DU students protest Kalkaji gang-rape, demand safety for all women

Students from various Delhi University colleges protested outside Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College demanding action over an alleged gang-rape near Kalkaji Temple. Protesters highlighted it as a solidarity march for all women's safety.

Students from various Delhi University colleges held a protest march outside Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College on Friday, demanding action over the alleged gang-rape near Delhi's Kalkaji Temple. Heavy police deployment was seen at the site as the protest continued.

A Call for Solidarity Beyond Campuses

Speaking to reporters, Yaksha Sharma, an alumna of Delhi University, said the protest was not limited to students but represented a wider solidarity march for the safety of all women. "This protest started; the trigger point was a rape that happened in a park near LSR College. The victim in that was not from LSR. So the solidarity you are seeing here is not just for students, but a solidarity march for all working women and everyone regarding the safety of all women," she said.

She questioned how safety could be ensured in remote parts of the country if even posh localities in South Delhi were unsafe for women. "I am no different from the working women. I am no different from the students. If a posh locality like South Delhi is not safe for girls, how can we talk about what is happening in Samastipur or what is happening in Jammu?" she said.

Institutional Failures and Patriarchal Mindset Criticized

Sharma criticised a recent notification restricting women's movement in parks in the evening, calling it a reflection of patriarchal thinking rather than a genuine safety measure. "Yesterday, there was a notification from the Delhi Government saying that women can't go to the park in the evening anymore. You've restricted us. This is exactly that patriarchal mindset, that when it comes to a girl, then just lock the girl up at home," she said.

Referring to a separate case in Haryana involving policemen and CRPF personnel, Sharma said awareness campaigns alone were insufficient without institutional accountability. "Just yesterday, there was news of a rape in Haryana where two policemen and two CRPF jawans gang-raped a girl. Now, how is the girl supposed to know whether the person standing in a police uniform is there to protect her or to rape her? Just saying 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' won't be enough. You guys need to be sensitised," she said.

Long-standing Safety Concerns Highlighted

Another protester, Alankar, said the demonstration was part of a long-standing and recurring demand for safety measures that had gone unaddressed. Alankar pointed to the lack of adequate lighting, police presence and functional safety infrastructure near the college as a long-standing issue that had culminated in the recent incident. "There's no light there, no pink booths, no security. The barricades are just standing, but there are no police officers around. People there have been raising these issues for three years now," she said, adding that increased patrolling was visible only after the recent case gained attention and that, if it had been provided earlier, these incidents could have been avoided.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)