Do not visit India until they reform their laws and crack down on the sexual harassment of tourists

Almost ended my trip to India early and even considered staying in the airport until I could get out, but after exploring the country I fell in love with the people and the place<br><br>However, I just got back and I honestly can’t recommend India to anyone. I was constantly sexually harassed. My friend was groped, I was followed, spoken to inappropriately, flashed and even physically attacked. I am a woman but my male friend also experienced aggressive and sexual harassment. I have never experienced anything like this and in the past have said that sexual harassment isn’t a massive issue where we are from. I feel unsafe walking alone at night but I would never have thought that people would grope me against my will in a public place in daylight.<br><br>India has a huge problem. I have been to nearly 100 countries and have never felt like this. I have never felt afraid to explore, to talk to people and to stay out late meeting new people and drinking. But in India I would not leave my room until I absolutely had to. I would not go out on my own after dark, I would only sit next to women on public transport and I would always carry a knife. <br><br>India is an amazing place and the majority of people I met were really kind and respectful. The problem is the minority that have ruined my experience of India and the memory of it. I would never say that any race or nationality of person is bad, but India has a problem. It’s so apparent that the laws need to change and they need harsher punishments for these crimes. <br><br>I am so sad that I am writing this post about a place that I was starting to love very much. I don’t want to put people off visiting, but I also don’t want people to unknowingly put themselves in situations that will ruin their experience and may even be traumatic for them. I hope that this changes in the future, it would make me sad if India continued to let its female tourists down.<br><br>I really hope that this post doesn’t offend anyone. I just want people to be aware that this is a real problem and that they should take necessary precautions.