Editorial: Not Just Delhi’s, it’s the Nation’s Shame

The Delhi protest against the gang-rape which has left the entire nation shocked and disturbed has taken a life of its own. The anger among the protestors is genuine and the State’s response to the situation has been typically ignorant. The gang-rape, disturbing and heinous as it was, provided the trigger to unleash pent-up frustrations of the people. The insecurity that Delhi as a society leaves women living there with and the disinterest with which those responsible to keep citizens safe deliver on their responsibilities, is now manifesting in the anarchic situation prevailing on the streets there. The suspects in the gang-rape have been taken into custody and the victim is receiving arguably the best medical attention possible in the country, and yet the anger among the citizens has not subsided. One could explain the chaos at India Gate to the disorganised nature of the protest, but that would be only partly correct. As much as the protest is about the one incident of a brutal gang-rape that has been in the news the past week, it is also against the society’s general ambivalence when it comes to violence against women – physical, mental and through denial of opportunities – which allows such perversions as the Delhi Shame which has the entire nation in a roil. The demands seeking death for rapists are an emotional response to a dastardly deed, and surely, those facing down water cannons, lathi-charges and tear-gas shellings in Delhi know deep down that their protest cannot force such a legislation. It is thus the wrong strategy for the State to engage them in discussions on Constitutional matters or extend the token assurances of ensuring justice for the victim. The assurances being sought by the protestors, as should also be demanded by everyone in the country since New Delhi really belongs to the country and not just Delhites, are for a safer environment for women and girls studying and working in Delhi and a law and order infrastructure which not only brings perpetrators of violence against women to book, but also, through quicker response and better policing, prevents such crimes from transpiring. Effective punishment for violence against women should already have been in place and by now, the State machinery should have earned the trust of the people when it comes to ensuring justice for victims. Because the State has failed on both counts, the people are left with no recourse but to take to the streets. The Central and Delhi Governments, because both are involved when it comes to policing the National Capital Region of Delhi, need to present a detailed plan of action on how they intend to make Delhi safer for women. They have not done so thus far, but this is what the protestors at India Gate and across the country need to hear. A sizeable number of the protestors at India Gate must undoubtedly have suffered the societal blindsiding of attitudes which get emboldened on a daily basis to a level where the nation records nearly 25,000 rapes in a calendar year [2011]. And these are only the rapes which get reported to the police; and even then, the conviction rate stands at a dismal 24%. The figures reveal both, the societal indifference to security for women and the administration’s disinterest in securing justice for victims. The anger on the streets starts making more sense against this performance report and now that the nation’s attention has been ensured, it is time that the situation is addressed and redressed.