Protests give hope

Delhi has turned into a battleground with protestors braving lathicharge and tear gas to shake the political establishment out of stupor. The police in their desperate bid to restore law and order, are showing no mercy, even employing water canons in Delhi’s biting cold to disperse people. But, the agitators refuse to go away.

The Delhi rape has stirred the nation’s conscience, especially among the youth, the harbingers of change. What the capital is witnessing is the power of democracy, the sheer force of collective will that can spearhead a transformation.

Enough is enough! Do our elected representatives realise that this time the aam janta cannot be short-changed? Their demands have found resonance in other parts of the country where ordinary folks have taken to the streets asking for harsh punishment for rapists and eve-teasers.
Is it too much to ask that our streets should no longer be unsafe for women and children; that a woman can travel alone late at night without the fear of being raped or molested, even if she is “inappropriately” dressed?

The images of protests in Delhi and elsewhere have given the nation hope. The men are fighting alongside women in the struggle to rid the society of perverts. Regardless of our gender, we agree that rape is a heinous crime, and that women do not “enjoy” being raped. It is time for the misogynists to read the writing on the wall. We no longer live in the Dark Ages, and such regressive ideas will not be entertained. Whatever sacrifice it involves, we must ensure that our women and children are safe. It is the least we can do for our country.