A series of late-night violence and robbery cases in Guwahati has sparked debate over whether urban safety concerns now extend beyond gender alone
For years, conversations around safety in Indian cities have largely focused on women. Families often warn daughters not to stay out late, avoid deserted roads, or return home before nightfall. While these concerns remain valid, another question is now being increasingly raised in cities like Guwahati: are men safe in the city after dark?
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In recent months, several incidents involving assaults, road rage, robberies, snatching, drunken violence, and attacks on men have surfaced across the city. From late-night assaults to pickpocketing in public transport, many residents say that insecurity in the city is no longer limited to one gender.
One such shocking incident took place earlier this week on the Six Mile road in Guwahati. According to reports, a speeding car almost collided with a biker. When the biker allegedly asked the driver to “drive properly,” the situation escalated violently. The victim claimed that the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated, came out of the vehicle and attacked him nearly seven times with a metal bat. Locals reportedly rushed to intervene, after which the accused fled from the spot.
The incident has once again sparked debate over rising aggression, reckless driving, and late-night insecurity in the city.
This is not an isolated case. Last year too, a security guard working at a bar in the city was allegedly attacked by a group of youths late at night. Such incidents have raised concerns among residents who believe that public spaces in Guwahati are becoming increasingly unsafe after dark.
To understand how men in the city perceive safety, GPlus spoke to people from different age groups and professions across Guwahati. Their experiences reflected fear, frustration, and concern over the changing atmosphere in the city.
A middle-aged resident, who has been living in Guwahati for nearly four decades, said that crime in the city is not something new. However, according to him, the nature of fear has changed over the years.
“Earlier, Guwahati used to feel more unsafe because crimes were frequent and policing was weaker. There were fewer people in the city then. But now, although infrastructure has improved, there is a different kind of fear, especially at night,” he said.
Many younger residents echoed similar concerns, particularly regarding certain areas of the city after dark.
Speaking to GPlus, Shubho Sen, a young professional residing in the city, shared his concerns regarding the Borsola Beel area near Rehabari. According to him, travelling through the stretch late at night often feels unsafe.
“There are groups of boys standing there almost every night. Many of them behave aggressively, threaten people without reason, and sometimes even try to snatch belongings. While travelling through that road, I genuinely feel scared,” he said.
Several residents also pointed out how nightlife zones and areas around bars become uncomfortable and risky during late hours.
Abhay Mahanta, another resident who is not originally from Assam but currently lives in Guwahati, said that the city changes completely after midnight.
“Late at night, especially around Ganeshguri and Six Mile where food stalls remain open, the atmosphere becomes very different. There are drunk people everywhere and crowds near bars often become chaotic. It becomes unsafe not only for girls but also for boys,” he said.
According to many residents, intoxication, reckless behaviour, and lack of strict monitoring at night are among the major reasons behind rising insecurity in certain parts of the city.
Another resident recalled a frightening experience from just a few days ago in the Ganeshguri area. He said that around 12:30 AM, while returning home, a car suddenly stopped beside him.
“Four to five people got down from the vehicle, attacked me, and took away my phone and money,” he alleged.
What disturbed him even more, he said, was society’s reaction to such incidents.
“These incidents are actually very common with men, but people rarely talk about them seriously. If something happens to a woman, society becomes alert immediately, and rightly so, but when men face violence or robbery, it is often ignored,” he added.
Apart from physical assaults and robberies, pick-pocketing inside public transport also remains a concern for many daily commuters.
Rajat Singh, a student, shared an incident that took place while he was travelling towards the university in a city bus.
“A group of boys boarded the bus from Adabari and surrounded me from all sides. I could barely move. When they got down at Jalukbari, I realised that the chain of my bag was open and my wallet was missing,” he said.
Fear of theft and snatching has also changed the way many residents move around in the city.
Anil Baruah, a middle-aged resident, said he has stopped wearing gold chains completely due to rising cases of chain snatching.
“I always keep my phone inside my bag or deep inside my pocket because I am constantly afraid someone may snatch it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Siddharth Sarma, another young professional from Guwahati, spoke about witnessing vehicle theft firsthand.
“I once saw someone stealing a scooty right in front of me from a parking spot at midnight. Cases of pick-pocketing, drunken riding, and theft usually happen late at night because there are fewer people around to witness them,” he said.
He further added that violence involving men often turns extremely serious.
“When men become victims of misconduct or fights, the situations often escalate badly, sometimes leading to brutal assaults or even murder,” he added.
The growing number of such accounts raises an important question, is urban safety discourse becoming too one-sided?
While women undoubtedly continue to face harassment, stalking, and gender-based violence, several residents argue that conversations around safety should become broader and more inclusive. Fear of robbery, assault, drunken violence, and theft affects everyone using public spaces at night.
The issue, many believe, is not about comparing the struggles of men and women, but about acknowledging that insecurity in the city impacts all citizens differently.
Residents also pointed towards the need for stronger policing in vulnerable areas, stricter action against drunk driving and street violence, better surveillance, and improved public transport security. Many stressed that public awareness and community vigilance are equally important in preventing such incidents.
For a growing city like Guwahati, citizens say safety cannot come at the cost of freedom. Whether man or woman, every individual should be able to travel, work, or return home at night without fear.
As incidents of assault, theft, and late-night violence continue to emerge, many residents believe the conversation around safety in Guwahati now needs to move beyond gender alone, and focus on creating a safer city for everyone.
The larger concern remains, should the solution really be that everyone must rush home before 10 PM to stay safe?
