After the brutal hacking of Chennai techie Swathi, the focus has turned to how safe public spaces in the city are. Raghunath Gunasekaran has started a Change.org petition calling for CCTV cameras to be installed at all suburban stations. 

From the petition: 

“Everyday, I see thousands and thousands of women like Swathi using this route to get to work and college. For the safety of these women, it is important that CCTV cameras are put up in these stations. Sign my petition and tell the railways that we will not let them compromise on women’s safety.

These women commuters face harassment, molestation, now one of them has been brutally murdered. I can see that the commuters are in shock and feeling threatened.

Let us take a simple step to help them feel safer. Sign my petition and tell the Railway authorities to install CCTV cameras on these stations.

What is ridiculous is that Mahindra City had offered to put up CCTV cameras in the station to ensure the safety of their workers. Their offer was rejected, and I don’t know why. We need to put massive public pressure on the authorities to make them act.   

Setting up CCTV cameras is a simple step that could make lakhs of women feel safe. I appeal to the railway authorities to work with us and install CCTV cameras in these stations.” 

The petition will be delivered to General Manager Office, Southern Railway Shri Vashishta Johri, Manager of Southern Railway, Parktown, and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The petition needs 15,000 supporters and reached 11,000 in a matter of hours.