I’d say even today in 21st century India isn’t safe for women to travel alone because of the fact that the cases of abduction, kidnapping, sexual harrasment and rape are constantly increasing. In a country, where women are not allowed to leave their home late at night, it practically is impossible to say that it would be safe for a women to travel all alone. India is a country where Eve-teasing and sexual harrasment are pretty common in a country like India for solo women travelers.
Despite various progress in various sectors and development side by side India as a nation is still failing to provide a secure environment to women be it in terms of foreign travelers or domestic ones. I’d say it basically isn’t about safe or unsafe place it is about the mentality of the people living in that particular area. States like Himachal, Uttrakhand and many other places in northern India are considered safer with less crime rate in comparison to South India. New Delhi in particular the capital of the country is considered one of the most unsafe places for women in India.
Why is it that we as citizens of nation are failing to make our country a better place to live in?
The only answer I can think of right now is the mindset of people which has not only retarded their emotional health, physical health but also a mental health. Women till present date are treated like sex objects and are often disrespected, disregarded, considered inferior in a patriarchal society.
The prevalent rape culture in India is one of the reasons for considering the nation unsafe place to travel for women. The judicial system is also failing partially to deal with such heinous crimes as there are no stringent laws to deal with the same.