"All I want to do is walk the streets of my country knowing I will be safe."
From our article on ‘The Acceptability of Rape in India‘ we now look at the next stage of events related to the awful and horrific crime committed on the 23-year old girl in Delhi who was gang raped by six men.
On Saturday 29th December the young woman lost her life in a Singapore hospital after having up to six organs not working and atrocious injuries from the rape.
The six men and the bus driver have been arrested. The six men have been accused of murder and the bus driver of kidnap.
Questions have arisen that if the girl and her male companion were not from an educated family would this case have ever come to light? Was this pre-mediated preying on innocent female victims by the bus driver and the men?
Every 22 hours in India a young girl from the age of three to a woman age of 60 is raped, and cases are seldom taken seriously. However, this case was ‘reported’ and has been classed as the most hideous and gruesome.
It was a Women’s Group in New Delhi that caused the up roar that gave media and global attention to this vicious sexual attack. Use of social media by family and friends of the two spiralled the news of the crime.
The accused are from small rural areas of the Indian capital, and NDTV (Indian News Channel) asked for reactions from neighbours. The neighbours were clearly shocked.
One elderly woman said:
“It’s difficult to walk the streets unless you are covered up. One always fears when our daughters/sisters/wives are out and if they will ever return back.”
All the accused families have gone into hiding. One of the mothers of the accused stated off camera: “If my son is guilty then he should receive the most severe punishment.” The identities of the six accused and bus driver are concealed until court hearings.
Silent protests through New Delhi have been continuous and candles lit for ‘India’s Daughter.’
Bollywood stars are equally shocked. Jaya Bachchan could not withhold her tears when said: “We were too late, the authorities were too late, but this will not happen again.”
Hema Malini and Shabana Azmi echoed similar feelings. Hema Malini said: “Yes we are modern in music, fashion and in our films. Hence giving the illusion that we are a modern society. But this issue of women’s safety has always been an underlying problem.”
India is asking its Government “What will you do to protect women?” A young 17 year old girl, a peaceful protester said: “All I want to do is walk the streets of my country knowing I will be safe. It’s my human right.”
These words have echoed through-out the capital of India, the country and now globally.
Fighting with great courage after sustaining grievous injuries, this young courageous girl, called ‘braveheart,’ expressed her intention to live and wanted her tormentors to be brought to justice.
Through-out her treatment at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, doctors stated she remained communicative through signs most of the time, spoke to her parents and gave statements to police not once but twice.
The angry questions did the rounds on Saturday 29th December 2012 as the people of Delhi woke up to the news that this young girl had died fighting her grievous injuries miles away from home. Delhi Police moved swiftly to seal India Gate and surrounding areas to curtail street protests, but voices could not be stopped, they wanted to be heard.
The Indian Government is being challenged. Politicians have been heavily criticised for slow reactions and a key question is why the rape victim was moved from New Delhi to a hospital in Singapore.
It was the Indian cabinet’s decision to send her to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. A medical decision or political one?
The girl had a cardiac arrest, suffered significant brain injuries and was in an extremely critical condition when she was admitted to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore on 27th December 2012, Thursday morning.
Kelvin Loh, Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s chief executive officer said: “Besides a prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen, as well as significant brain injury.”
Many doctors are bewildered with the move.
“I can’t understand the logic behind it, or rather it is unusual to transfer the girl from Delhi to Singapore,” said Samiran Nundy, of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Organ Transplantation in India.
Dr Mehta who was with the girl on the plane going to Singapore said of her survival rate: “Six organs of hers were malfunctioning. Her survival rate was 45-50% if that.”
More questions arose for the Government.
“Was the Government concerned that if this young brave girl died on India’s soil would make the protests worse?”
“Is India worried that they have blood on their hands due to lack of protection for women in India?”
“Why has the Government been so slow to react to this horrid event and many others similar?”
The protesters and country is seeking real justice and the world is awaiting answers.
India’s Daughter arrived back on Indian soil evening of Saturday 29th December and her funeral took place privately on 30th December 2012.
Actress Sharmila Tagore said: “We must be very careful not to violate the privacy of the girl’s family at this difficult time. Her dignity needs to be maintained.”
The political parties in India have still not come together to work on a solution of a problem that affects primarily women. An issue that has always been brushed under the carpet and hidden from the world, but now this case has bought this to everyone’s attention.
Will this force the Indian Government to address legislation to protect women from ordeals such as this? Or will it be another political mess that has no direction?
Female protestors reacted saying: “People are only concerned with shame and not justice.”
Banwari Lal Singhal, a politician from the BJP stated girls should not wear skirts and only wear salwar kameez or trousers and shirts to avoid sexual harassment. Does it matter what women wear? Is this not an issue about men wanting to be in control?
Preparing a 1000 page chargesheet, Delhi Police Chief, Mr Tejinder Luthra said: “Our teams are working on the chargesheet. We want to make it flawless. We are hopeful to secure conviction in this case.”
The accused will be appearing in court early January 2013. A verdict will be announced. Indians are demanding the death penalty for the hideous and evil crimes committed.
Will India take note of its people’s cries and give basic rights for women to travel to work and home in peace; without the fear of them being assaulted, kidnapped, raped and killed?
It has taken such a horrific crime and life of an innocent young girl for India to realise there is a problem. This young girl’s death cannot be in vain. Labelled ‘India’s Daughter’ she is not just a daughter to India, but of every household around the world.
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To Whom it May Concern
We, the people, demand not only justice, but reassurance that the safety of women is a basic right of any society in a civilization. Damini came from a hard-working, middle class family that taught gave her a moral upbringing and her passion to help people in her community in the medical field was just the beginning of her dreams and aspirations. This intelligent and beautiful young girl would have grown up to be a compassionate medical healer and one day would have been a mother herself and raised beautiful children. However, the barbaric acts of 6 men that night changed her life, her families, the nation, and the whole world.
If Gandhi and Bhagat Singh are known as the “fathers of India” Damini will one day be known as the ‘DAUGHTER OF INDIA” Know that her innocence will not be forgotten and her sacrifice gone in vain. I have faith that for the countless acts of compassion and millions of hard-working, decent families, this atrocious, violent, and horrid crime will not be forgotten. However, it is up to all of us to remind the bad apples and ill karma individuals who are in the minority, that we the people will not be passive anymore. We will strike for reform and change and hold politicians and police personal accountable. We will strike when the iron rod is hot. And that time is NOW. If we forget or let Damini’s sacrifice be a temporary anger until the rapists are hanged, without affecting any long term legislation and law, this even will still be a daily occurrence for women. Just as Damini should be immortalized in history as the DAUGHTER OF INDIA, I as a male feel that hanging is too liberal of a punishment. These nameless cowards and womanizers should be a daily reminder to any would be perpetrator.
I say, LET THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES LIVE WITH THEIR SINS. KEEP THEM INCARCERATED IN JAIL ON LIFE SENTENCES. LET THEM SUFFER EACH DAY, KNOWING THEIR LIFE IS MEANINGLESS AND THE BE AN ULCERATING WOUND AND REMINDER TO OUR SOCIETY that this is a disease. A corrupt disease from prince to pauper, from every race, religion and background. It infects societies like cholera and the only way we can live with ourselves is if we all stand up, united, and have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards abuse of ANY kind towards women. I am usually apathetic, but hearing of this tragedy has made me throw out passivity and think there are 1.5 billion of us, and the politicians and rapists that get away with these crimes number is but a few. A few rotten apples that spoil the bunch. I urge each and everyone one of you reading this to do a little soul searching and think what level you can tolerate.
We the people, need to take our izaat back and we can do it. Though I am only 13, I feel there are still more decent people in the world than the minority of abusers. I want positive male role models to look up to! I do not want these 6 cowards to define my gender. Please help prove to me that the good of the common hard-working family and their values has not been lost. Make Damini the DAUGHTER of INDIA so that one day I can tell me children about her when I teach them about Gandi and Bhagat Singh when teaching them about India. Make me proud to be an Indian man, who protects women and treats them as life long companions and equals, not as toys. Equal pay for equal work is a far off issue when something as simple as women’s safety and izaat is still a challenge world-wide. Everyone of you has a Damini in your life.
THANK YOU so much for your most touching, thoughtful and eloquent contribution to this thread. I agree with all you have said. You may be young, but you are the type of person that makes me proud to be an Indian and you give me hope for our future generations of Indian men. We need more males to think like you do. YOU my dear young writer are certainly that positive male role model to be looked up to!
The case has changed from rape to murder which means the severity is higher from a legal point of view. But if it was still a charge of rape, then would the sentence be as stiff as it is going to be? This is where the law in India has to change to support and help all the rape victims and not wait for something like this to happen again.
Really shocked by the statistics for rape in India.
Do you want to know why India has a sexual violence problem? I’ll tell you why: IT’S THEIR MOVIE INDUSTRY, THAT’S WHY! Have you ever seen one of those God-awful “Bollywood” movies where all of the men and women dance like a bunch of sex-starved dogs in heat? I’m telling you, watching one of those movies would make the most mild-mannered man want to rape the next woman he saw!
Jack,
I don’t think the movie industry can be blamed. There’s a lot more to it. Many males from lower social classes do not know how to deal with the changes in India. Especially with the new middle classes emerging as the new india where women have freedom and choice. So, how to stop it? Control them and force them back into their place. Even the mother of the accused wants the punishment to be severe for her rapist son…
Raj, with all due respect, this is NOT just a lower social class issue. Violence against women spans across ALL social classes. So your solution is to “control them and force them back into their place”. What do you mean by that? What is their ‘place’?
Nina,
What I mean by that is that mostly uneducated men are not familiar with how to behave with modern middle class generations. They are only use to women who are subservient and therefore, they have control.
By ‘putting back in place’ what that means is that women do not have a voice and do as a man wants – which is the way these men think. Which is very different from the reality of the progressive India – which should not tolerate such behaviour or thinking.
The reason India has a problem with sexual violence against women is because of how Indian people treat their women in general and this includes ALL social classes. Not just uneducated men, but also educated men are brought up not to respect women. Simple example being all the ‘educated’ politicians that have serious rape charges against them, but they know that they can get away with their crimes, as convictions have an EXTREMELY low rate and the justice system is so corrupt and flawed, which works to their advantage. There is no fear and repercussions for their behavior. Most policemen view rape victims as perpetrators and often commit the crimes themselves. So people feel they can’t trust the justice system because there mostly is none for them. So it basically comes down to a poor justice system and a deeply rooted problem in India’s social attitudes as the following article states: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20863860. This supports why India is NOT a progressive country, because the reality is that it DOES tolerate such behavior and thinking.
Furthermore, (going back to Jack’s point) the lack of respect for women is also reflected in most of these Bollywood movies, otherwise they wouldn’t be so sexually provocative and demeaning to women. It would be interesting to know the ratio of female to male directors and producers in Bollywood.