New Delhi: In December 2012, the brutal gang-rape of a younger girl, later named Nirbhaya by the media, despatched shockwaves via India and sparked widespread protests, calling for justice and systemic reform. A decade later, the haunting query persists: Has something actually modified for the protection of girls within the nation and in Delhi?
IANS on Monday visited Munirka, a locality in Delhi, to speak to a number of girls about their considerations over security. The responses have been unsettlingly acquainted. Nitu mirrored on the shortage of progress, saying, “I don’t assume issues have improved for ladies. Even after 12 years of Nirbhaya, we nonetheless face the identical fears. I don’t really feel protected within the night anymore. The federal government must take the proper steps to handle this.”
Arpita, one other native, voiced comparable frustration, “Even after 12 years, nothing has modified. Girls are nonetheless unsafe on the roads and at bus stands. We stay in fixed worry. Dad and mom fear when their daughters are out, and it’s not simply us — it’s in all places within the nation. Girls in faculties, hospitals, even nurses really feel unsafe. It’s turn out to be an on a regular basis subject, and the federal government should take stricter measures.”
Kalindi, one other girls shared her personal struggles with touring alone, particularly at evening. “After the Nirbhaya case, nothing has modified for ladies. I worry touring alone, notably in buses. We will’t assist however fear that we could be the following sufferer. The federal government ought to guarantee safety not simply in buses, however on all roads.”
The horrifying gang-rape and subsequent dying of Nirbhaya in a transferring bus in December 2012 shocked the nation. The brutal assault, which left the younger girl combating for her life till her dying on December 29, spurred nationwide protests and led to vital authorized amendments geared toward defending girls.
Nevertheless, the grim actuality is that after greater than a decade, Delhi stays a harmful place for ladies. As of August 31, 2023, the town recorded 2,751 crimes in opposition to girls, together with 1,393 rapes, 1,354 sexual assaults, and three instances of rape adopted by homicide. These numbers paint a stark image of a metropolis nonetheless fighting the protection of its feminine residents. Since 2022, Delhi has averaged 5 rapes per day, and a surprising 11 crimes in opposition to girls happen day by day on common.
Regardless of varied authorities initiatives such because the institution of the Girls Security Division in Could 2018, the creation of the Nirbhaya Fund, and the launch of programs just like the Investigation Monitoring System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and the Emergency Response Assist System, these measures haven’t been sufficient to cease the day by day violence in opposition to girls.
One latest tragedy within the nation introduced again recollections of the Nirbhaya case: The brutal rape and homicide of a feminine physician in Kolkata throughout her shift at a medical school. This horrific incident reignited public outrage and underscored the continuing hazard girls face in each nook of the nation.
In response to the general public outcry, a number of states have established fast-track courts for sexual crime instances, one-stop centres for survivors, and specialised authorized help and rehabilitation providers.
In Delhi, particular fast-track courts have been set as much as expedite the trial of rape instances, and the town has launched the Zero FIR system, permitting victims to file an FIR at any police station no matter jurisdiction. The Delhi Fee for Girls continues to push for higher implementation of legal guidelines designed to guard girls.
On Monday, the ruling Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) in Delhi launched a brand new initiative referred to as Mahila Adalat, highlighting the persistent subject of violence in opposition to girls within the nationwide Capital. The marketing campaign goals to carry the Union authorities accountable and amplify the voices of girls nonetheless combating for justice and security. As Delhi marks a decade of Nirbhaya’s legacy, the query stays: Have classes been learnt, or has the combat for ladies’s security simply begun?
