Amid growing outrage over crimes against women in India, actress Celina Jaitley has shared a deeply personal and painful experience from her childhood. On August 17, the actress took to Instagram to reveal incidents of harassment she endured as a young girl, shedding light on the pervasive blame culture that victims often face.
Harassed as a Child: A Traumatic Experience
Celina Jaitley shared a photo of herself from when she was in class 6, revealing how she was subjected to harassment by boys from a nearby college. The boys would wait for her to leave school and follow her rickshaw every day, trying to get her attention by throwing stones at her. Despite these disturbing actions, no one intervened or spoke up against the harassment she faced.
The situation worsened when Celina’s teacher blamed her for the harassment. In her post, she recounted how the teacher told her that the boys’ behavior was her fault because she didn’t wear loose clothing or tie her hair in two plaits. This experience left Celina blaming herself for many years, constantly repeating her teacher’s words in her mind.
Further Harassment in Class 11
Celina’s ordeal didn’t end in class 6. She faced further harassment in class 11, where the boys from a nearby university cut the brake wires of her scooty because she didn’t respond to their advances. They also left obscene notes on her scooty and called her derogatory names. This time, her classmates reported the incident to the teachers, but instead of receiving support, Celina was blamed again.
She was told by a teacher that she was a “forward type of girl” because she rode a scooty, wore jeans, and had short, open hair. This, according to the teacher, was why the boys thought she had a bad character. Celina vividly remembers the day she had to jump from her scooty to save herself because the brake wires had been cut.
A Deeply Hurtful Blame Culture
The continuous victim-blaming deeply affected Celina, both physically and mentally. She recalled how even after the incidents, she was told it was her fault. Her scooty was damaged, and she was left broken, yet the blame was placed on her. To ensure her safety, her retired colonel grandfather, who had fought in two wars, had to start dropping her to school. Despite his presence, the boys continued to harass her, even making lewd comments about her grandfather.
A Call for Change
In sharing her story, Celina Jaitley emphasized the need for society to stand up against the blame culture that surrounds victims of harassment and assault. She expressed that it is time for women to demand their right to safety and to assert that it is never their fault. Her post is a powerful reminder of the deep-rooted issues of victim-blaming and the need for change in how society views and treats survivors of harassment.
