Mumbai not safe any more: B'wood actresse

While actress and social activist Shabana Azmi feels that surety of punishment for offenders can be an effective deterrent, Bipasha Basu says it is a "collective responsibility to keep the city clean and common people should try to help in such a situation".

Shabana Azmi: Take Back The Night was a slogan coined by a women's movement to demand basic security for women. Every rule of civilised society demands that security should be provided to women. We used to pride ourselves on Mumbai being a safe city. Surety of punishment for offenders is a more effective deterrent than the severity of punishment.

Sushmita Sen: It's a repulsive incident. I feel very violated and upset when human beings relinquish their human qualities and behave like beasts. It's not a question of Mumbai alone. It's not a geographical issue. Disgraceful people like these molesters make the world an unsafe place. I pray these offenders are caught and punished severely. My heart goes out to both couples.

Malaika Arora: I've always considered Mumbai a safe place for women, but not any longer. I'm sure most women in the city feel the same way after the shocking barbaric incident.

Vaibhavi Merchant: Going to any public place on December 31 is scary, especially in Mumbai. This incident only verifies my worst fears about the city. Only the cops can keep the city safe. It's sad that the incident went unnoticed. However, Mumbai cannot be called unsafe because of some hooligans. This incident should serve as a wakeup call.

Hema Malini: I thought Mumbai was the safest city in the world. This incident has shocked me. Those men should be punished right away, and that too in public. How did the cops allow it to happen? I feel parents with daughters should be careful on nights like these when men are drunk.

Amrita Arora: I think the New Year night is pretty unsafe. People are drunk and behave in a weird manner. There must be more cops and security in crowded places during such occasions.

Bipasha Basu: Those dirty hooligans who molested two women on New Year's Eve should be punished so severely that no pervert ever tries these dirty ugly acts again. The offenders should be tracked down and disciplined publicly.

I've been a single woman in Mumbai and used to be proud of the city. But cheap and filthy men like these are destroying the city's safe reputation. And why should only cops be responsible for law and order? Even the man on the street should help in such a situation. Ultimately, it's the people who define a city.

Raveena Tandon: I wouldn't say Mumbai is completely unsafe, but it's getting there. The authorities should punish the offenders so severely that it sets an example. No one should dare to do what happened with those two women on New Year's Eve.

Nisha Kothari: That such a thing can happen in Mumbai is shocking. One always thought the city was safe for girls. But I don't feel that way any more.

Mahesh Bhatt: Mumbai has always been unsafe. My wife was once molested way back in the 1980s and had to fight her way out of a mob. The media is now turning the spotlight on the average Indian's repressed sexuality.

Arbaaz Khan: Mumbai is surely one of the safest cities in the world. However, some recent incidents are alarming and cause for worry.