Talking about menstruation is a taboo in India. Asking for help in your period is frowned upon even more. However, this particular incident of a woman getting help in a train on her period is truly heart warming.
On 13 January, Vishal Khanapure, a trainee engineer from Karnataka, took to Twitter to seeking help for his friend, on her period.
Travelling on the Bengaluru-Ballari-Hospet passenger train, the woman, who is an architecture student, got her period as soon as she boarded the train.
As she was unprepared for it, she confided in her friend, Vishal Khanapure. Khanapure understood the emergency immediately and tweeted to the Indian Railways and the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, asking for help.
According to the Times Of India, at 11pm a railway officer met the woman and noted her PNR number. After three hours, the medicine and some sanitary pads were delivered to her.
Later, Vishal Khanapure tweeted again thanking the Indian Railways for their quick response and swift action.
Although the Indian Railways was quick to jump on the tweet and address this woman’s concern, one realises that not every person will have access to social media in the time of such an emergency. As a country that is finally waking up to women’s rights, we must ensure that all our public washrooms are clean and well stocked with sanitary pads.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)