Indian village bans unmarried women from having cell phones

Indian village bans unmarried women from
having cell phones
A village in India imposed a ban on unmarried women and minor
girls from owning cell phones.
Women found in violation of this ban will be fined about $30 while
the person who reported the offense will receive a reward of
almost $3.
"Why do girls need cell phone? Internet is a waste of time
and money for a middle-class community like us. Girls
should better utilise their time for study and other works,"
village leader Devshi Vankar told Hindustan Times.
Villagers in Suraj reportedly agreed with the decision, as cell
phones were viewed as tools used by young people to leave their
homes and elope.
Girls are allowed to use cell phones at home with the supervision
of their parents and women attending college are completely
exempt from the ban.
"College girls are mature enough to differentiate between
good and bad. Further, they also need mobile phone to
stay connected with their parents as colleges are located
in nearby cities not in our village," Vankar told the Indian
Express.
Vankar said banning young girls from using mobile phones would
protect them from being distracted in class and being harassed
by men on messaging apps.
"Everyone knows what happens in today's world due to
mobile phones. This is Kalyug. This is an era of Whatsapp,
where people secretly talk with each other. We have to
save girls from those who acquire their number and
harass them or try to lure these innocent girls," he said.