India: Bengaluru man questions free bus rides for women, internet has mixed reactions

A man in India's Bengaluru has sparked discussion online after he questioned the free bus rides for women in Karnataka. The man shared his experience during a bus journey from Mysuru to Bengaluru, questioning the concept of gender equality and the sustainability of such a scheme by the government.

The man goes by the name KiranKS on the social media platform X and posted a picture of him from the bus with a list of questions. He claimed that among the total 50 passengers on the bus, 30 were women who travelled for free just by showing their Adhaar card (an Indian document to verify the identity of a citizen). He said those 20 men were paying for the entire bus, and he saw an old man who was struggling for money to pay the fair while a well-off woman was seen on a video call travelling carefree and fare-free.

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He further said that if the state government has so much monetary surplus, why not make the ride free for men as well? He said that across the world, such subsidies are given to people with weak financial backgrounds, but in India, they are given based on gender.

He suggested that the same money being used as a freebie could be invested in better work such as garbage clearance across cities, pothole fixing on roads, and providing water to farmers.

He said India has now fallen into the vicious cycle of "freebies for votes" and it is not very easy now to get out of it.

Someone replied to the post saying, "So True! I can see the pain of demanding equality in every aspect. When women are blessed with so many things, then why not free the things entirely rather than doing based on gender, caste or income?"

While many others came against such thoughts, as one X user wrote, "For approximately 300,000 years since the dawn of humankind, women were largely confined to the home, tasked with raising children, caring for elders, and cooking, while men enjoyed the freedom to roam and explore. Was this fair?"

Another added, "It's not freebies. The government is paying back to society in return for taxes people give. If you do not understand this concept, you cannot understand the principle of democratic government and governance."

Free bus rides vs politics

The X post came when the free bus ride became a central topic of discussion in Karanata's politics. The decision to free rides for women by the Congress-led government in Karnataka has been heavily criticised by other political parties, primarily the BJP.

The controversy got worse when the state government recently announced a 15 per cent hike in the fare, leading the BJP to allege that Congress's government has failed to balance public welfare and financial stability.

(With inputs from agencies)