a public place.
According to the couple, the incident occurred while they were waiting for an Uber. A man approached Ameana, asked her for her mobile number, and stood in very close proximity despite the presence of her husband. Feeling unsafe, she began filming shortly afterwards, capturing her husband’s confrontation with the individual.
In the footage, Wanders was heard questioning the man directly: “Why are you asking for her phone number? What you did is very strange. You are very strange. You approach a random female by herself and ask for her phone number within two seconds; that’s very strange. Yeah, you shouldn’t do that again, ok. You are a bit crazy.”
Sharing the video on Instagram, Wanders wrote: “This is the moment I confronted him, he suddenly forgot English even though two seconds earlier he was speaking it perfectly. Maybe better me. How is this seen as acceptable in modern day India?”
The man being confronted claimed he was a student and attempted to defuse the situation by referring to Ameana as his “sister”. He then walked away without further interaction.
The clip quickly spread on social media, drawing criticism of the man’s behaviour and broader concerns about women’s safety in public spaces. The official account of Amritsar Police responded to the post, asking the couple to provide additional details so that action could be considered.
Reactions from users highlighted both embarrassment and frustration. One person commented: “Omg @amina_finds I’m so embarrassed for my people I am very sorry you had to experience this.” Another wrote: “I am sorry for this, while I don’t justify his behaviour but I can explain why he behaved so, so many men or women in India don’t have the etiquette on how to interact or approach a woman, or a man for that matter, there is no conditioning at all because there is no exposure at all, they also lack empathy, there is a huge educational gap for that matter unfortunately.”
Others expressed outright concern, with one user stating: “India is not safe especially for women please please be careful all the time or the best option please leave for your family's safety.”
The video was also reposted on Reddit, where many shared similar accounts. One user recalled: “I am not surprised, last year I went on a road trip with my then gf and people wouldn’t stop asking her for photos, this was when I was with her! If she were alone, I could only assume how much worse it would have been. A couple of them even asked me to get them to be ‘friends’ with her.”
Another comment read: “I just went through a similar experience with a friend who recently visited India. Morons would walk up to her and ask her for a selfie, even the women! I would then have to rudely shoo them away. I had to explain to her that it’s perfectly normal to just ignore people. Incidents like these just tarnish the image of the nation!”
A third added: “So after harassing an unknown person, you can just get away by saying ‘sister’?”
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