India celebrates various festive holidays, public events and cultural days. But these venues have also, in recent years, turned into places of discomfort and danger, especially for women. A viral video of late has renewed the worry. Shared by Harun Khan on social media, the video depicts an unsettling sequence when a woman is dragged off a stage by a cluster of men during a public event. The tweet, which says “Women are not safe anywhere in India,” has ignited outrage and compelled the nation to face the uncomfortable reality of women’s safety amid packed crowded venues.
What Happened?
The video is of a chaotic environment. A woman onstage has a role to play one moment when, the next some men from the audience grab her and pull her down. She tries her hardest to fight, seeking help and is joined by security staff members. The crowd looks violent, and in moments it becomes a hostile one. Harun Khan’s tweet rebukes the behavior as being “a pervert” and calling for an immediate arrest. The tweet has gone viral, generating thousands of retweets and comments to show anger, disbelief, and solidarity with the victim.
Women are not safe anywhere in the india.
— هارون خان (@iamharunkhan) January 10, 2026
This pervert should be arrested immediately.
This should go viral. pic.twitter.com/h9wyI39Pqn
Why Is This Alarmingly Real?
It is the function of public life to be somewhere unthreatening for fun and public debate. But when women are attacked on a large scale in full view of thousands, the problem runs deeper. The problem isn’t just a single incident but an entire culture in which these sorts of behaviours are allowed to go unpunished. India is already dealing with high levels of gender-based violence cases. There is too much fear that makes women not venture into the public sphere, and women who enter do so suffer harassment. When such incidents occur at organized events it proves that even structured societies aren’t taking care of women.
The Role of Social Media
There are huge social media platforms that play a large role in spreading this incident. When Harun Khan's tweet surfaced the video nationwide made a huge impact on different media platforms. It's so sad to have such content, but then it's also important that people are getting their hands dirty and demanding justice and calling out some bad behavior. But social media is a double-edged sword. As it educates, it may expose victims to additional trauma. That’s also why it’s important to share such content responsibly to the end of justice as opposed to sensationalism.
What Needs to Change?
What happened is a wake-up call for event organizers, law enforcement agencies and society as a whole. Public safety at these occasions requires an upgraded security routine -- especially when women are performing or participating themselves. Proper crowd control and an emergency alert system should be in place for organizers. There must be prompt, stringent legal action to deter this type of conduct. But education, however, goes beyond enforcement. Respect, empathy and consent need to be instilled from a young age, in schools, households and communities.
The now viral video of a woman being dragged off stage is something much worse than this. It’s a symbol of much broader problems still unresolved. The video shows us how a party transformed by its own exuberance, disrespect for life and the sheer chaos and confusion that often surrounds it turns into the worst nightmare imaginable. Women need to feel safe, walking down the street and performing on stage. We as a society need to do better. We need to build spaces where women are there, but kept and cared for. Because safety is not a privilege, it’s a right.
