A Tourist Came to Mumbai. What Happened Next Should Embarrass Us All.

She came to see the city. The chaos, the color, the coastline, the culture. Instead, she got followed.

For nearly fifteen minutes, a young man trailed a foreign woman through Mumbai’s streets. He repeatedly tried to take a selfie with her. She clearly said no. Not once. Not ambiguously. Clearly.

He ignored her.

That’s the story.

And it’s not small.

Because when someone visits your country as a guest and walks away feeling harassed, it’s not just an awkward moment. It’s reputational damage. It’s a message sent without words: you are not safe here.

That message spreads faster than any tourism campaign.

1️⃣ “No” Is a Complete Sentence

Let’s start with the basics.

If a woman says no, that’s the end of the conversation. Not the beginning of negotiation. Not an invitation to persuade. Not a challenge.

This wasn’t admiration. It wasn’t enthusiasm. It was entitlement.

The idea that someone owes you a selfie because you want one is exactly the kind of thinking that erodes public safety. Consent doesn’t become optional because the interaction seems trivial. Respect is not situational.

2️⃣ This Isn’t Just About mumbai — It’s a Global Problem

Before anyone jumps to “this only happens here,” let’s be honest. It doesn’t.

Data from Ireland’s Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATU) shows that about 7% of reported sexual violence cases between 2017 and 2023 involved incidents linked to international travel across 66 countries. Ninety percent of victims were women. Many incidents involved strangers or recent acquaintances, often indoors in places like hotels.

In popular party-tourism destinations like Greece, Cyprus, and Spain, 8.6% of over 6,500 surveyed young tourists reported harassment. Countries like Egypt, India, and thailand frequently report street-level harassment cases at tourist hotspots.

This is not uniquely Indian. It’s universal.

But that doesn’t make it acceptable.

3️⃣ Why Does This Keep Happening?

There are uncomfortable truths here.

Human beings are wired with in-group bias. The brain’s amygdala can instinctively treat “outsiders” as different, sometimes lowering empathy. Add testosterone-driven risk-taking in young males, crowd psychology that weakens impulse control, and the anonymity of a busy city — and you get behavior people wouldn’t dare attempt in private.

Layer on cultural entitlement, weak enforcement of public harassment laws, alcohol in some cases, and a social media validation culture, and boundaries collapse.

But biology is not destiny. Impulse is not an excuse.

We are not animals reacting to stimuli. We are adults capable of restraint.

4️⃣ The Real Damage Isn’t the Video. It’s the Perception.

One incident becomes a reel. The reel becomes a headline. The headline becomes a stereotype.

Tourism isn’t just about monuments and beaches. It’s about how safe someone feels walking down a street. About whether “no” will be respected without escalation.

Campaign slogans can’t override lived experiences. “Atithi Devo Bhava” sounds powerful in advertisements. It rings hollow if guests feel unsafe.

And here’s the harsh truth: tourists vote with their wallets. If they don’t feel respected, they don’t return. They tell others not to.

5️⃣ Civil Society Can’t Stay Silent

This isn’t about shaming a city. It’s about demanding better.

Men must call out other men. Bystanders must intervene. police must treat street harassment seriously, not as a minor nuisance. Public messaging must normalize consent as non-negotiable.

Respect shouldn’t depend on nationality. Or gender. Or whether someone is alone.

Basic decency isn’t Western. It’s human.

The Bottom Line

A selfie isn’t harmless when it’s forced. Curiosity isn’t innocent when it ignores refusal.

Fifteen minutes of following a woman who clearly said no isn’t enthusiasm — it’s harassment.

And if we truly care about our country’s image, tourism, and dignity, the answer isn’t defensive denial. It’s accountability.

Because the world is watching.

And more importantly, so are the women walking our streets.