A heated social media storm erupted this week after an Indian woman living in Germany compared her experience of travelling alone at night in Berlin with her years in India. The debate, which began with a personal account of safety, quickly turned into a polarising commentary on gender realities, geography, and online abuse.
What exactly happened?
The controversy started when X user @PrayRona_ shared a photo of an empty metro and wrote on November 16, "It's almost 3 here in Berlin. Partied on the other end of town. Tipsy af. Returning home on the public transport. Alone. Something I NEVER would've been able to do back in india as a girl."
Check out the viral post below:
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Indians slam
Her observation instantly sparked conversation. While many women resonated with her experience, others accused her of generalising India’s safety concerns. One user replied, "You may have never spent time in Mumbai," prompting her to respond, "I haven't." Another commented, "Bombay should be absolutely fine. Delhi most definitely not," to which she said, "I'm a Delhi girl so yes, this is life-changing for me."
However, the conversation soon expanded beyond city comparisons. A user cautioned against painting an entire nation unsafe based on one incident, writing, "I’m happy you felt safe taking the Berlin metro at 3 AM… But can we stop turning one late night train ride into an ‘India is unsafe’ TED Talk? Safety is global, not geographical."
Another criticised her for being intoxicated in public, saying, "A brown sepoy gets schooled by an European on India. What a shame. Also, why should anyone, male or female, return home "tipsy af" alone on public transport at 3 am? Being drunk in public is not ok. It is a nuisance to others to have such people around. Don't be a nuisance."
Rape threats and more
What began as a discussion on safety quickly turned hostile. Several users began hurling slurs, with some even issuing rape threats. One abusive message read, "How dare you say India isn't safe for women, you ra**i..." She responded, "Plenty of potential rapists proudly revealing themselves in my mentions."
In a follow-up comment, she added, "Back in india, I never felt safe when I was out after sunset, when it's all too easy to get groped, gawked at or flashed even in broad daylight. I don't know a single woman who wasn't harassed on public transport. They weren't drunk, wearing 'revealing' clothes or asking for it!"
Condemning the threats, she wrote, "Y'all really think calling me r**di 20 times a minute, wishing rape, mugging and idk what else on me... are valid arguments in defending India?"
Further, she added, "If I feel liberated and safe here… that's NOT a me problem. That's a function of just how unsafe I felt as a girl in India… If you're so triggered by a girl feeling safe, you're potential rapists!"
